Kashmir Valley
From Wikitravel
Contents
The Kashmir Valley [1], or more poetically the Vale of Kashmir, is a region of Jammu and Kashmir state in India.
|
This article is about the Kashmir Valley, which is presently under Indian control. For the Indian-controlled part of the entire Kashmir region, see Jammu and Kashmir. For the Pakistani-controlled part, see Azad Kashmir. This is not an endorsement of claims by either side in the dispute. |
[edit] Districts
[edit] Cities
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] Understand
The Mughal Emperor Jehangeer is said to have once written about Kashmir: Agar firdaus bar rue zamin ast hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast! ("If there be paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here!"). He was writing about Kashmir, a land divided between the northern half of the northern-most state of India, Jammu and Kashmir and the district of Kashmir in Pakistan. Torn by war, terrorism and violence since 1948, this beautiful valley has long been considered a dangerous place to go to, but tourism is slowly coming back to the valley as militancy, which began in the early 90s (as a means of protest against what some describe as forceful Indian occupation) has come down. The most famous places to visit in Kashmir are Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. Other places include Sonamarg and Verinag. There are various trekking routes available across whole of Kashmir. Adventure sports in the form of water rafting and paragliding, among others, are available at various tourist locations. The Royal Springs' Golf course in the heart of Srinagar on the shores of the world famous Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful golf courses around. There is a small 18-hole golf course in Gulmarg.
[edit] Talk
The official state language is Urdu, though the most commonly spoken language in the Vale of Kashmir is Kashmiri (or Kashur). The younger generation speaks English quite well. Most of the sign-boards and directions are written in English. English is one of the official languages of the government apart from Kashmiri, Urdu, Gojri and Dogri. Hindi is also widely spoken across Kashmir.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane
Almost all the domestic airlines in India fly from Delhi to Srinagar.
[edit] By train
The nearest railway station is at Jammu. The rest of India is connected by rail with Jammu; however the construction of a rail link from Jammu to Srinagar is still in progress and is not expected to be complete until 2012 at the earliest.
[edit] By road
From Jammu, various places in Kashmir are 6-8 hours by road. You can also hire a taxi or take a bus from New Delhi. The travel time by road is about 20 hours from New Delhi. The landscape tends to get very interesting from Jammu and it is mainly because of this reason travellers prefer the road trip (especially from Jammu). Please bear in mind though that the Jammu-Srinagar highway is extremely treacherous in the winters and, for most part of the winter is blocked by landslides.
[edit] Get around
The best way to travel across the known destinations in Kashmir is to hire a taxi for about $60 a day. If you want to visit high altitude lakes and mountaineering destinations you can hire a horse to carry your stuff up the mountains. The tourism department also provides guides, maps and equipment to mountaineers and trekkers.
[edit][add listing] See
Spring is the time when Kashmir bursts into a riot of colors and millions of flowers carpet the landscape. A good idea would be to visit the "Tulip Garden" arguably the largest of its' kind in Asia. The Tulip Garden is located just opposite the main Boulevard Road on the shores of the Dal Lake. Although work on the garden started a couple of years back, nevertheless, with each season it is expanding rapidly and is fast becoming a major tourist attraction in Spring. Angling in the many fresh water streams is an attraction in spring as well or if you missed out on Skiing in winter, you could go skiing in Gulmarg which offers excellent opportunities till late March.
Summer brings a lot of tourists to the valley, especially those from the Indian plains which experience unbearably hot temperatures during the summers.
Gulmarg being a perennial favourite can be visited.
"Pahalgam" or the village of Shepherds is a very popular resort ninety kilometers south of Srinagar. It has some magnificient plains (like Baisaran) where horse-riding can be indulged in. Again, some fantastic angler opportunities as well and a lot of trekking routes (including the one that goes to Amarnath, a hindu pilgrimage shrine deep in the himalayas)
Located 84 kilometers from the state capital Srinagar and situated at an altitude of 9567 feet, Sonamarg lies in the valley carved by River Sindh, surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. Sonamarg literally means "Meadow Of Gold". The skiing season in Gulmarg, the world famous ski resort in Kashmir, lasts for about four months, but with the Thajiwas Glacier and the upper reaches of the Sonamarg valley covered with snow practically all through the year, skiers can thrill themselves for a longer period. Sonamarg has a certain "raw" unspoiled beauty about it. The mountains look tall and haughty and the vista whichever way looked at consists of meadows, imposing mountains and streams. Sonamarg is the gateway to Ladakh so if you're planning to go to Ladakh by road you'll be enthralled by its' charms.
