Information About Kashmir

Kashmir is known all over the world for its beauty and charm. The Kashmir valley is situated about 300 km. from Jammu across forested ravines and steep mountain passes. The emerald valley of Kashmir is cradled in the Himalayas, under the crystal blue skies, against the background of snow-capped mountains. It is a magic land of silvery streams, rivers, fresh water lakes, pine, deodar and chinar forests, snow clad mountains, sparkling waterfalls, shikaras, green meadows and grassy slopes full of flowers of vibrant colours. It is an oval plateau over 5000 feet high and framed by three Himalayan ranges – the Karakoram, Zanskar and Pir Panjal. Kashmir covers an area of 222,236 square kms and is often referred as the 'Switzerland of the East'. It is the land of bewitching beauty with exotic fruits, flora and flowers. Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir is nestled amidst the huge lakes, meadows and unique floating gardens in the valley. The state of Kashmir is mainly dominated by the Muslims and Kashmiris. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru also said about Kashmir that is there is a paradise on the earth, it is this, it is this. Kashmiri, Dogri and Urdu are the main languages which are spoken here. The best time to visit Kashmir is during summers.

HISTORY OF KASHMIR

Kashmir formed part of the empire of Emperor Ashoka, about three centuries before Christ. He spread Buddhism in Kashmir, Tibet, China and Central Asian Republics. In the 7th and 8th centuries, there was a succession of Hindu kings who gave Kashmir its first impressive monuments. Then followed a dark era in which power passes from one ruthless commander to another till a Tibetan Muslim prince took over. He died in 1338 and Commander Shah Mir usurped the kingdom and stated a Sultan dynasty. The eighth Sultan of this dynasty was Zainul-Abdin, also known as Badshah or the Great king. He patronized art, music and encouraged studies in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. The king was very popular with the local people as they considered him their patron saint who introduced such arts like shawl making, embroidery, carpet-weaving, paper-machie, silver and wood carvings. He invited guilds of craftsmen from Persia and Samarkand to settle down in the Kashmir valley. When Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Kashmir in 1587, he lost his heart to the valley. He declared Kashmir as his private gardens and indulged himself in boating, water fowling and watch the saffron being harvested in the fields. Various Mughal kings made Kashmir their home to avoid the heat and dust of summer. Akbar's son Jehangir also found the natural paradise of Kashmir captivating and built various gardens in Srinagar. While, one day on his way to Kashmir, he become ill and when he was asked to express his last wish, he said, “Kashmir… and nothing else.” The Mughal kings created elaborate pleasure gardens, marble pavilion and intricate irrigation systems in the valley. They also succeeded in converting the majority of local Hindus into Islam. As the Mughal power decline, Afghans captured the valley till they were ousted by the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Kashmir became part of the Sikh   empire. When the Sikhs lost their war against the British in 1846, the British demanded an indemnity of 500,000 pounds. Since they could not meet this demand, the Sikhs offered Kashmir to the British. The Dogra Maharaja of Jammu offered the British twice the indemnity amount and thus became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. His descendants ruled over the State till 1947 and became part of the Indian Republic. The state also became the battleground between India and Pakistan during 1948, 1965 and in 1971 wars when Pakistan lost. Pakistan is still trying to grab Kashmir by aiding and abetting terrorism in Kashmir. Since 1997, when elections were held in the state, Jammu and Kashmir is under an elected government. Law and order situation is better now and foreign as well as Indian tourists are visiting Kashmir in large numbers.

ACCOMMODATION IN KASHMIR

Nature has lavishly endowed Kashmir with certain distinctive favors which hardly find a parallel in any alpine land of the world. It is the land of snow clad mountains and is known for its extravagant natural beauty. It shares a common boundary with Afghanistan, China and Pakistan. Kashmir is the northernmost state of the Indian Union. The most important tourist places in the state are Kashmir, Srinagar, the Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu and Ladakh. The notable visitor attractions are Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Raghunath Temple, Bahu Fort, Peer Baba, Mubarak Mandi Palace, Chadar Trek etc.

