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AsiaIS >India > Jammu & Kashmir >Introduction
| JAMMU
& KASHMIR |
| The place is
more beautiful than heaven and is the benefactor of supreme bliss and happiness. It seems
to me that I am taking a bath in the lake of nectar here. Kailash (the mythical mountain
abode of Lord Shiva) is the best place in the three worlds (Trilok), Himalayas the best
place in Kailash, and Kashmir the best place in Himalayas" - Kalidasa. |
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Famed for its majestic
beauty, the land of Jammu & Kashmir has been eulogised by poets, saints and
travellers. The great Mughals, including a homesick Babur fell in love with its beautiful
valleys and the Emperor Jahangir was so overwhelmed by the beauty of its lakes and rivers
that he transformed the state into a garden paradise. |
| With
immaculately maintained gardens, rows of golden chinar trees, sparkling rivers, alpine
pastures and the backdrop of snow peaks, Kashmir became the most sought-after destination.
Jammu & Kashmir is the jewel in the crown of the Indian Republic. Lying deep in the
folds and foothills of the sentinel range of the Himalayas, one of the most beautiful of
Indian states has become its most fiercely embattled region. A bone of contention between
India and Pakistan, after partition in 1947, the Kashmir valley with a Muslim majority has
been fought over for the past five decades. In this bitter struggle for supremacy, the
land has been fractured, thousands of lives lost and the economy in shambles. |
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The largest of
India’s mountain states, it is divided into three regions, the subtropical foothills
of Jammu, the luxuriant Kashmir valley between Pir Panjal and Higher Himalayas and the
cold desert of Ladakh. Ladakh, with its severe landscape, high mountain passes, deep
gorges, remained isolated from the rest of the country. A remote land with hardy people
struggling against great physical and climatic odds, Ladakh had close ethnic and economic
links with Tibet. Only in recent times has the region opened up to the outside world,
revealing its ancient monasteries, rich cultural heritage and imposing landscape. |
| Travel Advisory! All foreign visitors to Jammu & Kashmir are
strongly advised to check with their embassies for travel advisories or with the
Government of India’s External Affairs offices. While the regions of Jammu and Ladakh
are safe for travel, the Kashmir Valley is the worst affected by the current political
unrest and militant activity. Militant groups often target foreigners and non Kashmiri
Indians making it unsafe for most travellers. See India |
F A C
T B O X |
| Area |
2,22, 236 sq km |
| Population |
10,069,917 (2001) |
| Capital City |
Srinagar (Summer-May to October); Jammu (Winter- November to April) |
| Religion |
Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist |
| Language |
Dogri, Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi |
| Literacy |
26.67% |
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