Eurasia and India

The 'Golden Mountains of Altai' region, spanning 351,000 km² in southern Siberia, shares deep cultural and spiritual parallels with India. This study highlights enduring traditions and beliefs prevalent across Buryatia, Khakassia, Altai, and Tuva Republics, emphasizing their connection to Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmologies—particularly the sacred Mount Meru (Sumeru). The research draws from firsthand travel experiences, documenting rituals like offerings of tea, bread, and coins at birch trees, which symbolize reverence for nature. It also explores Altai's multifaceted significance as a 'Gate to Shambhala' or 'Pearl of Asia,' bridging Eurasian and Indian spiritual landscapes. Methodologically, the study combines ethnographic observation with comparative analysis of religious texts, offering a nuanced perspective on transcontinental cultural syncretism.

Warikoo, K. (2017). Eurasia and India. Eurasia and India, 34–57. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315170459-4