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Jammu and Kashmir attracts tourists for its diverse landscape, cultures and
weather as well as for adventure activities in the Himalayas such as skiing,
mountaineering, hiking, trekking and camping. Some major tourist attractions in
Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens,
Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Devigol Bunjwah, Patnitop, Sonamarg and Jammu.
Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and
Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.[1] Kashmir
Valley is one of the top tourist destinations of India.[2] Gulmarg, one of the
most popular ski resort destinations in India, is also home to the world's
highest green golf course.[3] Tourism has declined in the past thirty years.[4]
Jammu and Kashmir also has flower gardens and apple orchards. It also attracts
tourists for its handicrafts and the Kashmiri shawls. Major attractions in North
Kashmir North Kashmir is a region in the Indian-administered union territory of
Jammu and Kashmir, renowned for its stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage,
and natural beauty. The first-ever map of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir was
published in Konnect Magazine and later shared on the official Twitter handle of
Jammu and Kashmir Tourism. The region is predominantly located in the Himalayan
mountains, offering picturesque vistas of snow-capped peaks, lush valleys, and
serene lakes. Key attractions include Gulmarg, a popular hill station known for
its expansive meadows, the Gulmarg Gondola (one of the highest cable cars in the
world), and winter sports such as skiing. Kupwara, often referred to as
"Kashmir's Switzerland," features scenic spots like Lolab Valley, Rishipathri
Lake, and lush forests, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts.
The historic town of Baramulla offers ancient temples, the vast Wular Lake (one
of Asia's largest freshwater lakes), and picturesque views along the Jhelum
River. Pahalgam, while technically in South Kashmir, is frequently included in
the region’s travel circuit, known for attractions like Betaab Valley, Aru
Valley, and Baisaran Hills. North Kashmir's combination of natural beauty,
adventure opportunities, and cultural significance makes it a popular
destination for travelers. Bangus Valley Between the green hills, streams, and
meadows lie a valley in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara where the cattle run wild,
birds sing lullabies through the day.[citation needed] The place is named Bangus
Valley. According to a report,[clarification needed] the valley is located
nearly 10,000 meters above sea level (MSL). The Bangus Valley is located in
Kupwara district of North Kashmir. It is situated to the West of Handwara town
along the Mawri River within the Handwara sub-district. district Kupwara. The
term Bangus comes from Sanskrit word Van (Forest) and gus (grass). The valley is
nearly 130 km from Srinagar and is situated on the northwestern border of Tehsil
Handwara in Kupwara. Divided into two parts-Bod Bungus (Big Bungus) and Lokut
Bungus (Small Bungus) the valley spans over an area of 300 km2. Bangus is about
150 kilometres (93 miles) from Srinagar at an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
The principal valley is locally known as "Boud Bangus" (Big Bangus) and has an
estimated area of about 300 square kilometers. It consists of a linear
elliptical bowl aligned along the east–west axis and is surrounded by Rajwar and
Mawar in the east, Shamasbury and Dajlungun Mountains in the west and Chowkibal
and Karnah Guli in the north. It is surrounded by the Shamsbery mountain range
and the Leepa Valley, according to the report.[clarification needed] After years
of planning,[citation needed] Bangus was recently[when?] made motorable via the
Mawer route while work is in full swing on the Chowkibal and Rajwar routes. Its
high altitude and unpredictable weather conditions were a huge obstacle but the
administration has materialized this project in a short span of time. The Centre
recognised 75 new destinations in the Union Territory for tourism this
year.[when?] Under the Jal Jeevan Mission and 'Har Ghar Nal Say Jal Mission, the
water scarcity days of Kupwara are over. The district constructed 400 Amrit
Sarovar in 2022 to support the safe drinking water initiative of the government.
