The Atlas is our growing repository of maps of the Himalayan region. In the early days, not much was known about the Himalayas. The pioneers and explorers were completely on their own. There neither had accurate maps, nor did they have advanced equipment. The early explorers relied solely on accounts and descriptions of those who had ventured into the mountains before them.

In 1590, a Spanish missionary to the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar undertook the work of mapping the Himalayas for the first time ever. However, the process was slow and tedious. The difficulties of mapping the Himalayas can be gauged from the fact that it was only in the middle of the 19th century, almost three centuries later, that the heights of the Himalayan peaks were measured correctly.

However, detailed maps of Himalayan regions were not readily available till much later. Even in the early parts of the 20th century, there are plenty of tales of surveyors venturing into the inner Himalayas with their equipment, getting trapped in blizzards and having to be rescued by the local mountain folk.

Today, the situation is drastically different. Modern technology has changed the face of Himalayan exploration. Every part of the Himalayas have been mapped in detail. Moreover, satellite maps and aerial photographs have made life much easier for the trekkers and mountaineers exploring the mountains.