GUREZ VALLEY

Gurez is a valley located in the high Himalayas, about 86 kms from Bandipore and 123 kms from Srinagar in northern Jammu and Kashmir, India. At about 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level, the valley is surrounded by snow capped mountains. It has diverse fauna and wildlife including the Himalayan brown bear and the snow leopard. The Kishanganga River flows through the valley. The road to Gilgit runs through Gurez. Gurez is divided into three regions. The area from Toabat to Sharda Peeth is administered by Pakistan as Neelum District, that between Kamri and Minimarg is part of the Astore District, Northern Areas, Pakistan, and that from Toabat to Abdullae Tulail is known as Tehsil Gurez, and is part of Bandipore district. People of Gurez valley are Dards, they speak Sheena language and have their ancestral connection with Gilgit valley now in Pakistan. The feature and attire of the Dards are similar to Kashmiri people of mountain region. Though Gurez is a far flung area but the people of the Dard race have uplifted themselves by the hard work and proper education. Dard women are fair with athletic built, who spend the summer in collecting wood from mountains for the harsh winter; when it is impossible to move in 20 feet out side. Ultimate adventure destination to the north of Kashrnir, Gurez, is a gateway to the famous silk route across central Asia. The pyramid shaped peak named after famous Kashmiri poetess Habba Khatoon is most fascinating peak of Kashmir. The emperor Yousuf Shah Chak who is said to be a Dard from Gilgit entered into Kashmir through Gurez. It is believed that when emperor was imprisoned by the King Akbar, his beloved Habba Khafton used to wander near the peak to look for her lover. The roar of mighty Kishan-Ganga river flowing across the valley, resonotes with surrounding mountains that lulls a visitors to sound sleep.The traditional log wood houses make Gurez no less than a European country side. The trekking Routes from Gurez and Tilel lead upto Gangabal and Sonmorg to its east and Drass , Dahanu and Zanskar to its north. The Kishen Ganga river in Gurez offers easy level of stream for Rofting and tough ones from Tilel. Some of the mountains have absolutely challenging scope for Rock Climbing.Trout fishing is a frequent sport among locals who through in a line to get descent meal for the day. Anglers con be delighted to catch a brown trout in the Kishen Ganga River or the streams coming down from the mountains. Gurez has lovely compsites where the tents can be pitched near the river. 20 km from Gurez ,the awesome villages of Tilel have log wood houses which perfectly add to the magnificent view of mountains full of pine and fir trees. The road from Gurez to Tilel is just 7 years old, which has been extended upto Drass in Kargil region. The rugged and tough life of people of Tilel can make a visitor to contribute for promotion of the destination in one way or the other.

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Zanskar

Zanskar :- About 20 kms south-east of Rangdum stands the Panzila axis, across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans-Himalayan valleys. The Penzila pass (4,401m) is a picturesque tableland surrounded by snow-covered peaks. As the Zanskar road winds down the steep slopes of Penzi-la to the head of the Stod valley, the majestic " Drang-Drung" glacier looms into full view. A long and winding river of ice and snow, "Drang-Drung" is perhaps the largest glacier in Ladakh, outside the Siachen formation. It is from the cliff-like snout of this extensive glacier that the Stod or Doda tributary of the Zanskar River rises. The spectacular Himalayan landscape and the lifestyles of the inhabitants attract many tourists to the hidden kingdom of Zanskar. The Zanskar valley is situated across the Suru Valley and over the Pensi La in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Zanskar is situated 235 km away from Kargil. There are several high passes that need to be crossed in order to reach Zanskar. Padum in the Zanskar valley may be joined but the track is not really smooth. It is noteworthy that the road that links Zanskar with Kargil is open from mid July to early November. Buses. Jeeps, gypsies and taxis are easily available for transport to Zanskar from Kargil. Kargil is approximately 235 km away from Zanskar. During the months of June and July you may trek into Zanskar from Panikhar or Parkachik onwards. Ample accommodation is available in Zanskar. You may stay at the Tourists complex or be economical and opt for the camps in the tents. There are few hotels too in Zanskar that provide basic facilities. At the inns of Zanskar dormitory accommodation is possible. Monasteries and village houses are the other stay options in Zanskar.

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Drass

Drass (3230 m), 60 km west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, is a small township lying in the centre of the valley of the same name. It has become famous as the second coldest inhabited place in the world by virtue of the intense cold that descends upon the valley along with repeated snowfalls during winters. Winter temperature is sometimes known to plummet to less than minus 40 degrees. The Drass valley starts from the base of the Zojila pass, the Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its inhabitants are known to have negotiated this formidable pass even during the most risky period in the late autumn or early spring, when the whole sector remains snow-bound and is subject to frequent snow storms, to transport trader's merchandise across and to help stranded travellers to traverse it. By virtue of their mastery over the pass they had established a monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of the Pan-Asian trade. A hardly people enduring with fortitude and harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of Drass can well be described as the guardian's of Ladakh's gateway. Drass is a convenient base for a 3-day long trek to Suru valley across the sub-range separating the two valleys. This trek passes through some of the most beautiful upland villages and flower sprinkled meadows on both sides of the 4500 mts high Umbala pass, which falls enroute. The trek to the holy cave of Amarnath in neighbouring Kashmir, which stars from Minamarg below Zojila, takes 3 days and involves crossing of 5200 mts high pass. Drass also offers numerous shorter treks and hikes to the upland villages.

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kokernag

Kokernag or kukernag, originally called as Bindoo Zalangam, owes its present name to the fresh water spring which gushes out of the base of a thickly forested hill from where it divides into various channels resembling the claws of a hen. Koker: fowl; Nag: spring and hence the name Kokernag.

