The beautiful valley of Kashmir is nestled in between the inner Himalayan
Range to the east, comprising of the Nanga Parbat
and the outer Himalayan range to the west and south called the Pir Panjal. This valley is
bounded on the north by the Karakoram Range, on the northeast by Ladakh and on the south
by Jammu. Srinagar, the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, stands by the river
Jhelum that forms the lifeline of the Kashmir Valley.
According to the ancient myths, it was Saint Kashyap
who defeated the demons ruling this valley, and conquered it. Hence,it was after him, that the valley was named as Kashmir.
The valley of Kashmir is unique in its surroundings, which offers
breathtaking view of its varying topography. Nature has endowed Kashmir with exotic
beauty, which is reflected in its picturesque landscapes, lush green forests of Chinar,
Deodar and Pine trees, beautiful rivers and waterfalls, snow covered mountains and a range
of flora and fauna. Infact, it abounds in many varieties of wildlife, which includes
Bears, Leopards and Himalayan Chamois etc. The countless species of luxuriant vegetation
too, attract lot of enthusiastic botanists. Kashmir also has a lot to offer to the
artists, archaeologists, rock and mountain climbers and big game hunters who throng this
place in large numbers. Besides this, it is an ideal place for holidaymakers as well as
for people who seek tranquility and peace amidst natural surroundings. No wonder that,
Kashmir is referred to as the ‘ Switzerland of India.’
The Himalayan valley of Kashmir is also renowned all over the world for its delicious juicy fruits such as apples, cherries, plums, peaches, strawberries and various other fruits. The dry fruits of Kashmir like Walnuts, Almonds, Pine nuts or ‘Chilgoza’ and Apricots are also well
known for their excellent quality. The skilful artisans of Kashmir are renowned for a variety of items the world over. Embroidery with intricate designs and on exquisite materials like Pashmina silk and Shatoosh is very popular and in high demand among the tourists. Shawls, Namdar (Woven Carpets), Puttoo (Handloom tweed) etc, are exported. Woodcarvings on the wood of walnut tree is a speciality. The silk industry of Kashmir is one of the largest in the country. Another exquisite art is that of paper machie, and decorative items like Lampshades, Jewelry boxes etc are highly appreciated.For her exquisite beauty and mesmerizing surroundings, Kashmir has
always attracted lot of attention from the Europeans who view this place through the
glamour of ‘Lala Rookh’. This famous Sufi saint immortalized this fairyland
through her poetry and songs.
Kashmir has a heterogeneous population of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Dogras. Muslims form the majority here and almost all the Hindus have left the valley after the beginning of insurgency in 1989. The Hindus of Kashmir come of pure Aryan race and can be recognized by
their sharp features, fair complexion, light colored hair and eyes. The people of Kashmir wear the traditional dress called PHIRAN, which is unisex and is worn by all sections of the society. Another identifying feature is the KANHGRI, which is a coal filled pot and is kept under the PHIRAN to ward off the cold during the winter season.Kashmiris are very hard working and intelligent and are known for their
oratorial skills. India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was a Kashmiri. They
are skilled artisans and craftsmen whose work of art is appreciated around the world.
Kashmir,
“The Paradise on Earth”, is a history in making. Kashmir has a glorious past, a
painful present and an uncertain future. The modern state of Jammu & Kashmir (pre
1947) included Jammu, Ladakh, Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Purial and Yasin. It covered an area
of 86024 sq miles, situated between 32 deg 78' to 36 deg 58' and from 73 deg 27' to 80 deg
72'.
The
history of Kashmir is well documented and there are ample reminders of the ancient
inhabitants of this valley, still lying around in Kashmir. Mythological tradition has it
that, the valley originally was a huge lake called “Satisar” [land of Goddess
Sati, consort of Lord Shiva], and its waters were blocked near Varamulla [present town of
Baramulla]. Modern geologists also confirm this myth as true.
According
to the oldest manuscript on Kashmir “Nilvat Puran”, in Satisar there lived a
demon named Jalod Bowa who killed and devoured the people of this region. A great saint
named Kashyap, heard about the havoc that this demon was wrecking and performed penance
for a long time. He was blessed by god and was able to cut the mountain, near Varamulla.