[edit][add listing] Do
The list of things to do is long, however this is the brief.
- Enjoy a Shikara ride in the Dal Lake. You can also swim in the lake.
- Stay in a houseboat.
- Take a walk on the streets of Old City [downtown Srinagar].
- Go trekking.
- In winters you can go on a skiing/snowboarding adventure at Gulmarg.
- If you are lucky enough to find the lakes frozen during winters, take a walk on the Dal Lake. But be careful.
- Enjoy white water rafting at Phalgam and Gulmarg.
- Visit the Gardens made by Mughal kings on the banks of the Dal Lake in the foothills of Zabarwan mountains.
- During Spring season visit Asia's largest tulip garden.
- Go fishing in any of the lakes in Srinagar. The license to fish costs about $5 per day during the summers. The resort of "Aharbal" offers excellent fishing opportunities: there's a great waterfall too. http://wikitravel.org/shared/Image:DSC00056.JPG "Daksum" is very famous for its scenic mountain beauty and clear, sparkling streams with bountiful of catch. Then there's "Frislin" in Pahalgam and Yousmarg to name a few.
- If you are visiting high altitude lakes (some of the few zero pollution lakes on the planet) don't forget "Tulin Lake" located at at altitude of approximately 4000 meters above sea level. The 25 kilometer trek starts from Pahalgam. Tulin Lake is just one among the many high altitude lakes in Kashmir.
- Use the state owned JKTDC's transports whenever you can. They are sincere and reliable.
[edit][add listing] Eat
Kashmiris celebrate the first snowfall of the season by socialising over a barbecue. They relax in the cold crisp evenings with a cup of warm 'Kahwa'... a black tea brewed with cinnamon, cardamom and honey. Also a perennial favourite is the pink coloured 'Nun Chai' made with a special salt. Rich and redolent with the flavour of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron, Kashmiri food is suitable for all palates. Predominantly non-vegetarian, "Wazwaan" as it is called is the royal cuisine of Kashmir. Described by the author Salman Rushdie in his book, Shalimar the Clown, Wazwaan is a banquet of thirty-six courses minimum and sixty courses maximum. It's a preparation of a number of spicy meat dishes served with traditional rice by professional chefs called "Wazas". Kashmiri wazwaan has its origin in Persia and is almost always served in Kashmiri marriage parties. It also has some interesting vegetarian options like dum-aloo and 'chaman' (cooked cheese). Among the popular non-vegetarian delicacies are curd based Gushtaba, chilli-flavoured Rishta and Roganjosh.
[edit][add listing] Drink
Kashmir being a Muslim society does not have drinking as a part of her culture. However, most hotels in Srinagar serve liquor and other alcoholic beverages.
Jammu and Ladakh however are not Muslim so alcohol is more readily available in these areas.
[edit] Stay safe
The past decade of turmoil has left traces in the Valley. Its important that you get yourself registered with the Foreigners’ Registration unit of the Tourism Department. The registration counters are at Tourist Reception centers at Srinagar Airport, Srinagar City, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Phalgam and other places.
In case of an emergency you can contact the nearest tourist police office or police station. The emergency number of the Police Control Room is 100.
[edit] Personal safety
Kashmiris are considered very hospitable people. The Amarnath Yatra in which Hindus annually visit a cave situated deep in high altitude mountains in Pahalgam (supposedly the abode of Lord Shiva) has been going on peacefully for more than a hundred years and Kashmiris have been known to provide all help to the yatris, sometimes even braving harsh mountain weather (which is not that rare considering it's a high altitude pilgrimage.) In 2006 a campaign of grenade attacks in Srinagar claimed the lives of six tourists and wounded forty on July 11. The targets included a tourist bus and the Tourist Reception Centre. A similar attack on May 31 against a tourist bus wounded 21. An explosion in a tourist bus in Shalimar Gardens on July 29th , 2007 claimed six lives and wounded twentyone. In the summer of 2008 a controversy arose in which Kashmiris resisted the transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board created by the Government of India, fearing dilution of the Muslim majority demography of the state; however no tourist was targeted while people came out on streets demanding justice. During the peak of militancy in 1995 (which has largely abated now) a Norwegian tourist, Hans Christian Ostrø, and five other western tourists were kidnapped by an unknown terrorist group, Alfaran. John Childs, an American managed to escape. However Ostrø was tragically beheaded. The other tourists have never been found since and are presumed dead. However, mainstream separatists denounced this act and terrorist organisations based in Pakistan denied any hand in the executions.
[edit] Get out
| This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! |
