INTRODUCTION
Situated in the
northern part of India, Jammu & Kashmir is the essence of everything
that is Indian-its culture, history, tradition, people, and natural
splendor. The state has a long history encompassing around 4,000 years
and there are many prehistoric sites, which give indication of human
settlement in this region in those times.
Location
Situated in the northernmost part of India, Jammu and Kashmir is
bordered by Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan from West to East. From
South to East, the boundary of the state touches Punjab and Himachal.
The state extends between the latitudes 32°17˘N to 36°58’N and
longitudes 37°26˘E to 80°30˘E.
Physical Features
The state can be divided into four major regions:
the sub-mountain and semi-mountain plain known as kandi or dry belt; the
Shivalik ranges, the high mountain zone constituting the Kashmir Valley;
Pir Panchal range and its off-shoots including Doda, Poonch and Rajouri
districts and part of Kathua and Udhampur districts; and the middle run
of the Indus River comprising Leh and Kargil.
Climate
Although a small state, the climate of this state varies from one region
to another. The climate of Jammu region is tropical while it is
semi-arctic in Ladakh and temperate in Srinagar region. Accordingly,
rainfall also varies from region to region and while there is almost no
rainfall in Ladakh, Jammu receives a rainfall of above 1,100 mm and
Srinagar around 650 mm.
HISTORY
The history of Jammu & Kashmir is quite old. Kashmir is mentioned in the
epic Mahabharata. In 250 BC, Ashoka, the great Mauryan king, established
the city of Pandrethan and built many viharas and chaityas. This says
much about the strategic importance that this region held even in that
time. Some sources claim that Buddha also visited this region, though no
proof is available to validate this theory. Kanishka, the great Kushana
king, called the Third Buddhist Council at Harwan, near Srinagar, in the
first century AD. This Council saw the division of Buddhism in two
distinct streams called Hinayana and Mahayana.
Kalhana, the first Indian history writer, gave a vivid account of the
history of Kashmir before the 10th century AD. Local kingdoms ruled
extensively in this region until the 12th century AD when Muslims
invaded the region. The greatest Muslim king of early medieval age in
Kashmir was Zain-ul-Abidin, who ascended the throne in AD 1420 and ruled
up to 1470. His long rule contributed extensively to the spread of art,
culture, music, and every other sphere in the life of Kashmir people. He
also created a strong army and annexed many regions nearby Kashmir.
These were the time of golden rule in Kashmir when peace and harmony
prevailed. After the death of King Zain-ul-Abidin, a period of
destruction came calling to Kashmir and many raiders from outside looted
the state and made the people and local rulers their captive.
In 1587, Akbar annexed Kashmir into his vast empire. Jahangir, son of
Akbar and next Mughal ruler, visited Kashmir 13 times and created two
beautiful gardens on the bank of Dal Lake, namely, the Shalimar Bagh and
Nishat Bagh. After two centuries of peace and development, Kashmir came
into the hands of the Pathans in 1752, when the Afghan ruler Abdul Shah
Abdali attacked this region on the request of local noblemen. The
Pathans established a rule of terror here, no better than that of
Aurangzeb, the last important Mughal ruler.
In 1819, the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed this region, but
their empire remained in place only for 27 years. From 1846 to 1957, the
Dogras ruled over this region when British defeated Ranjit Singh and
handed over the administration of this region to Maharaja Gulab Singh.
The Dogra rule also for the first time put in reality the modern state
of Jammu & Kashmir. During India’s freedom struggle, people from this
state participated extensively under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah
and decided to go with India in 1948 after the country became
independent.
TOURIST CENTRES
Srinagar, the state capital, is the
most famous tourist destination in the state. An ancient city, there are
many attractions that can attract even the most unwilling of tourists to
this magical land. Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and Chashme
Shahi are some of the best-known tourist spot in Srinagar.
