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About Jammu & Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the sixth largest state in India including the area occupied by Pakistan and China. The crown of India lies in the extreme north of the country and is bounded on three sides by China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The entire state is almost mountainous, broken by stretches of valley and dotted with mountain lakes. The state is studded with a number of hill stations, which are refreshing cool in summer. They offer to the tourists a leisurely or adventurous holiday amidst breath-taking scenery. Strategically located Jammu and Kashmir State constitutes the northern most extremity of India. Large parts of it have, however, been annexed by China and Pakistan. Yet, some of the most majestic parts of this state remain in India. The State is bounded by Pakistan, Afghanistan and China from the West to the East. It has four geographical zones viz;
A major portion of Jammu & Kashmir State consists of the western Himalayas, which besides many lofty mountain ranges with varying heights of 3000 to 6000 meters and above, also abound in rivers, lakes, passes, glaciers, plateaus and plains. The number of streams, brooks, hill torrents and rivers is also fairly large. The most important rivers are the Indus, Chenab, Jehlum and Ravi. The state of Jammu and Kashmir which had earlier been under Hindu rulers and Muslim Sultans, became part of the Mughal Empire under Akbar. After a period of Afghan rule from 1756, it was annexed to the to the Sikh kingdom of the Punjab in 1819. In 1846 the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh entrusted the principality of Jammu and adjacent areas to Gulab Singh, his Dogra General. Gulab Singh brought large areas including Ladakh, Zanskar, Gilgit and Baltistan under his control. Jammu and Kashmir came into being as a single political and geographical entity following theTreaty of Amristar between the British Government and Gulab singh signed on March 16, 1846. The Treaty handed over the control of the Kashmir State to the Dogra ruler of Jammu who had earlier annexed Ladakh. Thus a new State comprising three distinct religions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh was formed with Maharaja Gulab Singh as its founder ruler. The high point of the movement was July 13, 1931 when 22 protesters were martyred. The event strengthened the movement and contrary to the expectations of the then rulers, the peopled emerged more determined in their resolution to seek an end to autocratic rule. By the time the rulers could realise the futility of breaking the will of the people with the might of the State, the National Conference, headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, had become a mass movement and a force to reckon with. It broke the barriers of region and religion and became a popular and secular voice of the people of the State whose collective yearning was freedom from autocracy and the establishment of a popular rule. Jammu & Kashmir in the year 1947 was an independent country for all practical purposes. The Maharaja who ruled the State had signed agreements with both Pakistan and India to remain neutral and not be part of either country. India honoured that agreement but Pakistan did not. Pakistani raiders and soldiers attacked the state in 1947 forcing the Maharaja to flee to India. The Maharaja asked India to help his people who were being killed and looted by the Pakistani raiders. He also agreed to make Jammu &; Kashmir part of India. The Indian ruler at that time was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He accepted Jammu &; Kashmir's accession to India and agreed to rescue his people from the Pakistani attackers. Indian troops were flown into the Kashmir Valley and they managed to drive away most of the Pakistani raiders from the state. But a large area of the state remained under the control of Pakistani soldiers. These areas were difficult to reach because they were surrounded by tall mountain ranges. Heavy fighting took place in 1947-48 between the Indian and Pakistani forces over Kashmir. On January 1, 1948 India took up the issue of Pak aggression in Jammu and Kashmir in UNO under Article 35 of its charter. After long debates, cease-fire came into operation on the midnight of January 1, 1949 which created the first Line-of-Control. While the people of the state continue to march ahead for socio-economic emancipation as per the Naya Kashmir charter for better quality of life, Pakistan continued with her plans to grab Kashmir through force. Pakistan waged two wars in 1965 and 1971 to annex Kashmir but the people gave her befitting reply and repulsed her attacks with the help of army like they did in 1947-48. Failing to match India’s military power, it launched a low intensity war through militancy in 1990 which took a toll of 20,000 human lives besides destroying private and public property
The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a region of
widely varying people and geography. In the south, Jammu is a transition
zone from the Indian plains to the Himalaya. Nature has lavishly
endowed Kashmir with certain distinctive favours which hardly find
a parallel in any alpine land of the world. Correctly, the rest
of the state is Kashmir but in practice this title is reserved for
the beautiful valley of Kashmir, a large Himalayan valley in the
north of the state. A spell on a houseboat on Dal Lake has always
been one of India's real treats and Kashmir
also offers some delightful trekking opportunities and unsurpassed
scenery. Set in the womb of the Himalayas and gifted with beautiful
and inspiring natural scenery, it emerged as a highly advanced seat
of learning from very early times, taking its place along with the
famous Universities of Taxila and Nalanda. It has also been embracing
point of advent of Islam bringing in its fold finest traditions
of Persian civilization, tolerance, brotherhood and sacrifice. Ramparts
of high mountains and seclusion of the land helped her top reserve
the life and conditions of early times which is rather difficult
to resuscitate in regard to other such mountainous regions. Ladakh on the other hand, has been the highest and living centre of Tantrayan Buddhism. People of this region are deeply drenched in music, dance and drama which embody religious fervour. Ladakhi songs and dances are simple in thought, content and performance to. Ladakhi dances reveal the simple and noble nature of the Ladakhi people. Song and drama both are the means towards salvation. Jammu on the other hand has been the seat of Rajas and Maharajas which have cemented and enriched the cultural, historical and social bonds of all these diverse ethnic and linguistic divisions of the state. The ancient archeological monuments and remnants speak volume of the district cultural traditions of the state. Jammu the land of the Dogras, offer an entirely different fare of dances and music. Over the centuries long spell of separation from their soldier, husbands and brothers have led the hardy but graceful women of the Duggar to evolve many diverting dances and songs to keep themselves in cheer in their free moments. The songs of separation, the ever increasing yearning for reunion with the beloved, the hard life on the mountain slopes and various other themes connected with their day-to-day life find their echo in folk songs and dances.
