Ladakh is a part of Jammu & Kashmir in the north of India. It consists of two districts Leh and Kargil.

The district headquarters is based in Leh. Leh district consists of Leh town and 112 inhabited villages and one un-inhabited village. The total population of Leh district is 1.17 lacs. It is the second least populated district of Jammu and Kashmir, after Kargil.

There are several ways of reaching Leh but it depends on the route that would be open. Srinagar and Manali are the two major gateways to Leh Ladakh. Ladakh was under the administration of Leh until the 1st of July, 1979, when the Kargil and Ladakh administrative districts were created. Religion had been the cause of a lot of distress between Buddhists and Muslims since the late 20th century and was one of the main contributors of this division. Tibetan and Buddhist cultures have prevailed for centuries now in these two places of India. A lot of Buddhist monasteries are prominent pilgrimage centers in the country. Its colorful gompas have attracted devout Buddhists from all over the world.

Travelers flock to this beautiful destination from all over the globe. It has plenty to experience and explore. The most impressive is the royal palace known as Leh Palace. The palace, which overlooks Leh, has a certain mystery to it. It was constructed by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century. According to history, it was later abandoned as the Kashmiri armies surrounded in the mid 19th century and the royal family that was residing here earlier moved to Stok Palace on the southern bank of the Indus. The palace comprises of nine stories of which the upper floors are meant for the royal families whereas the lower floors function as stables and store rooms. Exploring the palace from the inside will make you reminiscent of the days gone by.

Leh is the second largest district in the country with an area of 45, 100 square kilometers. It is at an altitude of 3524 meters. The district is constrained by Pakistan occupying Kashmir in the west and Ghanche district, China in the north. Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west and Lahul and Spiti of Himachal Pradesh to the south.

Leh-Ladakh is truly a voyage into the most magnificent peak and religious zone of the world. The best time to visit Lakadh is from the months of June to September which are its summer months.

The Golf course has been layed along the boulevard which runs on the banks of the Dal lake.

Ever since the golf course was commissioned in 2001, many international level golf tournaments have been held here. Some professional golfers have considered this golf course to be the best in the country.

On entering the golf course you will see an array of club houses and cottages for accommodation followed by the breathtaking beauty of the green. The course is a professional 18 hall, par 72 track which covers an area of 7090 yards approx.

The ideal time to visit the golf course is in the month of May-September when the climate is just about perfect. The complete golf course can be seen by moving about on the green by means of a golf cart.

It is worth being pampered with by the hospitality and the beauty around. With its three lakes, tea shelters, comfort stations, health club, massage parlor, sauna bath, table tennis, pool tables, grapes orchards and peach farm makes the golf course a small luxurious city in itself.

Journey to gulmarg takes 2.5-3 hours. Getting around Gulmarg is done mostly by foot. There is only one road which loops around the whole whole hill station.

The main attraction here is the Gondola. Finished in 2004, it runs up to 3995 meters. Daily passes are available for the skiers and the nature lovers. The hills visible from the top are said to be a part of LOC and Pakistan administered Kashmir.

Major Tourist Attractions of Gulmarg are Alpather Lake, Baba Reshi Shrine, Gondola Cable Car to Kongdor, Gold Golf , Khilanmarg, St Marys church, horse riding, skiing and sledging.

Temperatures in Gulmarg remain well below zero for major part of the year. It is necessary for the tourists to wear heavy woolen clothing, gloves, boots and overcoats to prevent frostbite.

Gulmarg has long been famous for golfing. The 18-hole Gulmarg Golf Club has been in existence since the British raj. Golf is popular in the summer season. Membership is given on a daily basis on the payment of a daily fee.

Other interesting activities during the summers are horse riding and trekking. Some of the most famous treks are- trek to khilanmarg (4km), and on the same route apherwat trek (7 km). From Aprerwat there is an uphill trek to Alpather lake which is frozen for most part of the year (about 13 km from Gulmarg by foot). Khilanmarg is a small valley about 6 km away from Gulmarg. Its breath taking beauty in summers when the valley is laden with a carpet of flowers cannot be missed.

In winters Gulmarg’s slopes turn into an ideal ski resort. You need not necessarily be a ski lover to come here in winters. Many tourists come just to enjoy the snow and take a ride on the snow sledges.Snow scooters also available. A few slopes even have a ski lift to cater to the needs of the ski lovers. Most of the ski activities are concentrated in these slopes. Services of Instructors can be availed of on payment, from the ski equipment shops run by the State Government’s tourism department. Skiing in Gulmarg is cheaper than any other country.

