...Mughal Gardens to Visit During Kashmir TripConstructing Mughal Gardens was the most beloved pastime of the Mughal imperials. Mughal Gardens in Srinagar are basically the gardens that were built during the reign on Mughal Emperors. Influenced heavily by the concept of Persian Gardens or the charbagh, these gardens drew heavily upon Persian style of architecture. The common features that all Mughal Gardens share is the rectilinear layouts within the walled structure with canals, fountains, pools of running water and several species of shade providing trees , flowers, fruits and aromatic grasses. No other emperor is credited with taking the garden architecture and floral designs to the height as Shah Jahan the pinnacle of which was reached when he constructed the sprawling funeral paradise Taj Mahal in Agra to commemorate his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. But in this write up we are not going to talk about the Taj Mahal. Instead we’ll focus on some of the other but equally impressive Mughal Gardens in Kashmir which the Mughal adopted as their summer capital. So read on about the top Mughal Gardens in Kashmir that you must visit if you are planning your tours to Kashmir. Nishat Bagh A garden of bliss, a garden of joy, a garden of delight, whatever one chooses to call it, Nishat Bagh in Srinagar is exceptionally beautiful in every sense of the word. If one looks back in the pages of history, the Mughal era is likely to feel the most dominating one in Kashmir. After dethroning the mightiest...
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...dangerous and steep cliffs of the mountains to protect themselves from the attacks of wild predators including snow leopard and wolf. Also these high cliffs provide safe refuge from the hunters, who wishes to get at least one pride trophy of markhor in their hunting life. The male markhor is more beautiful while having long twisted horns. These animals have strong role in the food web of the mountains ecosystem and their presence ensures to keep it in shape both for nature and humans. Pakistan hosts seven Caprinae species with 11 sub-species occupying habitats from the hills in the southern desert to the high alpine areas of the Himalaya (Hess et al., 1997). Most of the worlds Caprinae population inhabits Pakistan’s lower altitudes, use steep slopes, loosely covered by bushesor open forests, providing readily available rock bluffs as escape terrain. Broadly, there are divided into two categories: flare-horned markhor (Capra falconeri falconeri) and straight-horned markhor (Capra falconeri megaceros). Flare-horned markhor includes two sub-species: Pir Panjal or Kashmir markhor and Astore markhor, whereas straight-horned markhor also includes two sub-species as well: Kabul markhor and straight-horned or Suleiman markhor. The Chiltan Markhor has been categorised as Chiltan Wild Goat. Key Facts Schaller (1977) recorded shoulder height of 102 cm, 104 kg average weight, 143 cm average maximum horn length with a record horn length of 165 cm of Kashmir type while 97 cm shoulder height...
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...altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and Northern India. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Nepal and Kashmir, and made from fine cashmere fiber. The fiber is also known as pashm or pashmina for its use in the handmade shawls of Himalayas. The woolen shawls made in Kashmir find written mention in Afghan texts between 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD. However, the founder of the cashmere wool industry is traditionally held to be the 15th century ruler of Kashmir, Zayn-ul-Abidin, who introduced weavers from Central Asia .Cashmere shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for thousands of years. The test for a quality pashmina is warmth and feel. Pashmina and Cashmere are derived from mountain goats. One distinct difference between Pashmina and Cashmere is the fiber diameter. Pashmina fibers are finer and thinner than cashmere fiber, therefore, it is ideal for making light weight apparel like fine scarves. Today, however, the word pashmina has been used too liberally and many scarves made from natural or synthetic fiber are sold as Pashmina creating confusion in the market. Some people believe Pashmina from Nepal are the best in quality because of the conditions to which the mountain goats have adapted over centuries. The high Himalayas of Nepal has a harsh, cold climate and in order to survive, the mountain goats have developed exceptionally warm and light fiber which may be slightly coarser and warmer than cashmere fibers obtained from...
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...The Kargil War (Hindi: करगिल युद्ध kārgil yuddh),(Urdu: کارگل جنگ kārgil jang), also known as the Kargil conflict,[note (I)] was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). The conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay (Victory in Hindi) which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector.[12] The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC,[13] which serves as the de facto border between the two states. During the initial stages of the war, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents, but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staffshowed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces,[14][15][16] led by General Ashraf Rashid.[17] The Indian Army, later on supported by theIndian Air Force, recaptured a majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC infiltrated by the Pakistani troops and militants. With international diplomatic opposition, the Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LOC. The war is one of the most recent examples of high altitude warfare in mountainous terrain, which posed significant logistical problems for the combating sides. This was only the second direct ground war between any two countries...
