Thursday, June 19, 2008

Paradise on Earth : Kashmir















Cradled in the lap of majestic snow capped mountains of the Himalayas, Kashmir was the most beautiful place on earth. On visiting the Valley of Kashmir, Jehangir, the Mughal emperor, is said to have exclaimed: “If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”













Srinagar, the city of great antiquity, is located in the heart of Kashmir at an altitude of 1730 mtrs above the sea level, with the three majestic Himalayan ranges of Karakoram, Zanskar and Pir Panjal framing the landscape from northwest to northeast.












Dal lake is one of the most beautiful and famous lakes of India and it is one of the best spots in Kashmir for the tourists. The Dal Lake is 6 Km long and 6 Km in width and situated at a distance of 2 km from the main city Srinagar. Inside the lake there are many Islands and floating gardens. The lake is surrounded by high mountain peaks, Cheenar, deodar and Pine trees.
The biggest attraction of Kashmir is the Dal Lake which is host to the word’s famous Shikaras and Houseboats. This jewel in the crown of Kashmir is a sight worth beholding in winter when the lake freezes.
Pahelgam (above) is a quaint, nomadic village, with scenic beauty. It is situated at a distance of 96 kms from Srinagar, still unspoilt by the ravages of progress.













Mughal Gardens :


Nishat bag (Shown above) is situated on the bank of the Dal Lake with the Zabarwan mountain at the backdrop. It is constructed in steps and it is a biggest garden of Kashmir.
Shalimar Garden is 15 km away from Srinagar city. It was constructed by Jahangir for his wife Noor Jahan as a meeting point

Chashma Shahi : It is also called “Shahi Bag” (shown below) which is 9 km away from the city. This Garden was constructed by Shahjahan’s Mughal Governor Ali Mardan’s supervision in 1632AD. There is a cold water spring in the center of the Garden. Fresh water is continuously flowing. Its water is refreshing and digestive.








Kashmir is situated in the extreme north of India and it lies in the North Himalayan Region. The Paradise stands 1585 to 1829 meter high and it streches 129 Kilometer in length and 40 Km in breath. There are snow capped towering peaks, lush green fields & forests, wildlife, religious places, fresh water springs, rivers, beautiful lakes, blooming fruits, pine and chinar trees. All these attract the tourists from world over.

Every Indian nurture a dream, of visiting Kashmir once in life time in their mind. The same dream was in our mind too for a long time. Due to disturbances in the state no tourist dared to visit during last many years. With all this our dream was almost dead, but for last two years the situation improved and flow of tourists almost restored to normal in the year of 2005. In 2006, we made it to happen when we visited Kashmir without any difficulties.

During our visit, the beautiful land and the beautiful people of the state were discovered and we felt the warmths, hospitality of the people of Kashmir.
The valley remained favourite shooting spot for Bollywood Hindi films producers till 1980s before the onset of militancy in 1990. Several blockbusters like Kashmir ki kali, Silsila, karma, Arzoo, Betaab and recently Mission Kashmir were shot here.

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