This made it possible for the Satisar Lake to be drained into the plains below, and the
land of Kashmir appeared. The demon was killed and the grateful people named the valley as
"Kashyap-mar" and "Kashyap Pura". Kashmir also implies "land
desicated from water", as it is derived from two words viz., “ka” (water)
and Shimeer (to desicate). The earliest trace of habitation in the Kashmir valley has been
discovered at Burzahom about 10 miles east of Srinagar. This site belongs to the Neolithic
culture and it is characterized by numerous ground and polished stone axes, hoes, pestle
and the bone implements. This site of Burzahom is only the 2nd such site known in the
north west of the Indian sub continent. Close to Burzahom, archeologists have unearthed
sites of ancient pit dwellers dating back to 3000 B.C. Though extensive research has not
been concluded, yet it is quite evident that this site is the only such known settlement
in the whole of India.
According
to Kalhan, the renowned historian and author of “Rajtarangini”, Ashoka the Great
ruled Kashmir and founded the old city of Srinagar. He built many temples and helped
spread Buddhism in the Kashmir region. It was from here that Buddhism travelled to Central
Asia, Tibet, China etc over the ages. The next well-known rulers were the Kushanas (Indo
Greeks in origin). Among the better-known kings was Kanishka. He built many temples and
Vihars in and around Srinagar. He also organized the 3rd great council of Buddhists at
Kundalvana (present day Harwan near the Shalimar Gardens). There was a huge congregation
of learned Buddhist monks from around the world. It is said that the entire proceedings of
the conference were inscribed on copper plates in Sanskrit, and were deposited in a Vihar.
These plates have not been discovered as yet but their discovery could certainly shed new
light on one of the glorious eras of Kashmiri history.
During the Kushana period, Kashmir became one of the most influential centres of Buddhist learning and home to the most powerful Buddhist sect of northern India called SARVASTIVADA. After Kanishka, weak rulers who were inefficient and corrupt ruled the roast. Kashmir came under attack from the Huns, who brought untold miseries to the people of Kashmir. The next notable dynasty was the KARKOTA dynasty (beginning of the 8th century). Huen Tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, visited Kashmir during the
rule of the 1st Karkota ruler Durlabhvardhan. He has left a detailed account of the people and has vouched for Kashmir being the centre of Sanskrit learning. Karkota dynasty gave Kashmir on of its greatest rulers, LALITADITYA MUKTA PID (724 - 761 A.D). He is known as the “Samudragupta of Kashmir”. He is credited with having invaded & conquered many countries in Asia and India. These included Punjab, Kannauj, Tibet, Ladakh, Badakshan, Bihar, Iran, Bengal, Orissa, South India, Gujarat, Malwa, Mewar & Sindh. Lalitaditya's capital was located close to the holy shrine of Khir Bhavani. Some of the temples built by him still remain, like the Martand temple built on Mattan Karewa.
After
the Karkota rule, Kashmir again fell upon bad days and it was in 855 - 56 A.D that
Maharaja Avantivarman of the Utpal dynasty brought some semblance to the chaos that was
reigning. During his time, there was a burst of literary activity and numerous eminent men
visited his court. Avantivarman founded his capital at Avantipur. He built 2 magnificent
temples of Shiva and Vishnu, the ruins of which still attest to the grandeur of
Avantivarman’s capital.
During Avantivarman’s reign “Suya” a great engineer corrected the course of the Vitasta River and provided more land to the people for cultivation. Suya’s memory is preserved till this day by the town of Sayapur (Sopore) founded by him at the point where river Vitasta leaves the basin of Mahapadomsar (Wular lake). From 1089 to 1101 A.D., King Harsha ruled Kashmir. His reign was however a story of lawlessness and misdeeds. During this period, Mongols invaded Kashmir and plundered the state extensively. The last of the Hindu rulers was Udyan Dev who was weak and inefficient. There were uprisings in various parts of the state, which paved the way for Muslim rule in Kashmir. After the death of Queen Kota, who was the wife of Udyan Dev, Shah Mir ascended the throne under the name of Sultan Shamas-ud-din and his dynasty ruled the state for 222 years. Two of the notable sultans of this dynasty were Sultan Shihabud-din and the great Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin. During the reign of some earlier sultans of this dynasty, there was large-scale persecution of Hindus, who were forced to leave the dynasty. However in 1420 A.D., Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin ascended the throne and ruled for nearly half a century. He ruled with an iron hand and was tolerant towards the Hindus. The Hindus who had fled, came back to the valley. He ushered in peace, prosperity & benevolent rule for the people Kashmir. He is credited with having introduced many of the arts and crafts, which are still renowned the world over. The Sultan invited competent teachers from the other countries to Kashmir and introduced carpet making, paper machie, silk rearing, shawls, embroidery, gun powder making etc in the valley. In reverence to Zain-ul-Abdin he is called BUDSHAH or “the great king”, and even today his mention brings a smile to the face of every Kashmiri. The Sultan founded a new city called NOWSHEDAR
(now called Naushera). He also built the 1st wooden bridge on Jhelum River, which is till this day called the ZAINA KADAL (Zaina's bridge)
In 1579 the greatest of all the Mughal rulers Akbar,
“the enlightened one”, visited Kashmir and fell in love with it. Thus began a
love affair which was to result in some of the most beautiful gardens and monuments that
cannot be found anywhere in India. Shalimar and
Nishat gardens built on the banks of Dal lake, were Jehangir's gift to the valley.