The Kupwara District Administration and Tourism Department organized a two-day
Bangus Mela earlier this year in August. The event focused on the traditions and
culture of the region.[citation needed] Music artists, singers, Kashmiri
Rowfdancers, and school report said.[clarification needed] children organized
shows for the audience. Pony wallas also put up a special segment with the
ponies displaying riding tricks and offering salami to the spectators. The
festival folk songs were played nonstop which added to the upbeat atmosphere of
the usually quiet valley.[citation needed] The Lolab Bangus Drang yari
Development Authority (LRDDA) installed night-stay tents for tourists. The
meadows and slopes of Bungus are enveloped in flowers and medicinal plants such
as Macrotima Benthami (gew zaban), Saussurea Sacra (Jugi pedshah), and Aconitum
Heterophylleum (patrees). Recently[when?] a new species of flowering medicinal
plant 'Swertia Kashmirensis' has been discovered in Bungus.[citation needed] The
fauna in Bungus includes musk deer, antelope, snow leopards, brown and black
bears, monkeys, and red foxes. The bird species include pheasants, tragopan,
black partridge, bush quail, and wildfowl. Until two years ago,[when?] the
valley was not an easy destination due to its proximity to the LoC (5 km) but
the reinstallation of better security systems after the abrogation of Article
370, has helped to increase the faith of explorers who earlier did not find it
safe to visit. Previously, visitors had to obtain permits from the District
Magistrate to trek and camp but with the ripple effect of the political
developments has been so effective that all such restrictions have now been
lifted.[citation needed] As of 2 June 2022, the road connectivity from Handwara
side via Mawer is complete. People can take only small cars to Bangus because
work on macdamisation is still going on. Vehicles are available on rent basis
from Handwara market. Night stay tents are also available there. There are three
routes to visit this place. The least distance route from Handwara via Reshwari
Mawer. The second route is also from Handwara but via Rajwar and is suitable for
trekking only. The third route from Kupwara via Chowkibal. Bhadrakali Mandir An
ancient idol of Mata Bhadrakali was reinstalled at a temple in Jammu and
Kashmir's Kupwara district years after it was brought back from Jammu. The
ancient temple at Bhadrakali Village in Handwara wore a festive look as the
original idol of the presiding deity, Maa Bhadrakali, was restored to its
original abode in a simple ceremony in March 2019.[5] The idol was stolen in
1981 was subsequently recovered and kept in Jammu since 1999. It is believed
that during the exodus of Pandits from Handwara, the idol was left behind in the
house of Pandit Jaggernath. The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International
Airport in Srinagar located 78.8 kilometers from Handwara. Handwara is not yet
connected to railways. The nearest railway station is Baramulla railway station
located 30 kilometers from Handwara. Handwara is well-connected with roads and
highways. The NH 701 passes through Handwara alongside other intra-town roads.
Tithwal Tithwal is a small border village about 171 km from Srinagar. After a
scenic drive through Sopore, Kupwara and on to Tangdhar, one arrives at Tithwal.
Another 80 km and on comes Sharda Peeth. Beyond the Sadhna top lies the Karnah
valley along the river Kishan-Ganga and at the edge of it is the last village of
North-West Kashmir, Tithwal. At 10600 feet, Sadhna pass[6] nested on the mighty
Shamshabari mountain ranges originally known as Nastachun Pass is the only
access to the Karnah, Neelam and Leepa valley. In the olden days, Tithwal was
the trading hub where hundreds of shops lined up selling ghee, honey and walnut
kernels. Those commodities would reach Tithwal from Karnah, Leepa and Neelam
valleys. To immerse fully into the surroundings, the Forest Department of J&K,
like at many other places, have built Kail and Deodar huts.[citation needed] To
reach Tithwal one has to take NH1 from Airport road. After travelling for 45 km
on NH1 take a right turn to Sangrama – Sopore road and then turn left onto
Sopore – Kupwara road and then follow NH 701 to reach Tithwal. Ancient Stupa
Parihaspora Paraspore or Paraspur is a small town 22 km North-West of Srinagar
in the Kashmir Valley. It was built on a plateau above the Jhelum River by
Lalitaditya Muktapida. Parihaspur lost its status as a capital after
Lalitaditya's death. His son moved the royal residence. The Jhelum River is to
the northeast of Parihaspur as it meets the Sind Nallah at Shadpur sangam. In
the past this confluence of the rivers occurred closer to Parihaspur. To reach
Paraspore one has to head southwest on Airport Road, make a U-turn to hit NH1.
