Jammu
and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir came into
being as a single political
and geographical entity following
the Treaty 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 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.
Dance and Music of Jammu
kashmir
This dance is almost steeped
in antiquity. Rouf is always
performed in the accompaniment
of pleasant pathetic song. It
is performed on all festive
occasions and particularly on
the evenings of Ramzan and IDD
days. Group of women face each
other and perform simple footwork
which has a sensuous charm about
it. Hafiz Nagma is based on
the classical music of Kashmir-
the Sofiyiana Kalam. The Sufiyana
Kalam has its own ragas known
as Muquam. The prominent instrument
used in Hafiz Nagma is called
Santoor-a hundred stringed instrument
played with sticks. The danseuse
in this tradition is known as
'Hafiza'.
Wildlife in Jammu
Kashmir
Located very close to Srinagar
(22km), Dachigam National park
with its splendid forests and
magnificent scenery is easily
accessible. The two sectors
of the park -Upper and Lower
Dachigam are spread over an
area of 141 sq. km. And altitudes
vary between 1700 and 4300 meters.
Two steep ridges enclose the
Park with its great topographical
variety - deep ravines, rocky
outcrops, steep wooded slopes
and rolling alpine pastures.
Tumbling down from the Masrar
Lake (4300m), up in the high
ranges, the Dachigam River winds
through Lower Dachigam.
Handicrafts of Jammu
Kashmir
A Carpet is a life long investment-it
may well be the single most
expensive purchase during your
trip to Kashmir. Kashmiri carpets
are world renowned for two things-
they are hand made and they
are always knotted, never tufted.
It is extremely instructive
to watch a carpet being made-
your dealer can probably arrange
it for you. Stretched tightly
on a frame is the warp of Carpet.
Shopping in Jammu
Kashmir
There are pure wool shawls called
raffal which have different
counts of wool - 40, 60, 80
etc., and the shawl is progressively
more expensive as the count
increases. Shawls mixed with
other fibers like cotton and
cotton derivatives are far cheaper.
On the other and, woolen shawls
mixed with pashmina will be
far more expensive. Then too,
there are shawls that look and
feel like pashmina and which
are priced between wool and
pashmina.
Festivals in Jammu
Kashmir
This festival is also known
as Makar Sankranti. It heralds
the onset of spring. The whole
of Jammu region wears a festive
look on this day. Thousands
take a dip in the holy rivers.
'Havan Yagnas' light up nearly
every house and temple in Jammu.
In the rural areas, custom requires
boys to go around asking for
gifts from newly-weds and new
parents. A special dance called
the 'Chajja' dance is held on
the occasion of Lohri. It makes
a striking picture to see boys
along with their 'Chajjas' elaborately
decorated with coloured paper
and flowers move on the street
in a dancing procession. The
whole atmosphere comes alive
with the pulsating drum beats.
Adventure Tourism in Jammu
Kashmir
The ideal trekking months stretch
from April to November;no special
permits are required,though
registration with the nearest
tourist office is necessary.The
state affords some spectacular
contrasts in nature with its
alpine pastures,barren wastelands
and rugged mountains.Srinagar
is a good take off point for
trekking in the Kashmir valley
or in Zanskar(by road to kargil).In
the Ladakh region,Leh is the
best point for base camp.Mules
and porters charging approximately
$ 4 per day can be engaged from
the area's nearest tourist office.Guides
are also available and there
are several specialised agencies
in Srinagar and Leh dealing
in trekking tours.
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