( Click Here to
see Wallpapers of Amarnath Yatra)
Tourism in Kashmir:
Tourism forms an integral part of the Kashmiri economy. Often dubbed "Paradise
on Earth," Kashmir's mountainous landscape has attracted tourists for
centuries.
There are many mosques serving the largely Muslim population, such as the
Hazratbal Mosque, situated on the banks of the Dal Lake. The sacred
hair of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUHP) is said to have been brought to
this part of the world by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and this relic lies
in the Hazratbal shrine. The shrine was built in white marble in
contemporary times and bears a close resemblance to the holy shrine of
Medina in Saudi Arabia where the prophet rests.
The Vaishno Devi cave
shrine is nestled in the Trikuta mountain at a height of 5,200 feet above
the sea level in Indian Kashmir. Vaishno Devi is the most important holy
shrine of Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. In 2004, more than 6 million
Hindu piligrims visited Vaishno Devi, making it one of the most visited
religious sites in the world.
Nature has lavishly endowed Kashmir with
certain distinctive favours which hardly find a parallel in any alpine
land of the world. A spell on a houseboat on Dal Lake has always been one
of the real treats, and Kashmir also offers some delightful trekking
opportunities and unsurpassed scenery.
Srinagar City is centred around Dal Lake and this huge lake attracts
millions of tourists, both domestic and foreign. A drive along the
Boulevard (the road along the banks of the lake) has been a favourite with
locals and tourists alike mainly because of the scenic beauty of the
boulevard and the shikaras. Srinagar City also has a lot of gardens along
the banks of Dal Lake. Nishat, Cheshma-i-Shahi, Shalimar and Harven
gardens all were built by the Moghuls and are absolutely breathtaking in
view all through the year. These gardens have the famed Chinar trees.
These majestic trees resemble Maples but are much bigger and more
graceful.
Long ago, Dal Lake was renowned for its vastness, which stretched for more
than 50 square miles. Unfortunately, today, due partly to unabated tourist
influx that largely has been unorganized for some years now, this lake has
shrunk to less than 10 square kilometres largely due to the abundance of
residential and tourist sectors along its banks. Government mismanagement
and apathy have also been contributing factors to the shrinking of the
lake.
Pahalgam is at the junction of the streams flowing from Sheshnag Lake and
the Lidder River. Pahalgam (2,130 meters) once was a humble shepherd's
village with astounding views. Today, Pahalgam is Kashmir's prime tourist
resort. It is cool even during the height of summer when the maximum
temperature does not exceed 25 degrees C.
KashmirOnline.NET is hosted at
Salsoftin Networks Quality Internet Data Centre
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
