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| Blue valleys, alpine passes -- Kashmir's beauty
is the stuff of fables. The geography of Kashmir is actually
divided into three land masses: the foothill plains of Jammu,
the Kashmir Valley and the mountains of Ladakh. Its strategic
position leads to off-and-on skirmishes with Pakistan and has
converted this beautiful place into one of the highest battlegrounds
of the world. |
| The Shankaracharya Temple, provides excellent
views of the valley of Kashmir. Other places of tourist attractions
are the Mughal Gardens of Shalimar where flowers, fountains,
streams can be seen as well as the beautiful Mosque of Hazrathal.
Pahalgam is a pleasant little, single street town full of streams.
The site of the start to the shrine of Amarnath begins here.
Gulmarg also has great scenic beauty |
| The tourist draws of Jammu are mainly the Raghunath
Temple and the Vaishno Devi Temple which attracts pilgrims all
over the country. Jammu has the typical typical climate of the
plains and can be quite hot in summer. |
| In Ladakh the Leh Palace overlooks the town but
is damaged. The Thiksey Monastery is, however, in shape rising
in a white tiers up a hillock. The Stok Palace and Museum houses
the royal relics of the last ruling family of Ladakh. Best time
to visit: September-October or early winter. |
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Dedicated to Lord Rama. The inner
walls of the temple are covered with gold sheet on three sides.
The galleries are covered with lakhs of 'Saligrams'. The surrounding
temples are dedicated to other gods and goddesses from the epic,
Ramayana. The temple is located in the heart of Jammu. Construction
of the temple was started in 1835 by Maharaja Gulab Singh and
completed by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860. |
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| The original fort was built by Raja
Bahulochan but was modified and improved by Dogra rulers. This
fort, perhaps the oldest edifice in Jammu, is located 5 km from
the city. The fort is built on rocks facing the Tawi river.
A temple dedicated to Goddess Kali is also inside the fort.
Exquisitely laid-out gardens surround the fort on all sides.
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The architecture of this palace has
a unique blend of Rajasthani, Mughal and even Gothic styles.
The palace complex dates back to 1824 AD. The Sheesh Mahal segment
in the palace is most famous. The pink hall has now been converted
into the Dogra Art Museum. This museum is a treasure house of
miniature paintings from various hill schools. |
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| This is the famous dargah of the
Muslim saint, Peer Budhan Ali Shah. On Thursdays apart from
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs also come in large numbers to pay
respect at the shrine. |
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Katra acts as a base camp for pilgrims
and tourists going to the Vaishnodevi shrine. Katra is 50 kms
from Jammu. It can be approached by a road that passes through
a stretch of beautiful valley. |
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| This beautiful place is 112 kms from
Jammu. It is located on the Jammu-Srinagar highway and is thus
easily accessible. Patnitop was in fact a picnic spot for residents
of Jammu. Later on it was taken up by JKTDC and developed as
a tourist destination. Patnitop is usually covered with snow
during winter and provides a good opportunity for winter sports. |
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Is at the east of Srinagar city.
Much of it is a maze of intricate waterways. Dal Lake comprises
of a series of lakes, including Nagin Lake, 8 km from the city
center. Most of the modern houseboats are anchored here. The
famous Mughal gardens are located on the far east side of Dal
lake. |
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| Pahalgam is about 95 km east of Srinagar.
At a junction of the East and West Lidder rivers, it is a popular
trekking base. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims approach the Amarnath
cave from this area. |
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Situated 45 km south of Leh is the
most accessible and hence most visited gaompas of Leh. It has
an excellent library, well preserved frescoes showing some Kashmiri
influence and good Buddha statues. |
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| Built in 1430, contains a fine three-storey-high
Buddha and ancient manuscripts and frescoes. From here, the
views of Leh are superb. A steep lane from here leads to the
Leh Palace. |
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looks impressive, especially at night
when it is well lit-up. With financial assistance from the Japanese
government, it was built by a Japanese and opened by the Dalai
Lama in 1985. From the top, there are great views. The stupa
is located at the end of the road which goes through Changspa,
about 3 km from fort Road. |
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