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...LTM-01 Ladakh is situated at the northern most part of India. In state of Jammu and Kashmir state at the Kargil and Leh. Overwhelm yourself with the virgin beauty of shimmering lakes, gurgling rivers, proud mountains, mystic lamas and loving people. Ladakh is a retreat for the urban dweller from the daily humdrum of cosmopolitan life in to the caressing lap of nature. Best time | May to mid of sep | Duration | 10 days | Region | Srinagar – leh- Manali | Highest point | 18380 fts (Khardong la pass) | grade | Moderate | Focus | Monasteries,Monks,Dramatic landscape,village,Lake,Nomad Nubra valley, Double hump camel,Resort ,Passes, RaftingCulture. | Tour Program Day 01 Arrival at Srinagar airport you will be transferred to the House boat , after rest you can enjoy Shikara ride on the lake and pleasant . Over night in House boat . Day 02 Srinager – kargil via sonmarg and Zojilla pass 3527 mts (205 km ) it will take (7-8 hours) Early in the morning after breakfast drive towards Kargil . After crossing the city is another spectacular facet of country side in Kashmir in Sindh valley . The Sindh valley is largest tributary of the valley of Kashmir. After sonmarg most rough road and wet Zojilla pass (Gate way of Ladakh) This road continue to drive Drass (The Second coldest inhibited village in world ) after more two and half hours drive to Kargil at the altitude of (2715 mts) over night in Hotel Day 03 Kargil – Uley tokpo via Photola pass, Namkila pass...
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...map. You will notice that small streams flowing from different directions come together to form the main river, which ultimately drains into a large water body such as a lake or a sea or an ocean. The area drained by a single river system is called a drainage basin. A closer observation on a map will indicate that any elevated area, such as a mountain or an upland, separates two drainage basins. Such an upland is known as a water divide (Figure 3.1). Sr ea m B 3 T Sr ea m A W at er Di vi de subcontinent. Accordingly, the Indian rivers are divided into two major groups: • the Himalayan rivers; and • the Peninsular rivers. Apart from originating from the two major physiographic regions of India, the Himalayan and the Peninsular rivers are different from each other in many ways. Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial. It means that they have water throughout the year. These rivers receive water from rain as well as from melted snow from the lofty mountains. The two major Himalayan rivers, the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate from the north of the mountain ranges. They have cut through the mountains making gorges. The Himalayan rivers have long courses from their source to the sea. They perform intensive erosional activity in their upper courses and carry huge loads of silt and sand. In the middle and the lower courses, these rivers form meanders, oxbow lakes, and many other depositional features in their Figure 3.1 : Water Divide The...
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...Gompa or monastery means a solitary place. Since the advent of Buddhism, it has been playing a central role in religious, political, military and civic activities of the communities that adopted Buddhism as religion. Historically, Buddhism had started to spread more as a way of education than a religion per se. So, in the initial days, gompas came up in two forms – Avasa (temporary in nature and more so in rural and nomadic settings) and Arama (more permanent and usually associated with urban settlements of that era). Typically, a gompa would start as a seat of learning where learned scholars would study, meditate and congregate for learned discussions. Some influential patrons would donate well to support the construction of a common hall for all such activities. It would also be usual to have a boundary wall around such halls. In return, scholars will then initiate such patrons and allow them to participate in learned discussion. Such a privilege was not allowed to commoners. As the populations grew and number of scholars and monks went up, such basic structures slowly and steadily evolved into gompas as we see today. In general, every gompa has religious, administrative, residential portions. Typically, a gompa will have the following structures:- --Guha or Iha-khang or Main Sanctum. It will have Du-khang or assembly room and Go-khang/ La-khang or inner chamber. Inner chambers are generally out of bounds for ladies unless the deities inside are fully covered or the chamber...
