The Himalayas and the Himalayans layas were included, this book has all the contributors from the Anthropo¬ logical Survey of India and has articles on the people of the Western and Central Himalayas only. The articles in this book can broadly be divided into three parts. Part One consists of six articles on the Hima¬ layan ecology and ecological adaptation, Part-Two includes seventeen articles in the bio-genetical aspects and Part-Three covers sixteen articles on various arpects of the cultural life of the people of the Western and Central Himalayas. I have tried my best to include varied types of articles in all the three parts, particularly in the later two parts, in order to highlight diverse biological and cultural characteristics of the people of the Western and Central Himalayas. This is possibly the only book so far published which has highlighted through thirty nine articles, the various aspects of the ecology, biology and culture of the people of the Western and Central Himalayas inhabiting the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. I shall feel my labour has profitably been utilised if the readers of this book, particularly those interested in the Himalayan Studies, consider it to be to useful to them. ! May 1st, 1985.