Jammu and Kashmir @ The UT

       INTRODUCTION 

        The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is a place where several valleys are situated like the Kashmir Valley, the Chenab Valley, the Sindh Valley and the Lidder Valley. The UT has some attractive tourist places also, like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Mughal Gardens, Jammu and Patnitop.  The Kashmir Valley is one of the most attractive destination of India and thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi and Amarnath Temple which had its own significant impact on the culture and economy of the Country as well as the UT. The primary methods of transport in Jammu and Kashmir are by road and air. It has access to the rest of India through the Banihal Road Tunnel near Qazigund on National Highway NH 44. Jammu and Kashmir has 2 civil airports. The Jammu Airport and the Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar. They receive direct flights from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

    Further, while we look at the climate of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, we can observe that it varies with across regions and altitudes. Southern areas have a sub tropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. The region receives most of its rainfall during the monsoon season and in the north and east side, the summers are usually pleasant. The effect of the monsoon decreases in the areas situated at the leeward side of the Pir Panjal, such as the Kashmir valley, and the region received much of the rainfall in the spring season due to western disturbances. The winters are cold, with sub-zero temperatures and the snowfall is very common in the valley and in the mountainous areas.

The UT of Jammu and Kashmir has also some major attractions like :

        Jammu :-  

        The city of Jammu is a place of pilgrims who visit Vaishno Devi Temple and is also known for the largest tourist attractions as the Kashmir valley is the second  last railway  station in North  India, as the pathway to Kashmir,  Poonch, Doda  and  Ladakh  begins  from  the city  of Jammu.  Some  historic  places  like Purani Mandi, Rani Park, Amar Mahal, Bahu Fort, Raghunath Temple, Mubarak Mandi Palace, Ranbireshwar Temple, Karbal, Old city and Peer Meetha are the major attractions.              

Gulmarg :-             

    Gulmarg the town is the heartland of winter sports in India, and is the best skiing destination. It is situated at the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir at a distance of 31 Km from Baramulla and 49 Km from Srinagar and the town can be visited through Srinagar by road via Tangmarg. Winter sports like tobogganing, snowboarding, heli-skiing and skiing are the best tourist attractions. There are few places to visit in the Gulmarg like Maharani Temple, St. Mary's Church and Gulmarg Gondola.

         Sonamarg :-  

   Sonamarg or Sonmarg also known as "Meadow of Gold" is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 Km from Ganderbal Town and 80 Km to the northeast of Srinagar. Sonamarg provides trekking routes leading to Vishansar Lake, Krishansar Lake, Gangabal Lake and Gadsar Lake in the Himalayas, which are stocked with snow trout and brown trout. The Sind River meanders here and abounds with trout and mahseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas Glacier, which is the major attraction during the summer months. The Amarnath Yatra also begins in Sonamarg. Baltal is a Valley lies at the foot of the  Zoji La pass is 15 km east of Sonamarg, Trekkers can also reach the city of Leh - known as "the rooftop of the world" - by crossing over the Zoji La Pass. The department of Jammu and Kashmir tourism also organizes river rafting tournaments at Sonamarg throughout the year, which has recently seen the participation of teams from abroad.

        Pahalgam :-  

         Pahalgam also known as the 'village of shepherds' in Kashmir, is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination and hill station. Its green meadows and pristine waters attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. The town is located 45 Km from Anantnag on the banks of Lidder River.

         Pahalgam is associated with the annual pilgrimage to the shrine Amarnath Yatra. The town is the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra which takes place every year in the months of July - August, and receiving hundreds of thousands of tourists. Because of its religious significance and role as a base camp, the town attracts 70% of visitors to the valley. This flood of tourists overwhelms some of the local infrastructure, especially waste management in the town.

         Verinag :-   

        Verinag is a town situated in Anantnag District of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and is famous for the Verinag spring and Mughal garden . It is a notified area committee with tehsil status (Shahabad Bala Verinag) and is about 26 kilometers away from Anantnag and approximately 78 kilometres south-east from Srinagar. Verinag is also the first tourist spot of Kashmir Valley when travelling by road from Jammu. There is an octagonal stone basin at Verinag Spring and an arcade surrounding it, which were built by Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1620 A.D. Later, a beautiful garden next to this spring, was laid down by his son Shah Jahan. This spring is known to never dry up or overflow. Verinag Spring is also the major source of river Jhelum which flows throughout the valley of Kashmir and finally enters into Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Verinag Spring and Mughal Arcade surrounding it, is officially recognized by the Archeological Survey of India as a Monument of National Importance.

        Srinagar :-  

          Srinagar, also known as the "Venice of East" is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River. The city is known for its natural environment, gardens, waterfronts and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like Kashmir Shawls and also for dried fruits. It is the northernmost city of India to have over one million population, and is the second largest city located in the Himalayas, after Kathmandu.         

The Lakes around the city including Dal Lake is noted for its houseboats and Nigeen Lake. Apart from Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake, the Wular Lake and Manasbal Lake both lie to the north of Srinagar. Wular Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. Srinagar has some Mughal Gardens, forming a part of those laid by the Mughal emperors across the Indian subcontinent. Those of Srinagar and its close vicinity include Chashma Shahi (the royal fountains); Pari Mahal (the palace of the fairies); Nishat Bagh (the garden of spring); Shalimar Bagh; the Naseem Bagh. The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in the city, set up in 1969. The Indian government has included these gardens under "Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir" in the tentative list for sites to be included in world Heritage Sites. The Shankaracharya Temple lies on a hill top in the middle of the city.