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...Hindu Kush Mountain Range Pakistan Hindu Kush Range, a Persian word which means “Indian Mountains”, is the extension of the Karakoram and Pamir mountain range from west. The whole northwest of Kabul and the basins of the Kabul, and Helmand rivers from that of the Amu Darya is considered to be in Hindu Kush Range. It is also considered as the sub-range of the Himalaya mountain range. It is located between the borders of two Muslim countries Pakistan and Afghanistan and is also considered to be the geographic center of population of the world. Tirich Mir, Noshes, and Istoro Nal, the highest peaks in the Hindu Kush are located in Chitral District of Northern Pakistan. Its eastern side range is also known as the High Hindu Kush range which is located in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Chitral is considered to be the pinnacle of the Hindu Kush region. The highest peaks, as well as countless passes and massive glaciers, are located in this region. The Chiantar, Kurambar, and Terich glaciers are amongst the most extensive in the Hindu Kush and the melt water from these glaciers form the Kunar River, which eventually flows south into Afghanistan and joins the Bashgal, Panjsher, and eventually the much smaller Kabul River. The jazz musician Katie Melua wrote a song called "Halfway Up the Hindu Kush", probably because in the 1960s and 70s Afghanistan was depicted in the media as the romantic haven of nomads and a resort for hashish-smoking hippies. Hindu Kush Hindu Kush a high mountain...
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...India is my country. I am proud to say that I am an Indian. India has many claims to fame. India got Independence on 15th August 1947 from the British rule. Of all the countries in Asia, India is die biggest democratic country. It is surrounded on three sides by ocean and sea, while die north is dominated by the world’s youngest, however, highest mountains called the Himalayas.At the foot of the Himalayas runs the country’s most prestigious, sacred river, the Ganges. Under its influence, the northern part of die country has become one of the most fertile lands in the world. My country is a tourists' delight. The Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, The Qutab and the Red Fort are a few of the many wonders which attract people from all over the world. Kashmir has been described as a paradise on earth. The country of mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes is a fit abode for the gods. Ooty, Nilgiris and the temples of South India, as also Kajuraho, Ajanta and Ellora caves are the places one can boast of. My country is run by a government, elected by the people by vote. The parliament makes rules and takes decisions in all important matters, local and international, in the interest of the public. India is now the sixth Big Power country in the world. It is a secular state where all religions are respected equally. India believes in peace and prosperity. Many great men and women were born in India. They brought glory and pride to their countrymen. We salute those immortal...
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...According to folk etymology, the name "Kashmir" means "desiccated land" (from the Sanskrit: Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the mid-12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake. According to Hindu mythology, the lake was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Marichi, son of Brahma, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. This is still the local tradition, and in the existing physical condition of the country, we may see some ground for the story which has taken this form. The name of Kashyapa is by history and tradition connected with the draining of the lake, and the chief town or collection of dwellings in the valley was called Kashyapa-pura, which has been identified with Kaspapyros of Hecataeus (apud Stephanus of Byzantium) and Kaspatyros of Herodotus (3.102, 4.44).[1] Kashmir is also believed to be the country meant by Ptolemy's Kaspeiria.[2] Cashmere is an archaic spelling of Kashmir, and in some countries it is still spelled this way. According to legend, Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in the 14th century BC. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. The king was impressed and decided to set up a town after his name, Jamboo. With the passage of time, the name was corrupted...
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...the west, India on the east, and the Arabian Sea on the south. The name Pakistan is derived from the Urdu, which is the national language of Pakistan, words Pak which means pure and Stan which means country. It is nearly twice the size of California. The northern and western highlands of Pakistan contain the towering Karakoram and Pamir mountain ranges, which include some of the world's highest peaks. The Baluchistan Plateau lies to the west, and the Thar Desert and an expanse of alluvial plains, the Punjab and Sind, lie to the east. The 1,000-mile-long Indus River and its tributaries flow through the country from the Kashmir region to the Arabian Sea. With the exception of the temperate coastal region, most of Pakistan suffers from seasonal extremes of temperature. From June to September, Pakistan has its monsoon season, with warm weather and heavy rain in some areas. A monsoon is actually a seasonal shift in wind direction and pressure distribution that causes a change in precipitation. The temperatures drop considerably in December through February, while spring tends to be very warm and dry. Of course, the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are snowbound for much of the year, due to their high altitudes. Temperatures even at lower elevations may drop below freezing during the winter, while summer highs of 106 degrees are not uncommon. The climate changes here pose additional risks to Pakistan’s efforts to meet its water and food self- sufficiency goals. These goals are...