Jehangir also laid down gardens at Achable and Verinag.
Another
Mughal, Shah Jahan. laid down Chashmashai gardens. However during the reign of the mughal
rulers like Aurengzeb, there was anarchy and disorder in Kashmir. This was due to their
intolerant policies and persecution of Hindus.
From
1752-1819, Afghan rulers controlled Kashmir for nearly 67 years. The Pathan rule can
easily be called the darkest period of Kashmiri history. The valley was plundered and
looted and the people were in a bad shape.
The Afghan rulers truly tested the spirit of the Kashmiri people. At last when they could suffer no more, a deputation led by Pandit Birbal Dhar and his son Pandit Rajakak Dhar, went to Lahore and requested the Sikh king Maharaja Ranjit Singh to conquer Kashmir and alleviate the suffering of the people. In 1819, 50,000 troops of the Maharaja invaded Kashmir and drove out the Pathans. Sikh rule lasted for 27 years and though it was not
a very favorable reign, it was definitely an improvement over the Pathan rule. During this period there were numerous droughts, landslides, floods and severe snowfall.The fighting between the Sikhs and the Britishers lead to Kashmir being
transferred to Maharaja Gulab Singh who belonged to the DOGRA CLAN. Maharaja Gulab Singh
paid a sum of 75 lakhs to the British as royalty. Maharaja Gulab Singh laid the foundation
of the modern state of Jammu & Kashmir. Gulab Singh conquered the various regions of
Jammu, Poonch, Ram Nagar, Basoli, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Bhimbar, Rajouri, Skardu, Khanmarg,
Kiris, Kaplu, Sheghar, Astor Gilgit, Chitral, Yasin, Hunza, Magor and Pinial.
In fact Maharaja Gulab Singh was the only Indian ruler to have carved out a state from the ruins of the Sikh empire. The other fragments were brought under British rule. On 1885 Maharaja Pratap Singh ascended the throne and ruled for over 40 years. During his time, the real modernization of the state took place and various reforms were carried out. He constructed a water reservoir at Harwar and established an electricity generating unit at Mohra. A new administrative machinery was set in place and, roads and communications were improved. The nephew
of Maharaja Pratap Singh, Maharaja Hari Singh ascended the throne in 1925 and governed the state till 1950.India became independent on the 15th of August 1947 but Kashmir became the bone of contention between the newly formed countries of India and Pakistan. Kashmir at the time of India’s independence was a Muslim majority state ruled by a Hindu Maharaja. As the king was vascillating about which country to join, a Pakistani invasion prompted the king to seek help from India. Since then Kashmir has become the flash point between the two neighbors. As of now, India occupies 2/3rds of Kashmir. Further, in 1962, the Chinese invaded and occupied a part of Ladakh, increasing tensions in this area. The situation is still not normal as yet, but the people of Kashmir wait eagerly for peace to return.
DAL LAKE
The fabled sweet water lake is one of the most well known tourist
destinations
of Kashmir. The lake is an
intricate waterway divided into three parts - Gagri bal, Lokut Dal and Bod Dal, by a
series of causeways. The lake is 6.4 km long and 4 km wide and is divided into 3 parts by
man-made causeways. Two small islands within the lake are popular picnic spots. Sona lank
(silver island) and Rupa lank (gold island) are also known as Char Chinar because they
both have 4 Chinar trees on them. Tourists can enjoy Shikara (boats) rides or they can
stay and experience Kashmiri hospitality aboard the numerous houseboats. Water sports like
water skiing, water scooter, canoeing etc can also be done. A shikara cruise with snow
capped mountains in the backdrop and through the luxuriant Mughal gardens, bring
back the old splendor and show of “the
Dal” in its most resplendent colors.
