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Chari
Sharif / Chrar-e-Sharief
Situated on the road to Yusmarg, this is the site of the shrine or Ziarat
of Sheik Noor-ud-Din, the patron saint of Kashmir. The valley also has the
Ziarats of a number of his followers.
Yusmarg
Standing in the Pir Panjal hills, out beyond the airport, at an altitude
of 2,700 metres, the meadow of Yusmarg is reputed to have the best spring
flowers in Kashmir. The beautiful valley is at the foot of the Sangisafaid
valley on the northern slopes of the Pir Panjal range. Near to Yusmarg is
the picturesque Nila Nag Lake where there is a forest rest house. Yusmarg
has tourist huts and is a good base for treks into the surrounding hills.
To reach the Nila Nag one can walk 19-km from Magam, across roads on the
way to Gulmarg. The path then follows down from Nila Nag to Yusmarg and
from there the road runs to Yus, where a track leads off towards Sangam
and Sunset Peak, up the valley of the Khanchi Kol. Sunset peak is the
highest mountain in the Pir Panjal range at 4,746 metres. Other popular
treks over here include those to Sangisafaid and Dodha Patri.
Shupian
Lying in the crook of a bend of the Pir Panjal range, at the foot of
several passes which lead out on to the plains, this fairly large town is
an important centre of trade, the centre of the wool industry of the
valley, and is famous for its apples. It lies on the Rembiara River and
has several rest houses and a couple of guesthouses. It is also the base
for treks to Konsarnag, to Yusmarg and to the Aharbal falls. The first
stage on the trek to Konasarnag is the drive to Kongwatan.
Aharbal
This was another popular resting place for the Mughal emperors when they
made the long trip north from Delhi to Kashmir. It's in an area famed for
its apples and also has an interesting waterfall. It's also the start of
the popular trek to the Konsarnag Lake.
Aharbal Falls
The falls are about 13-km from Shupian, from where there is a motorable
road and a trekker's route leading through dense pine forest. The falls
are said to be the best in Kashmir. The road leads over a high bridge at
Kongwatan from where a magnificent view of the awesome gorge created by
the Vishav River can be seen less than 2-km further on are the foot of the
falls, where the river drops more than 15 metres over a distance of 3-km.
The road continues on here a further 3-km to the top of the falls where
from a rock outcrop one can look down around 60 metres to the river
rushing below.
The road continues a further 6-km to the village of Sedau, where the trek
to Konsarnag begins. The first stage is a climb of about four hours to
Kongwatan, an upland meadow. From here it is a further 10 to 15 hours
walking to Konsarnag.
Kongwatan
This is a charming meadow just a short distance from the river. Among the
pines near the river bank there is a small sulphur spring and also a
forest rest hut. The lace is inhabited by nomadic Gujar shepherds, said to
be descendants of the biblical Abraham and Isaac, or Gujar Rajputs, who
come each summer from the plains with their flocks of cattle and buffalo
to spend July and August in the high meadows. They wear black clothes
adorned only with a small cap, embroidered and set with 'Kari' shells. The
caps of the women project over the neck to protect from sunburn. The women
are very agile and seem to do all the work as well as taking care of the
children.
Sindh Valley
North of Srinagar the Sindh valley is an area of mountains, lakes, rivers
and glaciers. The Sindh River flows down from the Amarnath and Haramukh
glaciers into the Anchar Lake. The Leh road from Srinagar follows this
river to beyond Sonamarg. The Zoji La pass marks the boundary from the
Sindh valley into Ladakh.
Dachigam
National Park
This wildlife reserve was, at one time, the royal game reserve but
animals within its boundaries are now completely protected. There are said
to be Panther, Bear and Deer, besides other smaller animals, in the
reserve. There is a good chance of seeing the endangered Hangul, Langur
Monkeys and perhaps other species. It's very quiet and uncrowded.
Anchar Lake
Although this large lake is no great distance from Srinagar and easily
reached by bus, it is rarely visited. A daily bus leaves Srinagar for the
lake early in the morning and returns late in the afternoon. In winter it
is home for a wide variety of water birds including Mallard, Pochard,
Gadwall Snipe and Teal.
Gandarbal
Just beyond the Wular and Manasbal lakes turn off from the Leh road, this
pleasant little town marks the point where the icy Sindh River leaves the
mountains and enters the plains. Gandarbal is the official headquarters of
the Sindh valley and was originally called "Doderhom". It has a
bazaar, a post office and two hospitals.
About 5-km from Gandarbal, in the village of Tullamulla, is the shrine of
Khirbhawani, the Goddess Ragni, the Hindu guardian Goddess of Kashmir. The
marble temple, built by Maharaja Pratap Singh, stands in a small spring.
It is an irregular, seven sided structure and is said to be surrounded by
360 springs, most of which have run dry or been silted up.
The village is a floating garden surrounded by swamps. Its many islands
are covered with willows, poplars and wildflowers, while the island on
which the spring stands is covered with Chinar, Mulberry and Elm trees.
The nearby village named after Khirbhawani has almond groves where the
best quality almonds in Kashmir are said to grow. Gandarbal can be reached
from Srinagar by road or one can go there by boat along the Mar Canal, or
take a six hour round trip via the Jhelum River and Anchar Lake. There are
many excellent camping places along these routes.
Wullar
Lake
Wullar Lake (also spelt as Wular) is the largest fresh-water lake in
India is 60-km from Srinagar. Spreading over a 125-km area, the lake, by
drawing off excess water from the Jhelum, acts as a natural flood
reservoir. Interesting ruins in the centre of the lake are the remains of
an island created by King Zain-ul-Abidin. With its turbulent waters
perpetually wind ruffled, its exciting variety of avian life and the sheer
beauty of its setting, Wullar represents nature at her most untamed.