- K A S H M I R -
Kashmir is the northwestern region of Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir
geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range.
Contemporarily, Kashmir denotes a larger area that includes the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir
(Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh), the Pakistani administered Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, and the Chinese-administered
regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract. The United Nations and other local entities, use the
designation Jammu and Kashmir to geographically denote said area.
The Kashmir valley or Vale of Kashmir is a valley between Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. It is around 135 km long and 32 km wide,
formed by the Jhelum River. It was called as Paradise on Earth by the mughal emperor Jahangir. Currently it has population of around 5 to 6 million.
It lies completely within Indian administration in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar is its main city and also the summer capital of the state.
Other main cities are Anantnag and Baramulla. There has been armed insurgency since 1989 due to the conflict. It has access to the rest of India
through Banihal Tunnel near Qazigund on NH 1A to Jammu, which is interrupted by snowfall in winter. The popular tourist places in the valley are
Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens, Cheshmashahi, PariMahal, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Yusmarg, Sonmarg, Dachigam...and the list can go on and on and on.
For more information, visit jk-tourism website : http://www.jktourism.org/