THE JHELUM RIVER AND ITS BRIDGES
The Jhelum River or the "Vyath"
as it is called in Kashmir, is the great waterway of this mystical land into which lakes,
fountains, streams and rivers drop down in a manner forming an arterial system of the
valley of Kashmir. The river winds through the valley and expands and deepens into the
Wular Lake. This river is famed for its nine old bridges. Along the river are some well
known towns and hamlets like Baramulla, Anantnag, Sopore, Sumbal, Manasbal Lake etc. The
river flow along scenic locales and offers excellent boating and fishing opportunities.
MUGHAL GARDENS
There are numerous large and small
gardens or "Baghs" scattered in and around Srinagar.
Some of these are -
CHASMA SHAHI (The Royal Fountains)
Close to Srinagar is the smallest of the
Mughal gardens. It is near the Oberoi Hotel. This garden is attributed to Shah Jahan and
is set in beautiful surroundings.
PARI MAHAL (House of the Fairies)
Located just above the Chasma Shahi lie
the ruins of this astronomical observatory built by Dara Shikho, a Mughal emperor and
Aurangzeb’s elder brother. Pari Mahal offers a fine view of the Dal Lake and has
beautiful terraced garden, which has been renovated in the recent past.
NISHAT BAGH (The garden of spring)
These magnificent gardens designed by Nur
Jahan's brother Asaf Khan, were laid down in 1633 and are among the largest of the Mughal
gardens. They lie right on the edge of the Dal lake and have numerous terraces, beautiful
lawns, beautiful flowers and fountains. According to the Persian poet Firdaus -
“Agar Firdaus bar me Zaminast Haminasto haminnasto haminasto." This is what you
feel when you visit this architectural world in full bloom during spring.
SHALAMAR BAGH
The most beautiful of all the Mughal
gardens, Shalimar Bagh was built for Nur
Jahan, “Light of the world”, by her husband Jehangir in 1616. The
gardens are straight out of a fairy tale. The top most of the four terraces called the
“Abode of Love”, was reserved for the emperor and the ladies of court. There is
a huge tank, and around 150 fountains dazzle with their display. Electric lights add charm
to the beautiful atmosphere.
NASIM BAGH
Built by Akbar in 1586, these are the
oldest of Kashmir’s Mughal gardens. It is a beautiful camping ground which is however
restricted these days. This garden offers a splendid view of the Dal lake.
HARWAN LAKE
Harwan Lake is a clean and pure water
lake, set among the mountains, with its dark green waters reflecting the lofty peaks of
Mahadeo. The surrounding scenery is some of the best in valley. This lake joins the
reservoir of Srinagar city water works. Below the lake are the famous hatcheries where
rainbow trouts are bred. It’s a delight to catch through and enjoy the scenic
locales.
PAHALGAM
95 kms from Srinagar at 2130 mtrs (7200
ft), is the picturesque summer resort of Pahalgam. Situated right in the heart of Lidder
valley, this resort overlooks the river Lidder. Pahalgam offers excellent opportunities
for hiking, riding, fishing etc.
It serves as the base camp for many expeditions and excursions such as Kolahari Glacier,
Sheeshnag, Sonasar, Harwan and the Amarnath Yatra. Pristine camping grounds under the
shadow of tall pines trees are delightful.
VALLEYS
Lidder Valley
Inarguably the best of the Kashmir valleys, this valley resembles Scotland in many aspects. Lidder valley is full of lush meadows, glaciers and snow-covered peaks stretching over 40 miles. The valley starts at Kolahoi glacier and includes the well known places like the Amarnath cave, Pahalgam etc. The whole valley is breathtaking and draws visitors to its magical beauty. It is also very important from the trekkers’ point of view.
Sindh Valley
The largest tributary of the Kashmir valley, Sindh sports beautiful scenery with diversified features. The valley is also the chief trade route between Kashmir and Central Asia. The Sindh valley begins at Gandherbal and ends near Baltal at the base of the Zojila Pass
Lolab Valley
Lolab valley has its own charm and is an
eyecatching, small, compact region. It has green rice fields, fruit orchards and beautiful
meadows. The valley is about 16 miles long and 3 miles broad, and lies about 50 miles off
north of Sopore.
This valley is the fruit bowl of Kashmir and produces most of the exotic and famous fruits of Kashmir. There are good camp sites all along the way from Patalnag, Kambrial, Magmarg to Drass. It is advisable to visit the valley before July or after August, as it becomes quite hot during this time. There are well laid out routes along the valley to facilitate the trekkers.
Wangat Valley
This is a small valley, no more than 6 miles from end to end. It has some spectacular sights, and stands out on its own among the valleys of Kashmir.