Jammu & Kashmir Tourism
Jammu and Kashmir is known as heaven on Earth. In the seventeenth century the Mughal Emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir, he said that if paradise is anywhere on the earth, it is here, while living in a houseboat on the mesmerizing Dal Lake."Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast." The State of Jammu & Kashmir has main three geographical regions known as ‘The Lesser Himalayas’ or ‘The Jhelum Valley’ (Kashmir), ‘The Inner Himalayas’ or ‘The Indus Valley’ (Ladakh & Frontier areas), and ‘The Outer-Himalayas’ or ‘The Southern mountain range’ (Jammu). This northernmost state of India is spread across 2, 22,236 square kilometers.
Kashmir
Carved tectonically, the valley of Kashmir is a longitudinal depression in the great north-western Himalayan range, situated at an altitude of 1590 meters (5209 ft). A typical oval shaped valley, its length has a parallel axis to the general direction of the bordering mountains – The Shivaliks, The Middle Mountains, The Pir Panjal, The Himalayas, The Zanaskar, The Ladakh and The Korakaram.
The valley is distinctively marked by breath-taking lakes, fresh water streams, luscious fruits, magnificent forests, mighty mountains and lush meadows which makes it a paradise on Earth. The mountain-downs or “margs” are numerous on the tops of the hill ranges prominent being Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Yousmarg etc. Located on the banks of the river Lidder at an altitude of 7200 ft. from sea level is Pahalgam one of the worlds famous hill station, this great tourist puller destination is the favorite place for shooting of Bollywood films. Famous valleys of Kashmir include: Lidder Valley, Sindh Valley, Lolab Valley, Bangus Valley, Dachigam Valley, Gulmarg Valley, Gurez Valley, Yousmarg Valley etc.
Ladakh
Situated at the western edge of the Tibetan plateau, Ladakh is bound by the mighty Karokaram mountain range in the north and the Great Himalayas in the South. Landscape of Ladakh has been modified and sculpted into the spectacular shape by the wind and the erosion over the centuries. Its altitude ranges from 9000 to 25000 feet. Ladakh is traversed by other mountain chains, the Ladakh range and Zanaskar range. It is rightly called “the broken moonland” and “land of endless discovery”.
Jammu
Set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Pir Panjal range, Jammu marks the transition between the Himalayas in the north and the dusty plains of the Punjab in the south, bridging these two extremities by a series of scrub covered hills, forested mountain ranges and deep river valleys. The southernmost unit of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Jammu region is traversed by the Shivalik hills and quenched by the rivers Ravi, Tawi and Chenab.
