Kashmir Travel Guide

The beauty of Kashmir is legendary. It provides a journey to various picturesque places, like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg including various green valleys, the lakes and the gorgeous houseboats.

Standing in the foothills of the Himalayas, with the picturesque river Tawi flowing alongside, Kashmir. The beauty of Kashmir is legendary. It provides a journey to various picturesque places, like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg including various green valleys, the lakes and the gorgeous houseboats. Tours to Kashmir will help you to feel the culture and the tradition of the place.

The state has its summer and winter capitals at Srinagar and Jammu, respectively. Kashmir's population is predominantly Muslim, with a rich Islamic history that can be traced back to the 14th century. South of the Kashmir valley is the region of Jammu situated on the North Indian Plains, close to the Shiwalik hills. North of the Shiwaliks, the rest of the Jammu region is drained by the Chenab river whose vast catchment area includes several narrow valleys that extend deep into the high Himalaya. The region of Jammu is predominantly Hindu, although there are small Muslim communities in the vicinity of Banihal and Kishtwar immediately south of the Kashmir valley.

Climatic Conditions:

Jammu and Kashmir comprises of three distinct climatic regions with vast variance due to a sharp rise of altitude from 1,000 feet to 28,250 feet above sea level within four degrees of latitude of the state. The state is geologically constituted of rocks varying from the oldest period of earth's history to the youngest present day river and lake deposits.

Locations:

Strategically located at the northern most extremity of India, the state of Jammu and Kashmir comprising the areas of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh appears as a crown on the map of India. To its north is China and Russian Turkistan. On its east is Chinese Tibet. On the South and Southwest lie the Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. On the west is the North West Frontier Provinces of Pakistan.

Best Season to Visit:

Through out the Year.

Main Tourist Attractions In Kashmir :

Mata Vaishno Devi Temple
The holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi here attracts more than 4.5 million pilgrims every year. Katra Town, lying in the foot of Trikuta Mountains, 48 kms. from Jammu, serves as the base camp for visiting the famous shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, which is accessible on foot along a 13 kms long well laid footpath. The cave shrine of Mata Vasihnodeviji or Trikuta Bhagwati at an altitude of 5,200 ft. holds great significance for the pilgrims.

Gulmarg
Travel To Gulmarg, one of the astounding beauty of Jammu and Kashmir. The large meadow of Gulmarg is 52 kms south-west of Srinagar., Also known as the "Switzerland of India", Gulmarg derives its name from the root word the meadow of flowers Gulmarg is truly a paradise for travellers. Best time to visit Gulmarg is during November to February.

Dal Lake
Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of India and the second largest in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The lake is surrounded by majestic mountains from three sides and a large number of gardens and orchards have been laid along the shores. A Shikara Ride through this Dal Lake is thought to be a very enjoyable experiences. The houseboat and shikara communities have lived for centuries on the Dal Lake, and so complete is their infrastructure on the lake.

Raghunath Temple
Situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by a group of other temples, this temple dedicated to Lord Rama is outstanding and unique in Northern India. Work on the temple was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1835 AD.

Ranbireshwar temple
Built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1883 AD, Ranbireshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, which is located on the Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat. It has one central 'Lingam' rising 7.5 ft.upwards.

Amarnath Yatra
The Amarnath yatra is undertaken in July-August (Shravan) and thousdads of devotees walk, some on ponyback, to pay obeisance at the cave where an ice-lingam, that of Shiva, waxes and wanes with the moon. By its side are two other ice lingams, those of Parvati, and their son, Ganesha.

ACCESSIBILITY

Air :Jammu is well connected to the rest of India by air. Both Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate daily flights to Jammu. The average flying time from New Delhi is about 80 minutes.

Rail : Jammu Tawi is an important railhead of the Norther Railways serving the Jammu and Kashmir State. The trains operating to/from Jammu are : Malwa Express, Super Fast, Jammu Mail, Jammu Express, Shalimar Express, Sealdah Express, Jhelum Exoress, Himgiri Express, Himsagar Express Lohit Express, Sarwodaya Express, Happa Express, Navyug Express, Gorakhpur Express, Barauni Express, Madras Express, Rajdhani Express and Ferozpur Express.

Road : Jammu falls on Natinoal Highway 1-A and is connected by national highway network to all parts of the country. Some important road distances are : Amritsar - 243 kms, Chandigarh - 436 kms , Delhi - 586 kms., Katra - 48 kms, Srinagar - 305 kms, Manali - 428 kms, Patnitop - 112 kms. Mansar - 60 kms.