Continue straight on NH1 past M.R. Brand for 55 km and turn left onto
Baramula-Gulmarg road and stay on it for 1.2 km to reach the destination. Detha
Mandir The lord Detha temple[7] is situated in a small village about 105 km from
Srinagar. To reach this temple, one must take a long drive moving from Srinagar
to Pattan and onwards to Uri. The century-old map is the key to understanding
the wealth of Hindu heritage and culture that Kashmir was once renowned for. One
of the most noted monuments documented by many archaeologists, historians and
architects is the Datta Mandir located at Banihal near Uri.[citation needed] To
reach Detha Mandir one has to head Southwest on Airport Road, make a U-turn to
hit NH1and drive for 3.8 km followed by a slight left onto NH1. After a drive of
15 km on NH1 past M.R. Brand, turn left after 1.2 km on to NH1. Stay on this
road for 89 km until you reach Datta Temple, Uri. Gurudwara Thara Sahib,
Baramulla Baramulla is a boulevard surrounded by breathtaking rice fields and
meadows. Baramulla is about 55 km from Srinagar. This historic shrine is 8 km
away from Baramulla town and 01 km on Baramulla – Srinagar National highway.
According to local history, a faqir named Balol and his disciples met Guru Sahib
near Kalampura village. They discussed religious discourses with Guru Ji. At the
request of people, Guru Ji dug out a fresh water chisma. In the last years of
19th century, a plate form (Thara) 20 x 25 ft. was constructed by S. Matwal
Singh Sahni and other Gur Sikhs. Chief Khalsa Dewan Amritsar intellectuals like
Bhai Vir Singh, S. Damodar Singh Engineer, S. Narinder Singh and others also
visited this place and constructed a Gurdwara in 1928-1931 A.D. The Gurdwara is
managed by Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Baramulla. To reach Gurudwara Thara
Sahib one has to Head Southwest on Airport Road, make a U-turn to hit NH1and
drive for 3.8 km followed by a slight left onto NH1. After a drive of 15 km on
NH1 past M.R. Brand, turn left after 1.2 km on to NH1. Continue straight for 32
km passing Zehra Crossing and then turn left onto Singhpora-Delina Road. After
driving for 2.9 km, turn right onto Singhpora-Kalampora Road for 260mtrs
arriving at the destination Major attractions in South Kashmir Gulmarg This
section is an excerpt from Gulmarg § Tourism.[edit] Domestic tourists at Gulmarg
According to CNN, Gulmarg is the "heartland of winter sports in India" and was
rated as Asia's seventh best ski destination.[8][9] The town is accessible from
Srinagar by road via Tangmarg. The road climbs uphill in the last 12 kilometres
to Gulmarg passing through forests of pine and fir.[10][11][12] Winter sports
like skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding and heli-skiing take place on the slopes
of Mount Apharwat reachable by a Gondola lift.[13] Jammu View of Jammu city and
Tawi river This section is an excerpt from Jammu § Tourism.[edit] Tourism is the
largest industry in Jammu city. It is also a focal point for the pilgrims going
to Vaishno Devi and Kashmir valley as it is second last railway terminal in
North India. All the routes leading to Kashmir, Poonch, Doda and Laddakh start
from Jammu city. So throughout the year, the city remains full of people from
all the parts of India. Places of interest include old historic palaces like
Mubarak Mandi Palace, Purani Mandi, Rani Park, Amar Mahal, Bahu Fort, Raghunath
Temple, Ranbireshwar Temple, Karbala, Peer Meetha, Old city. Devigol View of
Devigol Bunjwah district Kishtwar This section is an excerpt from Devigol.[edit]
Devigol is a hill station a popular tourist destination situated in Patnazi
Village of Bunjwah tehsil in Kishtwar district in the Indian union territory of
Jammu and Kashmir. The Devigol Festival is held there annually.[14][15][16]
Pahalgam View of the Lidder Valley at Pahalgam This section is an excerpt from
Pahalgam.[edit] Pahalgam (Urdu pronunciation: [pɛɦɛlɡɑːm]) or Pahalgom (Kashmiri
pronunciation: [pəhəlʲɡoːm]) is a town in Anantnag district of the Indian union
territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks of Lidder River at an
altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in the Vale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the
headquarters of the Pahalgam tehsil, one of the eleven tehsils in Anantnag
district. Located about 45 km (28 mi) from Anantnag, the town is a popular
tourist destination and hill station. The town is the starting point of the
annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath Temple, which takes place in July–August.