The State is rich in flora and fauna. Kashmir abounds
in rich flora. The most magnificent of the Kashmir trees is the
Chinar found throughout the valley. Mountain
ranges in the Valley have dense deodar, pine and fir. Walnut, willow,
almond and cider also add to the rich flora of In Jammu, the flora ranges from the thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Of the broad leaf trees there are maple, horse chest nuts, silver fir etc. At the higher altitudes there are birch, rhododendron, Berbers and a large number of herbal plants. In the hilly regions of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri there is a large and varied fauna including leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, musk rat. Varieties of snakes, bats, lizards and frogs are also found in the region. The game birds in Jammu include chakor, snow partridge, pheasants, peacock. In otherwise arid desert of Ladakh some 240 species of local and migratory birds have been identified including black-necked crane. The Ladakh fauna includes yak, Himalayan Ibex, Tibetan antelope, snow leopard, wild ass, red bear and gazelle. Jammu celebrates Lohri and Baisakhi in February. Every year a 3-day Jammu Crafts Mela is also organised during Baisakhi at the picturesque
The State is well connected with rest of the country by air, rail and road . By Air - Nearest Jammu airport is 8 Kms from the city centre. Flights from Delhi and Amritsar link to all the three main regions of the state - the Kashmir Valley, Ladakh and the Jammu region. The Indian Airlines and private airlines operate regular flights to Srinagar, Jammu and Leh. Jet Airways operates services between Jammu - Delhi and Jammu - Srinagar. From DELHI to JAMMU
Fight schedule given here is
just to provide a rough idea. For complete & accurate flight
schedule please check the official site of Air India
By Road - National Highway 1A connects Jammu from Punjab and also to the rest of the state, including the capital Srinagar. The state transport corporation runs several buses to most of the big towns and cities in north India. Moreover, private cars or taxis can also be arranged. Jammu Bus Stand is 1/2 Km from the Railway Station. Jammu Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation is Near/Adjacent to Jammu Tawi Railway Station. Distance from
By Rail - Nearest railhead is Jammu Tawi
which serves both Jammu and Kashmir State. There are daily passenger
trains connecting Jammu with most of the major cities of the country.
Moreover,
the longest rail route that stretches from Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari
and touches almost all the main cities and towns of the country
originates from here. Details about the Trains going To and From Jammu to different Destinations.
Train details given here is just to provide an idea & you are advised to check the Exact Train Timings and Details at Indian Railways website. All Foreigners are requested to Register their Arrival and Departures with this Office at:
For further assistance contact: Travelmasti |
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he
feudal dispensation in the State, however, was too harsh for the
people to live under and towards the end of a hundred years of this
rule when their Indian brethren were fighting for independence from
the British under the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and
Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Kashmiris led by a towering personality,
the Sher-I-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, rose against the autocracy.
The autocratic rule came down heavily on the people’s freedom
movement. However, the people laid their lives in the cause of freedom
and to uphold the ideals of secularism, equality, democracy and
brotherhood. 
The
state has a very rich history and a distinct culture where people
of all faiths live in perfect harmony. Jammu and
Kashmir has three distinct components - Hindu majority
Jammu, Buddhist dominated Ladakh in the North and predominantly
Muslim populated Valley, besides what is under Pakistan
occupation. The state also have a unique feature of having some
of the most sacred Temples, Mosques, Monasteries, and Caves. A visit
to this paradise, resplendent in nature's glory, will linger long
in the memory of the visitor.
The
cultural heritage of Kashmir is, therefore,
very rich and derives its inspiration and strength both from her
natural environs and the rich literature and literary traditions
alike.