As per a famous legend, a saint Gushwami visited Kokernag along with his bucket. While he was in meditation, a few ladies came in search of water but couldn’t find it till they spotted the saint in deep sleep and his bucket. Assuming that the bucket has water they came close to the saint and opened his bucket only to find snakes inside it. The snakes escaped as soon as the lid was opened and crept on the ground changing its shape to that of a chicken. It dug the soil of the land by its paws and water gushed out from these places wherever it dug. The saint opened his eyes and the water remained in the form of claws and hence the name Kokernag. I wonder what would have happened if the saint would not have opened his eyes!

Situated at a height of 2000 mts from sea level in the Bringhi valley, Kokernag boasts of its collection of springs, sprawling gardens fragrant with the blooms of a large number and variety of flora, largest fresh water spring, trout streams and a large trout farm.

The most interesting and beautiful site of Kokernag is the Kokernag spring, Papshudan nag, a fresh water spring with cool and sparkling clean water which bubbles at seven places at the foot of the forest hills. This spring is the largest fresh water spring in Kashmir and is also considered magical and curative. Its water is supposed to possess medicinal and digestive properties (even though I couldn’t drink it as the water was freezing cold!)

The botanical garden, Kokernag is a delightful and enchanting blend of natural and typical Kashmir architectural layout. The Japanese bridges built over the rushing, sparkling streams, lush greenery and miniature man-made islands in the gardens at the foothills of the mountains covered in coniferous trees made the whole experience a beautiful and captivating one. The gardens have a rose shrubbery, which during the flowering season fill the vicinity with their fragrance and brilliant hues against a background of green and blue.

My visit to the Kokernag garden in the month of January had me standing still in an envelope of white. The shimmering silver of white on the plants and trees, sunlight streaming through the snow covered forest and the magical sound of water flowing in the springs was an outward experience.

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Verinag

Verinag is situated at a distance of approximately 80 km from Srinagar. Reached through the link road, it is located at a height of 1,876 m. It is believed that the Verinag spring in Kashmir is the chief source of the river Jhelum. There is an octagonal base at the spring, surrounded by a covered passage. The Mughal Emperor Jehangir started the construction work on both the base as well as the arcade. It was during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan that the work got completed. There are remains of Mughal pavilion and baths in Verinag , down the stream to the east. 
The Verinag Spring, named after Nila Nag, the son of the famous Hindu sage Kashyap Rishi, to whom, goes the credit of establishing the territory of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the principle tourist attractions of a tour to Verinag . the spring, which was originally shaped in a circular form was given a change of shape during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1620, when he gave orders to renovate the spring in the Mughal traditional shape of an octagon. Today, picturesque in its settings and surrounded by tall Pine trees, the Verinag Spring is characterized by waters which are calm and sparklingly clear. Besides a glimpse of the Verinag Spring, a tour to Verinag is made even more special by the sight of several varieties of colorful flowers, gently swaying to the rhythm of the cool, mountain air. Mughal Emperor Jahangir built an octagonal stone basin at the spring in 1612, later his son Shah Jahan laid out a beautiful garden and a pleasure house around it. The carvers for the construction of the spring were brought from Iran. The circumference of the spring is 80 m and is over 15 m deep. Verinag is reputed never to dry up or overflow. Verinag Spring can be approached through the link road, which turns off, from the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Lower Munda.

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YUSMARG

Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a hill station in the western part of Kashmir Valley in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated 47 km south of Srinagar the capital of the state.

Yusmarg in Kashmiri means The Meadow of Jesus. It is believed by the natives that Jesus came to Kashmir and stayed at Yusmarg for some time. It is an alpine valley covered with snow clad mountains and the meadows of Pine and Fir, It lies 13 km south of Charari Sharief a town of Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated at the bank of Doodganga River which is a tributory of Jehlum River. It is a popular tourist destination, nestled within the imposing Pir Panjal peaks, a sub range of Himalaya. The Peaks are: the Sunset Peak and the Tatakooti Peak for which the expeditions lead from this hill station. It lies at an altitude of 2396 metres above sea level.

Yusmarg has a great scope for adventure tourism. Doodganga a river flows through this meadow. In its vicinity lies the alpine meadow of Tosa Maidan. A trek of 4 km leads to a small Lake named as Nilnag surrounded by pine trees. Another 10 km trek leads to the most interesting lake the frozen lake in Sang-e-Safed valley, most portion of this lake is covered by ice even during the summer. A number of tourist huts, restaurants and hotels are available for lodging. The other activities include horse riding, fishing, skiing during winter and photography.

A major trekking route from Yousmarg eads to a famous spot called Tosa Maidan, a large meadow used for cattle grasing by nomads. This area is connected through rough routes to places like Gulmarg and Poonch. The region is full of springs , the one at Khag is most famous for the curative properties.

The natural slopes of Yousmarg offer skiing opportunities to experts. School camps and adventure lovers make a week to fortnights stay at Yousmarg for the thrilling trekking routes around.Day treks are mostly commenced by the visitors. Stay in personal tents is recommended for the visitors intending to stay for longer duration. The expeditions to the various peaks in the range can be organized through the reputed Travel Agents in Srinagar.

Horse riding in the valley can be great fun, the ponywallas in Yousmarg have quite reasonable charges for a ride compared to other destinations. A visit in summer to a place like Yousmarg will positively be cherished by every one in a group. Yousmarg is suitable for young couples, as it is quietest place out of all tourist destinations.

Last few years of large tourist inflow into Kashmir valley has seen the diversification of tourism to this wonderful destination. Most of the travel agents include Yousmarg as one day trip in their packages

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Beauties Of Kashmir

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