The Himalayas, known for their majestic peaks and rugged terrain, indeed have a fascinating geological history that includes a time when they were underwater. This chain of mountains, which extends across five countries—India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Pakistan—was formed as a result of the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate around 50 million years ago.
Before this collision, the region that is now the Himalayas was part of the Tethys Sea. This ancient ocean existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia. Over millions of years, as the tectonic plates shifted, the sea began to recede, and the sediments that had accumulated on the seafloor were pushed upwards to form the towering peaks we see today.
As a result, fossils of marine life can be found in the rocks of the Himalayas, providing strong evidence that this region was, at one point, submerged under water. Hence, understanding this aspect of Himalayan geology gives insight into the dynamic nature of our planet and the processes that shape its landscapes over time.