Himalaya

[Christina.Gillberg at eu.pnu.com]

     Dear Indologists,
     
     Some years ago I went trekking in the Himalayas and got fascinated 
     with its majesty and beauty. But it also produced some questions that 
     I have been trying to answer, without much luck, and now I wonder if 
     anyone of you can help me.
     
     I know that Himalaya is considered to be Mt Meru, and one of the best 
     places for yogis to live at as well as for laymen to go on pilgramage 
     to.
     And yet I can't help wondering why mountains, and Himalaya in 
     particular, is considered to be especially holy. 
     Does anyone know what does the scriptures have to say about this? Are 
     there any passages in the Puranas, Agamas or Tantras that deal with 
     Himalaya? And which places are considered to be the most holy? (It 
     probably changes if you are for instance a shaiva, a vaishnava or a 
     smarta-hindu but I suppose there are some places of extra importance.) 
     All proposals are gratefully received, both sources and modern 
     scholarly books.
     
     Best regards,
     
     Christina Gillberg
     christina.gillberg at eu.pnu.com