The northern most state of India Jammu & Kashmir
has always attracted travellers and visitors, tourists and pilgrims
to its cool green heights and deep vales. Jammu, the 'land of
the fearless' and the 'land of Gods and Goddesses' was discovered
by Raja Jambu Lochan. Cosily placed in the foothills of the
Himalayas, Jammu is an ideal short getaway from the hot plains
during the summers.
There are charming bazaars crowded with tourists and exclusive
boutiques offer the latest in fashion-wear and accessories.
There are innumerable temples and shrines dotting the entire
cityscape. Ladakh is bounded by two of the world's mightiest
mountain ranges - the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram. Geologically
speaking, it is a 'young' land - having been formed only a few
million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth's
crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed against the immovable
mass of Asia.
Kashmir it was that the Mughals fell in love with - a retreat
from their city courts and courtiers. It was here that they
allowed their imagination to blossom into magnificent, formal
gardens with flowering bushes and plants, canals, lakes and
fountains.
And, of course, the state has a number of important Hindu and
Muslim pilgrim centres such as Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, the Hazratbal
Dargah, and the Asrari Sharief.
Area: 318,937 sq. km
Population: 8.8 million
Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
Main Languages: Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, Ladakhi and Tibetan
Best time to visit: May to October
Jammu & Kashmir Travel Reservation Form
|
