Jammu and Kashmir Tourism | Kashmir Tourism
Kashmir, the "Paradise on Earth", is known for its captivating beauty. It is encircled by three mountain ranges of the Himalayas- Karakoram, Zanaskar and Pir Panjal, running from northwest to northeast. Forming the backdrop of Kashmir, these snow-capped ranges make Kashmir look like a picture straight out of a fairytale. Dazzling rivers, serene lakes, splendid gardens, flowering meadows, etc are some other features of the landscape of the Kashmir valley. The breathtaking beauty of Kashmir has earned it the name of the "Switzerland of the East". Nothing describes the beauty of Kashmir better than the following words of a Mughal emperor:
"Gar Bar-ru-e-Zamin Ast; Hamin Ast, Hamin Ast Hamin Ast"
It means that if there is paradise on this earth, this is it, this is it, and this is it. It is impossible to overstate the beauty of Kashmir. In fact, the beauty of the Kashmir valley of India is beyond the scope of words. The gushing rivers, sparkling waterfalls, scenic surrounding and the lush green forests of Kashmir add to its splendor. Kashmir tourism is also famous for the exotic flora and fauna found in the region. The sanctuaries and parks in Kashmir abound in some of the rare and endangered species of birds and animals. Then, there are countless species of luxuriant vegetation too, attracting a number of botanists.
Formerly a part of the erstwhile Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, which governed the larger historic region of Kashmir, this territory is disputed among China, India and Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu is the winter capital. While the Kashmir valley is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, Jammu's numerous shrines attract tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.
Facts and Figures of Jammu and Kashmir:
Area:
222,236 sq km
Population:
9,535,000 (1998)
Religion:
Islam
Capital:
Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
Languages:
Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, Dogri, Pahari, Ladakhi
Best time to visit:
April to June (Kashmir Valley), October to March (Jammu Region)
How to reach in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh:
BY AIR:
The state has three major civil airports at Srinagar, Jammu, and Ladakh connected to Delhi and other places in the country.
Indian Airlines and its subsidiary Alliance Air operate in the Delhi-Chandigarh-Ladakh and Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar routes.
BY RAIL:
Jammu Tawi is the main railhead of Jammu & Kashmir. It is connected to most of the important towns and cities of the country. Moreover, the longest rail route that stretches from Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari and touches almost all the main cities and towns of the country originates from here.
BY ROAD:
One can easily reach Jammu by the National Highway 1A that goes from Punjab and runs through this city, connecting it to the rest of the state, including the capital Srinagar. The state transport corporation runs several buses to most of the big towns and cities in north India.
Ladakh is connected to Srinagar and Manali by some of the most difficult road networks in the world. The Manali-Leh road is considered as the highest motorable road in the world.
Travel in Jammu:
By Air:
Jammu is well connected by various domestic airline services with Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Srinagar.
By Rail:
Jammu Tawi is an important railhead on the Northern Railway line, having excellent connections with other parts of the country. Express trains connect it with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and Amritsar.
By Road:
Located on the National Highway 1A, Jammu is linked by a network of roads to Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Katra, Srinagar, and Manali.
Travel in Kashmir:
By Air:
Srinagar is connected to Delhi by daily flights via Jammu. Weekly flights are also operated by various domestic airlines from Leh to Srinagar and thrice a week flights are operated from Delhi to Srinagar.
By Rail:
The nearest railhead from the Srinagar is Jammu Tawi, 305-km away. Jammu is connected to all parts of the country by express trains. Some of the important rail connections include:
Jammu Express From Pune
Himgiri Express From Howrah
Shalimar Express From Ahmedabad
Jammu Tawi From Delhi
By Road:
Srinagar being the only major town linked by road to the rest of the country, all visitors make it their base, going for excursions to nearby resorts, for fishing and trekking expeditions. The capital city is connected by JKSRTC bus services to Jammu, Leh, Kargil, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Chandigarh and Delhi.
Climate of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh:
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.
Climate of Jammu:
The Jammu region experiences a tropical climate.
Rainfall:
107 cm (July to September).
Best Season:
October to April.
Temperatures (Average):
Summer : 43.0 degree C to 23.4degrees C.
Winter : 26.2 to 4.3 degrees C.
Clothing:
Heavy/Medium woollens in winter and light cottons in summer.
Climate of Kashmir:
The mountainous tracts of the Himalayan mountains, the youngest mountainranges in the world have temperate climatic conditions. The climate varies fromalpine in the northeast to subtropical in the southwest. Annual average precipitation ranges from 3 inches (75 mm) in the north to 45 inches (1,150 mm) in the southwest.
Best Season:
March to October.Temperatures (Average) :
Summer : 10 to 30 degrees cent.
Winter : Low temperatures in winter.
Clothing:
Light/Medium woollens in summer and heavy woollens in winter.
Climate of Ladakh:
One of the driest regions in northern India, the capital Leh experiences only 110 mm of rainfall a year. Because of its location to the north east of the main Himalayan range, it is sheltered from the Indian monsoon Padum is subject to occasional heavy storms in July and August and heavy snowfall in winter. Leh on the lee side of the Himalayan and Zanskar range is devoid of snowfall in winter.
Best Season:
March to October.
Temperature (Average) :
Summer : 20 degrees C.
Winter : 15 degrees C to -3 degrees C.
Clothing :
Light/Medium woollens in summer and heavy woollens in winter.
No comments:
Post a Comment