Ziarat of Baba Reshi : Shrine of saint Baba payam-Din is situated near Alpather Lake, about 13 kilometers from Gulmarg. Baba Reshi is a well-known Muslim saint and was a courtier of the Kashmir King Zain-ul-Abidin. This shrine was built in his memory in the year 1480. The baba is known to have spent his days here, in prayer and meditation after renunciation. The cover of the grave is an exquisite piece of craftsmanship. Thousands of devotees visit the shrine through the year.

Gulmarg is known for its beauty both in the summer season and in the winter season. During the month of May local strawberries are available at reasonable prices anywhere and everywhere in Gulmarg. However it is important to bargain with the traders to get the best possible price.

Ancient history records mention that a village named Isabar to the east of Dal Lake was the home of Goddess Durga. This place was known as Sureshwari on the bank of the lake which was sourced by a spring called Satadhara. Today the lake is an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting and a famous tourist spot.

The shoreline of the lake 15.5 km approx is encompassed by  boulevard lined with hotels, parks, restaurants and shops selling cashmere (pashmina) shawls, capes, beautiful paper mache products, carpets and chain stitch rugs. many of these shops and restraunts are open till mid night during the tourist season.

Scenic view of the lake can be witnessed from the shoreline Mughal Gardens built during the reign of Emperor Jahangir, from the houseboats and from the colourful shikaaras cruising along the lake. A recent addition to the beauty of the boulevard is the ‘Royal Springs’ golf course.

Overnight stay in a houseboat is an experience of a life time. A usual houseboat consists of a front balcony, a drawing room, a dining room and three bed rooms with attached toilets. Some of the houseboats even have a small terrace.

It would be difficult to find even an inch of the wooden walls of the house boats which is not carved, usually hand carved. The houseboats have been made warm and welcoming with colourful carpets, comfy sofas, a king sized dining table and royal bedrooms which coupled with the hospitality of the houseboat staff makes you feel like a king.

Daily needs and small nick nacks can be bought from the floating markets which are the shikaaras selling selling their merchandise from house boat to house boat.

In the center of the lake is an island named ‘chaar chinaar’ which has been named after the four chinar trees on it. This property belongs to the royal family of Jammu and kashmir. Nehru park, which is a floating park on the lake is about 55 yards from the boulevard. It gives a splendid view of the lake, boulevard and the mountains around. There are small shops and stalls iin the park selling hot aswell as cold beverages and light snacks.

During the winter season, soometimes the temperature falls as low as -11 degrees celsius, freezing the lake. Often people can be found ice skating on the lake at that time. Ideal time to visit the lake is during the month of April-September.

Etymologically Srinagar is composed of two Sanskrit words, namely, Sri (meaning abundance and wealth) and Nagar, which means a city. Thus, the word Srinagar signifies a place of wealth and abundance. Sri is also the name of a goddess Lakshmi of Hindus. A legend, as incorporated in Nila’s Nilmatapurana, states that the Kashmir valley was a vast lake. A Hindu sage named Kashyapa drained out the water, and there emerged the beautiful valley of Kashmir.

History

The city was founded by the King Pravarasena II over 2,000 years ago, and the city of Srinagar has a long history, dating back at least to the 3rd century BC. The city was then a part of the Maurya Empire, one of the largest empires of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka introduced Buddhism to the Kashmir valley, and the adjoining regions around the city became a centre of Buddhism. In the 1st century, the region was under the control of Kushans and several rulers of this dynasty strengthened the Buddhist tradition.

Get In

Many people take the train to Jammu followed by a taxi or bus ride to Srinagar. The journey from Jammu to Srinagar in costlier in the summers because capital is being shifted from Jammu to Srinagar on both the state buses and Sumos. State buses are safer but take more time and are a bit uncomfortable.

Foreign travelers on visas are required to register upon arrival at the airport or to their hotel or houseboat.

By air : Flights are operated by Jet Airways, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines, Go Air, Jet Lite and Indian Airlines [1] from Delhi and Mumbai to Srinagar, with or without a stopover at Jammu. The frequency is once or twice a day by each airline. The cost is approx Rs. 2,500 from Jammu, Rs. 2,500-5,000 from Delhi one way and higher from Mumbai, depending on the season. The airport is still quite small but the expanded terminal is expected to open soon. All flights originate in Delhi or Mumbai, pick up passengers and then return. It is also still heavily fortified and expect to see many soldiers with guns. Winter flights can easily be canceled due to weather conditions. Tickets are easy to purchase in town, but the airport requires a ticket for entrance. A taxi into town should be Rs. 350 and direct to Gulmarg is 1,200-1,500.

