Jammu & Kashmir - Jalsa Tours & Travels

Jammu Kashmir - "Heaven on Earth"

Millions of tourists visit Jammu Kashmir every year to see its fascinating tourist destinations, exotic wildlife and heritage sights. Jammu Kashmir, situated in northern India has been famous for its natural beauty since time immemorial and has been aptly described as "Heaven On Earth".

It is the essence of everything that is Indian-its culture, history, tradition, people, and natural splendor. The state has a long history encompassing around 4,000 years and there are many prehistoric sites, which give indication of human settlement in this region in those times.

Following are some of the key destinations to visit in Kashmir.

Jammu

Jammu is the winter capital of the state and next in importance after Srinagar. Most of the tourists who come to the Jammu region have the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine as their destination, which is quite close by. However, the spirit of holiness permeates through the entire city, so much so that Jammu is also known as the ‘City of Temples’. The other major tourist attraction is the Raghunath Temple Complex, which is the largest temple in North India devoted to Lord Rama.

Vaishno Devi

Vaishno Devi Mandir is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hill of Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess. The temple is near the town of Katra, in Jammu district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the most revered places of worship in Northern India. The shrine is at an altitude of 5200 feet and a distance of approximately 12 kilometres (7.45 miles) from Katra. Approximately 60,000 pilgrams visit the temple every year and it is the second most visited religious shrine in India, after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board maintains the shrine. A rail link from Udhampur to Katra is being built to facilitate pilgrimage.

Srinagar

Srinagar, the state capital, is the most famous tourist destination in the state. An ancient city, there are many attractions that can attract even the most unwilling of tourists to this magical land. Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and Chashme Shahi are some of the best-known tourist spot in Srinagar.

Gulmarg

The tourist destination of Gulmarg lies at a distance of 56 kilometers from Srinagar. Gulmarg is one of the most frequented hill resorts in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The word gul means flowers, and thus the name Gulmarg stands for a meadow of flowers. Gulmarg has a beautiful golf course that is situated at a height of 2,650 meters above the sea level. Tourists who travel to Gulmarg visit this beautiful and panoramic golf course. For an adventure sports, Gulmarg is a trekking base for those who trek to the Pir Panjal Range, Nanga Parbat and Khilanmarg. The Alpather Lake lies frozen till the month of June and it lies at the base of the Apharwat Mountain. This lake is located at a distance of 13 kilometers from Gulmarg.

Sonamarg

The word Sonamarg literally means the meadow of gold. The tourist destination of Sonamarg lies at a distance of 84 kilometers from Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Sonamarg lies at an altitude of 2740 meters above the sea level. Sindh River in Sonamarg offers ample opportunities for fishing. The Krishnasar Lake is also a site for fishing. Sonamarg is also a trekking base. A number of hiking and trekking trails makes Sonamarg an interesting place to travel to. Sonamarg is known for its natural beauty; in fact it is popular for its alpine flowers, sycamore, silver birch and pine trees. Tours and travel to Sonamarg involves a visit to several tourist attractions. One of these is the Baltal camping base. Nilagrad is another tourist spot, where a small stream meets the Sindh River. The glaciers at Thajiwas are also an important tourist attraction. Sonamarg is well connected by road to Srinagar.

Pahalgam

The Pahalgam valley is situated at the confluence of the Seshnag Lake and the Lidder River. Pahalgam is basically a cluster of eight villages. The word Pahalgam literally means, the Valley of Shepherds. Tours to Pahalgam is associated with the annual Amaranth yatra. The region is extremely popular among tourists for its outdoor activities like fishing, horse riding, golf and trekking. Pahalgam is a popular take off point for treks to the Kolahoi glacier, to several high altitude lakes, to the Amarnath cave and to Sonmarg.

Patnitop

Patnitop lies at a distance of 112 kilometers from Jammu. Patnitop is one of the commonly frequented hill stations and tourist destinations of Jammu and Kashmir. During winters Patnitop is completed snow covered. There are several picnic spots in Patnitop, as pine forests on all sides surround it. This area is perfect for nature walks. Tours and travel to Patnitop usually involves a lot of picnicking. Activities that tourists enjoy vary from skiing to golfing. There are several options for those with a more adventurous spirit and paragliding is the most popular. Patnitop is an ideal region that serves as a base for tourist who trek to the nearby mountains. Special skiing courses are conducted at patnitop for travelers.

Leh

Leh is the capital city and is the chief town of this Himalayan area of Ladakh. The Great Himalayas and the Karakoram Range flank this region. Ladakh is situated in the rain shadow region of the Himalayas. Winter snowfall is the main source of water for this area. Leh can be best described as a cold desert. Leh is very popular among tourists for its adventure sports. As far as adventure sports are concerned Leh is popular for river rafting, mountaineering and trekking. Polo and archery are favorite pastimes in the Leh region. Tours to Leh, Ladakh have other attractions such as cycling trips and of course mountain climbing. Jeep safaris can also be arranged for tourists eager to enjoy the natural beauty of Ladakh. You can enjoy mountain bike tours, wild life treks and Yak safaris. One of the most attractive tourist destinations in Leh is the Leh Palace. This nine storeyed palace was constructed in the 17th century. This palace was the ancestral home of the royal family till the 1830's. Ever since the palace has been deserted.

Ladakh

Ladakh is home to the minority Buddhist community in the state. They have preserved their unique culture for the past hundreds of years. Leh is the headquarters of this region. The major points of attraction are the Leh Palace, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, Sankar Gompa, Shanti Stupa, and Soma Gompa.

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