The Land of Beauty – Kashmir Valley

“So you mean to say you have to go all the way there just to see how Shammi Kapoor would have slid down the snow?” I asked my mom.

My mom said yes she wanted to go to Kashmir in memory of the movie Kashmir ki kali and she wanted to see the place where her favourite hero Shammi Kapoor would have shot his movie years ago.

“I have always wanted to go but your dad never ever took me, Shonu”. Said my mom with the glee of a child. She had just got hung up about the fact that she would accompany me to the conference. We had an international conference for sustainability in Kashmir. It was getting postponed due to the conditions there but now that it was all fixed my mom insisted she should come along and stay in Vijay Chacha’s house. Vijay Chacha was our family friend who lived there.

So from Kolkata to Kashmir we flew down and very soon were on the Paradise on Earth – Kashmir valley. Ensconced between the Pir Panjal Range and the Himalayas the valley is the most beautiful and has been formed by the River Jhelum. The Mughal emperor Jahangir in fact gave it the name of the Paradise on earth. It is a part of India and Srinagar is the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Anyone who comes to Kashmir valley would surely make it a point to seep in the beautiful ambience and the lovely atmosphere of the place. The beautiful valley with its pristine ambience and the virgin expanse of greenery would completely enthrall a tourist. The scenic beauty is the mainstay in a Kashmir visit and the lovely peace and tranquility that the snow exudes is felt to be believed. The lovely glaciers and the mountains covered with snow besides the beautiful hill stations here all go to make the Kashmir valley a favourite tourist destination.

Gulmarg is a popular and world famous hill resort of this pristine valley and exists since the 16th century. This is the place which has a beautiful golf course and is in fact also the highest in the whole world. With its lovely scenic beauty and mesmerizing sights Gulmarg is certainly a place which any tourist would love to come , visit enjoy and take back memories.

Pahalgam is another beautiful hill station in this region of the Kashmir valley. It is one of those places which have not been spoilt by the tourists. There are so many places in the country which are quite famous in the world but have been completly spoilt by the tourists. Pahalgam is one of those luckier places which remain neat in spite of footfalls. This place is very famous for the routes that it has for trekking. So an adventure enthusiast can come here and enjoy all the trekking and hiking he could do here.

Sonmarg is another place that is almost synonymous with Gulmarg. Also known as the Golden Meadow, it is a totally mesmerizing scene here with the picturesque surroundings completely enthralling the tourists. The sun and the snow here contribute to the extremely beautiful surroundings. The snow glistens from the top of the mountains and the sun rays falling on these peaks ensure that the golden sparkle is a great spectacle for the tourists who throng this place. The place has thus got the name of the Golden Meadow.

Patnitop is another beautiful hill station here in the Kashmir valley. Actually the whole of Kashmir valley in itself is a beautiful hill station and with the myriad smaller ones around, the tourists just go berserk when they come to these locales. A great picnic spot and the ideal getaway place with the loveliest of greenery and the most beautiful forms of Mother Nature. There are facilities for snow games, besides sports like golf. This pristine, peaceful and calm place is the ideal place to go on a vacation filled with fun and excitement.

Everyone who comes to the land of the beautiful scenery Kashmir valley would surely go to the place called Drass. This is a major tourist attraction as it is the second coldest place that is in inhabitation in the entire world. This place has many trekking facilities and the more enthusiastic tourists would surely want to go there and experience this cold and the trekking excitement here.

Then of course in this pristine locale of Kashmir valley you have the lovely and historical region of Kargil which will give you the best of scenery and you would certainly get patriotic to see the soldiers here guarding our country.

So just pack your bags and head for the Kashmir valley. I came with my mom and she sure is an excited person now that she saw her Shammi Kapoor’s land!