Sonmarg This section is an excerpt from Sonamarg § Tourism.[edit] Sonamarg
provides glaciers like Kolahoi Peak & trekking routes leading to Vishansar Lake,
Krishansar Lake, Gangabal Lake and Gadsar Lake in the Himalayas, which are
stocked with snowtrout and brown trout.[17] The Sind River meanders here and
abounds with trout and mahseer. Ponies can be hired for a trip up to Thajiwas
glacier, in the summer. The Yatra to the nearby Amarnath Temple begins in
Sonamarg. Baltal, 15 km east of Sonamarg, is a valley that lies at the foot of
the Zoji La pass. Trekkers can also reach the city of Leh—known as "the rooftop
of the world"—by crossing over the Zoji La. The Jammu and Kashmir tourism
department organizes river rafting tournaments at Sonamarg throughout the year,
which has recently seen the participation of teams from abroad.[18] Srinagar
This section is an excerpt from Srinagar § Tourism.[edit] Srinagar is one of
several places that have been called the "Venice of the East".[19][20][21] Lakes
around the city include Dal Lake – noted for its houseboats – and Nigeen Lake.
Apart from Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake, 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. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in the
city, set up in 1969.[22] 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 Sher Garhi Palace houses administrative
buildings from the state government.[23] Another palace of the Maharajas, the
Gulab Bhavan, has now become the Lalit Grand Palace hotel.[24] The
Shankaracharya Temple lies on a hill top in the middle of the city.[25] Indira
Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden, previously Model Floriculture Center, is a tulip
garden in Srinagar. It is the largest tulip garden in Asia spread over an area
of about 30 hectares (74 acres). It is situated at the base of the Zabarwan
range, built on a sloping ground in a terraced fashion consisting of seven
terraces with an overview of the Dal Lake. The garden was opened in 2007 with
the aim to boost floriculture and tourism in the Kashmir Valley. It was formerly
known as Siraj Bagh. About 1.5 million tulip bulbs, all in multiple colours,
were brought from Keukenhof tulip gardens of Amsterdam. Besides tulips, there
are 46 varieties of flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils and ranunculus which
were also brought from Holland. The tulip garden is home to around 68 varieties
of tulips. The Tulip festival is an annual Spring festival to increase tourism
by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The festival showcases a variety of
flowers in the garden. Panorama of Srinagar Houseboats on Dal Lake Verinag This
section is an excerpt from Verinag.[edit] Snow-clad view of Verinag Garden
Verinag (Urdu pronunciation: [ʋeːɾiːnɑːɡ] ; Kashmiri pronunciation: [ʋeːrnaːɡ])
is a town named after and famous for the Verinag spring and Mughal garden, near
Anantnag city in the Anantnag district of the union territory of Jammu and
Kashmir, India. It is also called "gateway of Kashmir" and 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
which is the summer capital of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Verinag
is also the first tourist spot of Kashmir Valley when travelling by road from
Jammu, the winter capital of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir towards
Srinagar. 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 out 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. Verinag Spring and Mughal Arcade surrounding it is
officially recognized by Archaeological Survey of India as a Monument of
National Importance.[26] Verinag spring is the main source of River Jehlum,
(vyeth in local Kashmiri language) which flows throughout the valley of Kas
India.[32][33] Situated at an altitude of 2,730 metres (8,960 ft) from sea
level, it is located at a distance of 42 km (26 mi) from Jammu and Kashmir's
summer capital, Srinagar, and 30 km (19 mi) from its district headquarters,
Budgam.
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