By taxi : Hiring a TATA Sumo SUV (fits up to 9 people, or 5 comfortably plus luggage) from Jammu costs approximately Rs.1,900-2,700 depending on time of year or even time of day. To reduce costs many people choose not to take an exclusive taxi, and share the Sumo taxi with other travellers. This costs about Rs. 150-400 per person. For a comfortable trip, try for a seat in the middle row – the front bucket seat is (sometimes uncomfortably) shared by 2 people, and the far back could be quite bumpy as the highway is full of mountainous roads. The journey takes around 8 hours.

By bus : J&K SRTC operates fairly comfortable buses from Jammu costing around Rs 150 and do the journey in around 12 hours. 2 day buses run between Srinagar and Leh staying overnight in Kargil.There are also direct buses from Delhi taking almost 24 hours to reach Srinagar.

See

• The Mughal Gardens. With terraced lawns, cascading fountains, paint-box-bright flowerbeds with the panorama of the Dal in front of them – the three Mughal Gardens of Chesmashahi, Nishat and Shalimar are the Mughal Emperors’ concept of paradise and are today very popular places for picnics and excursions. The beauty of these gardens is at their best during spring but the Mughal structure of these gardens lends them a unique sense of beauty even when the flowers are not blossoming.

• Nishat Bagh. Situated on the banks of the Dal Lake, with the Zabarwan Mountains as its backdrop, (11 km. from TRC), this ‘garden of bliss’ commands a magnificent view of the lake and the snow capped Pir Panjal mountain range which stands far away to the west of the valley. Nishat was designed in 1633 AD by Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jehan.

• Shalimar Bagh, the Moghul garden in front of the Dal lake built by Emperor Jahangir.

• Chashmashahi is another beautiful Moghul garden.

• Hazratbal Mosque, the white mosque is breathtakingly beautiful but be careful, as women can enter only the first part of the mosque.

• Ziarati Hazrati Youza Asouph, in the Khanyar area, about 150 meters NW of Dastgir Saheb mosque & shrine. This tomb, also known as Roza Bal, is believed by some to be the tomb of Jesus (part of the larger theory that he survived the crucifixion and made his way to Kashmir where he lived until at least the age of 100). It has been made popular by recent books such as Jesus Lived in India by Holger Kersten among others. It’s down a little side road – ask around, pretty much anyone in the area can point you in the right direction.

• Shankaracharya Mandir, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on a hilltop. It can be reached by a car or taxi. For security reasons, no cameras or cellphones are allowed within the temple and you are supposed to leave them in the vehicle before entering the temple premises. Cigarettes, liquor are to be deposited with the police personnel before the ascent of the hill as these items are against Hindu religion.

Buy

• You can buy nice leather products, or jewellery. Cashmere (Pashmina) shawls have been manufactured in Kashmir for thousands of years. Pashmina Shawls are very popular items for sale in the Valley, but make sure to test the quality before purchasing. The test for a quality pashmina has been warmth, feel and the passing of the shawl through a wedding ring. Secondly, the weave pattern on a good Pashmina is fainter than on a “silk Pashmina” or other wool Pashmina.

• You can also buy embroidered felt mats called Namdahs but the colours of the wool may be a bit too bright in most shops. The Government Emporia supplies might be better than the other private shops.

• There are also chainstitch rugs in two styles – English design or Kilim design – it will be evident what is meant when you see them.

• Carpets.

• Paper Machie products are also quite unique to Kashmir with colourful motifs and design on them.
• Kahwah is a traditional green tea recipe from Kashmir. The tea is made from green tea leaves with saffron strands, cinnamon bark and cardamom pods.Some varieties are made as a herbal infusion only, without the green tea leaves. Generally, it is served with sugar or honey, and crushed nuts, usually almonds or walnuts. There is another form of tea that is quite famous amongst the locals, its called ‘Namkeen Chai’ or ‘Nun Chai’. It is pink in color and is also called Pink Tea. It is made from black tea, cardamom, various spices, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Also people like nune toath and dum toath which are very famous among sufis. Nunetoath is nunechai without milk and Dumtoath is strong form of Kahwa.