Jammu is the winter capital of the
state and next in importance after Srinagar. Most of the tourists who
come to the Jammu region have the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine as their
destination, which is quite close by. However, the spirit of holiness
permeates through the entire city, so much so that Jammu is also known
as the ‘City of Temples’. If Bahu Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu,
the dargah of Peer Budhan Ali Shah is the other shrine that is
believed to protect the local people. The other major tourist attraction
is the Raghunath Temple Complex, which is the largest temple in North
India devoted to Lord Rama. The construction of this temple was begun by
Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1851 and completed by his son Ranbir Singh six
years later.
The temple of Maha Kali (better known as Bahu or Bawey Wali Mata),
located in the Bahu Fort, is considered second only to Mata Vaishno Devi
in terms of mystical power. The temple was built shortly after the
coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1822.
Other temples in the city include the Gauri Kund Temple, Shudh Mahadev
Temple, Shiva Temple, Peer Khoh Cave Temple, Ranbireshwar Temple, and
the Parmandal Temple Complex.
The most stunning site in Jammu is the Sheesh Mahal. The Pink Hall of
the palace now houses the Dogra Art Museum, which has miniature
paintings of the various hill schools. The museum also has the
handwritten Persian manuscripts of the Shahnama and
Sikandernama. The palace was once the royal residence of the Dogra
kings. Built as a group of buildings around a courtyard, the palace has
a commanding view of river Tawi on one side and the city on the other.
The Amar Mahal Palace Museum is a beautiful palace of red sandstone,
which stands amidst the most picturesque environs of Jammu. It offers a
beautiful view of the Shivaliks in the north and the river Tawi in the
south. This was once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, but now
it has been converted into a museum. The museum has a golden throne made
of 120 kg of pure gold.
A treat for those interested in history is the town of
Akhnoor, 32 km southwest of Jammu.
Standing on the banks of the mighty river Chenab, the town tells the
tragic tale of the lovers Sohni and Mahiwal. Along the riverbank are the
majestic ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization that are of great
historical importance.
Patnitop, near the Vaishno Devi
Temple, is fast becoming a busy hill station and a good place to enjoy
the nature in its eternity.
Ladakh is home to the minority
Buddhist community in the state. They have preserved their unique
culture for the past hundreds of years. Leh is the headquarters of this
region. The major points of attraction are the Leh Palace, Namgyal Tsemo
Gompa, Sankar Gompa, Shanti Stupa, and Soma Gompa.
Arts and Crafts
Kashmiri shawls, the woven jewels of Kashmir, have developed over 300
years. There are two distinct types of shawls-the amli and the
kani. Amli means embroidered, where narrow strips of cloth
woven on a small loom are carefully joined together with almost
invisible stitches. In kani shawls the designs are woven on the
loom like twill tapestry. The most valued shawls are the pashminas
composed of treads of delicate wool from the under-belly of the wild
Tibetan goat that lives 4,000 feet above sea level. The finest wool is
shahtoosh. It is superfine, extraordinarily light and amazingly
warm. The most complex woven shawl is the jamawar, woven like
tapestry. Sometimes, as many as 50 colors are used in a single weft.
The origins of hand-knotted carpets can be traced back to more than
2,000 years. In India, the hand-knotted carpet appeared in the 15th
century. In Kashmir, it attained a high degree of perfection especially
in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Mughal emperors. Wool is the
basic material, but in Kashmir silk is also commonly used. The
appearance and number of knots on the back of the carpet indicates the
quality. The Bokhara carpets are one of the finest with about 125-500
knots in a square inch.
Fairs and Festivals
The Hemis Festival is held in the month of July when tourists in
large numbers converge here from all over the world to watch the famous
masked dances. The music is characteristically punctuated with sounds of
cymbals, drums and long, unwieldy trumpets. The masked dancers move
around slowly, very slowly, and the most vital part of the dance is the
masks and not so much the actual movements of the dance. The dances end
with Good vanquishing Evil and the evil one is brought into the
protective fold of Buddhism.
Like the Hemis festival, monasteries like Lamayuru, Thiksey, Spitook,
Likir and many others also have their individual festivals. The
Jammu and Kashmir tourism department organizes the Ladakh Festival
in the month of September bringing forward the region’s folk dances, art
and craft, sporting events and rituals.
HOW TO REACH
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.
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