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Kashmir The Paradise on Earth
The decade old political and civil turmoil in the region has
not taken anything away from the beauty of Kashmir. With
peace returning to the Kashmir Valley, it has now become a
tourist hot spot owing to its amazing cultural diversity,
the sheer beauty of the mighty Himalayas, and the green
valleys whose beauty has attracted a horde of migrants from
West Asia and Central Asia down the ages.
Climate
The state of
Jammu and Kashmir has three climate
zones: the Arctic zone of Ladakh, the temperate climate of
the Kashmir Valley and the sub tropical region of Jammu.
Altitude ranges from 1000 to 28,250 feet, causing sharp
climatic differences in the state. The fierce beauty of the
Ladakh Valley is a draw for tourists, despite the
inhospitable terrain and cold desert like conditions. The
Kashmir Valley, with its clear lakes, pine forests and heavy
snowfall in winters, counts many tourist footfalls in
summers.
History
The state of
Jammu and Kashmir became part of independent
India on August 15, 1947, when the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari
Singh, decide to accede to India. The newly formed nation of
Pakistan, however, sent in its army to capture the state.
The Pakistani army illegally occupied almost 1/3 rd of the
state. When the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, took the matter to the United Nations, it
issued an order for plebiscite in the region, provided
Pakistan withdrew it army from the region. Since Pakistan
did not withdraw the army, the plebiscite was never held,
leading to strife and wars between the two neighboring
countries over the decades. However, with peace and normalcy
returning to the Valley, the state has been opened up for
tourism.
Geography
Kashmir is the northern most state of India. It lies between
32.17 degree and 36.58 degree North latitudes. Of the total
22,22,000 square kilometer area of the state, 78,000 square
kilometers is illegally occupied by Pakistan and 42,000
square kilometers by China. The state consists of the dry
mountain belts of mountain plains, the high Pir Panjal
range, the lower Shivalik range and the Indus river valley. |