There are ample of luxury, budget hotels, resorts and houseboats in Kashmir those are symbolic of elegance and hospitality. The hotels in Kashmir offer a warm Kashmiri welcome with all modern comforts and are near to the airport and just few minutes away from the city’s key historic areas and main tourist attractions. No matter what your budget is, you are sure to find something that meets your needs and suits your pocket among these hotels. The tourist would get related information on the websites of these hotels- all travel and hotel booking, best pricing, deals on the hotels, availability and reservation for the hotels and tour packages.

The hotels in Kashmir have beautiful, spacious and well appointed rooms which are exclusively, splendidly and lavishly designed and have facilities like drapery, mini bar, air conditioner, direct dial telephone service, cable TV, secretarial services, business newspaper, Wi- Fi connectivity throughout the premises. Kashmir Hotels The rooms are of different types to suit the need of wide variety of travelers. Extra bed is also provided, if needed. To cater to local and international tourists, these hotels have multi-cuisine restaurants. They serve detectable cuisines and provide round the clock service to the guests. Gulmarg is well known for its amazing natural beauty and it is counted as one of the unique tourist destinations in the world. It is a popular hill station and skiing destination. Gulmarg is surrounded by dense forest. This place is famous for its golf hikes and beautiful highland golf course. The option of accommodation in Gulmarg is quite wide. It offers a majestic staying in the picturesque land of Gulmarg.

The pleasant accommodation understands the values of the precious time of each and every tourist that they spend with their loved ones and thereby, offering a comfortable stay. The hotels and resorts in Gulmarg are beautifully nestled amidst sublime view of dense thick Pine forest; green lush valley and snow clad mountains and thereby offer scintillating view spectacular nature.

TOURISM IN KASHMIR

The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a region of widely varying people and geography. In the south, Jammu is a transition zone from the Indian plains to the Himalaya . Nature has lavishly endowed Kashmir with certain distinctive favors which hardly find a parallel in any alpine land of the world. It is the land of snow clad mountains that shares a common boundary with Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of the Indian Union. Known for its extravagant natural beauty this land formed a major caravan route in the ancient times.Trade relations through these routes between China and Central Asia made it a land inhabited by various religious and cultural groups. It was during the reign of Kashyapa that the various wandering groups led a settled life Buddhism influenced Kashmir during the rule of Ashoka and the present town of Srinagar was founded by him. This place was earlier called 'Srinagari' or Purandhisthan. The Brahmins who inhabited these areas admired and adorned Buddhism too. From the regions of Kashmir Buddhism spread of Ladakh, Tibet, Central Asia and China. Various traditions co-existed till the advent of the Muslims.The Mughal had a deep influence on this land and introduced various reforms in the revenue industry and other areas that added to the progress of Kashmir. In 1820 Maharaj Gulab Singh got the Jagir of Jammu from Maharaj Ranjit Sigh. He is said to have laid the foundation of the Dogra dynasty. In 1846 Kashmir was sold to Maharaj Gulab Singh. Thus the two areas of Kashmir and Jammu were integrated into a single political unit. A few chieftains who formed part of the administration were of the Hunza, Kishtwar, Gilgit Ladakh. During the Dogra dynasty trade improved, along with the preservation and promotion of forestry.

CULTURE OF KASHMIR

Culture of Jammu and Kashmir has the distinctiveness of having multihued, motley of unique blend, differentiating it from the rest of the country. Jammu & Kashmir culture is not only different in forms and heritage but also different in geographical, demographically, ethical and social entities from other parts of the country. The state is accurately shaped into a spectrum of variance and variation 

Clearly visible in the distinct parts - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, all yielding diverse religion, language and culture, but constantly interfusing, making it sparkling specimens of Indian unity in diversity. The various cultural forms like art & architecture, fairs & festivals, rites & rituals, seers & sagas, languages and landscapes, mounted on the ageless era of history, speaks aloud of uniformity and diversity with matchless cultural symmetry & service.