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...that he won the lottery ticket. When our uncle told us that news immediately gave a shine on my mom face she becomes so excited. My mom told us that our dad will be going to America. We all were so happy to hear the new. After few months it was time to say Goodbye to my dad because he was leaving for America. When my dad arrived in America He send us money so that we can come live with him. Finally, the day came when my dad told that we will be coming to him soon. “Really, you mean to America” my sister Asma said that, OMG.” We became much more excited than anything else. I told all my friends that our whole family will be leaving Kashmir(a county a on the border of India and Pakistan)soon. My friends all become sad. I was so happy but was also sad because I didn’t want to leave my friends and cousins, all were so loving and caring. Before leaving Kashmir, Pakistan I thought to go over the places in my village and wanted to visit my relatives also. Next Morning I woke up and birds were making beautiful sounds in an open sky. My mind was mixed up; I wasn’t able to decide where I should go first. In the mean time, my phone rang. It was my cousin Areeba also my best friend. She invited me to her house for dinner. By evening I went to her house. We were having a dinner at 8 ‘clock while someone knocked the door. I was done with my dinner so, I...
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...Analysis of Uttarakhand Floods as to what are the reasons why it happened Flash floods warnings unheeded: Geologists Geologists had repeatedly warned that sedimentary rock structure of the Himalayas comprising shale and siltstone is extremely pliable and construction of structures close to the rivers is a precursor for disaster Several Himalayan geologists have repeatedly expressed apprehension against the massive road and dam-building construction activity taking place in Uttarakhand which had resulted in the hillsides “crumbling. States oppose Model Flood Bill Even as floods play havoc in Uttarakhand, several states have opposed the provisions of a 38-year-old Model Flood Bill aimed at minimising losses to life and property in the natural calamity. The CWC had circulated the model bill to all the states to help the state governments enact the legislation. Except for Manipur and Rajasthan, no state legislature has enacted the 'Model Bill on Flood Plain Zoning'. Human hand behind flood disaster Ecologists point out that the huge expansion of hydro-power projects and construction of roads to cope with the lakhs of tourists in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh has compounded the scale of the disaster. There are of course links between climate change and extreme weather events as has happened with the torrential rain in Uttarakhand. But this has been exacerbated by the reckless construction of buildings, dams and roads in a fragile environment. Many of the settlements...
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...The Kashmir Issue: Some options towards solution By Dr. Misbah Islam As we all know the Kashmir issue has been has been a perennial problem ever since the birth of Pakistan. Kashmir is one of the two most intractable problems that have stymied the world for so long resulting in horrendous loss of life and negative impact on the development of the belligerants. Nature of the Problem: The origins of the Kashmir issue lie in the illegal instrument of accession to India signed on October 26, 1947 by Raja Hari Singh that violated the rights and hopes of 77% Muslim population of Kashmiris to join Pakistan. It has resulted in or associated with at least four major wars: 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999. Besides loss of liberty for 10 million people it has entailed loss of lives (more than 102,000), in the form of executions, bombardment and disappearances, horrendous tortures, injuries, crimes against women, destruction of property, businesses and the list goes on [Ref 1]. No value can ever be assigned to the psychological losses. So far India has refused visits by Amnesty International to investigate and report impartially. We have also to take into account other costs. The purpose of this exercise is to highlight the seriousness of the issue and to prove Pakistan’s commitment to the cause. The Kashmir issue has involved direct expenditure in terms of resources: military, diplomatic, journalistic and so on. Resources, that could have been better spent for mitigating and solving...
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...5829/idosi.wasj.2014.31.06.4 Impact of Conflict on Tourist Flow and Spatial Distribution of Tourists in Kashmir Valley Shamim Ahmad Shah and Muzafar AhmadWani Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India Research Scholar, Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar190006, India Abstract: Conflict and instability in Jammu and Kashmir have been a major hindrance to its development and progress levels. Tourism is identified as the engine of growth and Development of Jammu and Kashmir economy in general and Kashmir valley in particular. The development of tourist industry can have a significant impact on the overall growth of the state, because of its ability to create direct and indirect employment, as well as growth in allied industries. Tourism will likely contribute to the growth of secondary sectors such as handicrafts, which have historically benefitted from visitors to the state. As tourism is widely recognized as a major mechanism of employment generation, especially in the service sector, holds significant role forpoverty alleviationand unemploymentin thestate.Kashmir being animportant tourist destination in India has witnessed downfall because of theongoing unrest especially during the last two decades which has hindered the smooth growth oftourism industry. The valley of Kashmir has been engulfed in a violent situation since 1989, which has threatened the sustainability of tourism...
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