Thrill and Fun of Adventure Sports of Jammu Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir is a spectacular state where you can enjoy both beauty and adventure. The snow fall is a magical treat for tourists, visiting the state from far and wide. Some of the popular adventure activities like trekking, skiing, golfing, fishing and waters sports.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is the heart of various exciting adventure sports. Besides local sightseeing, tourists can also indulge in a plethora of adventure sports. It houses in store mountaineering, trekking and skiing. The gushing rivers and lovely streams in the Himalayan areas are ideal for river rafting, which add popularity to Kashmir tourism.

Some of the most enjoyed adventure sports in Jammu & Kashmir are:

Skiing
This adventure is among the most popular attractions for adventure-enthusiasts. Done on open slopes, skiing is an exciting adventure. Gulmarg in the Himalayas is the best ski resort. With good snow conditions, Gulmarg is the perfect place for all the ski lovers.

Golf
Adventure tour in Jammu and Kashmir takes you to a world of entertainment. The state brings you the unique opportunity to play golf all through the summer from the months of April to November. Gulmarg and Srinagar are the two destinations in Kashmir that offer green golf courses. The golf set, balls and various other golfing equipment are available on rent.

River Rafting

With its perfect fusion of mountains, lakes and rivers, the place beckons tourists to enjoy the thrill of river rafting. These waterways add charm to the beauty of the land and are of main sources to attract travellers with its verdant valleys. If you wish to travel faster, then hiring a motor boat will be good option. Indus and Lidder rivers are suitable to enjoy white water rafting on your Kashmir tour.

Trekking
Kashmir is a heaven for trekkers. The terrain from the Shivalik hills of Jammu to the rocky mountains of Ladakh is a delight for adventure enthusiasts. This is the place where you can come across a lot of diversity. Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar are the main trekking points. Lamayuru, Zanskar and Darcha are the important points for trekking.

Water Skiing
In Kashmir, water sports are fun-filled. The Nagin and Dal lakes in Srinagar are the perfect places to enjoy water-skiing. The Dal has the largest expanse, which has privately owned 'bathing boats'. Tourists can hire these for motor lunches and water-skies.

Mountaineering
Foreign climbers throng to the place in the Nun-Kun Massif in the great Himalayan range. Travellers can reach to the place from the Kargil-Pudum road. The shortest possible way to the base camp makes this mountain range most appealing climbing site in the Great Himalayas.

Angling
Kashmir has been aptly referred to as the angler's paradise. With a chain of glaciated streams, lakes and rivers, the place offers good opportunity of angling. Tourists can embark on adventure and sports tour to have fun in angling.

Visit the Abode of Natural Treasures on Sonmarg Tour

Sonmarg Tourism

Sonmarg is a popular hill station of Jammu & Kashmir. This hill town gets completely covered by the flowers, which make it look more appealing. Sonmarg is also famous for its lovely side walks. Other nearby places to see include Nilagard, Baltal and Gadsar Lake.

The beautiful city of Sonmarg positions itself at a high altitude of 2, 470 m above sea level, which adds charm to Kashmir tourism. It literally means the “Meadow of Gold”. Enveloped by the spectacular glaciers and serene lakes, the town is a gorgeous flower-laden meadow in the magnificent Himalayan mountain regions. Lying in the Kashmir valley, Sonmarg is an ideal gateway to Ladakh.

Abounding in natural gifts, Sonmarg tourism is very popular among tourists. From the place, tourists can also have a look of the snow-covered mountains of Ladakh. Surrounded with alpine trees from all corners, Sonmarg hill station has few gorgeous flower collections in Jammu & Kashmir. In winters, the town is enveloped with snow that offers it a charming sight.

Few popular attractions of Sonmarg include:

Nilagrad

Nilagrad is the place where assemblage of a mountain river as well as Indus river can be seen on your Sonmarg tour. The wonderful thing about the site is that water in the river is of red colour. Locals believe that the water has amazing curative powers, which can treat any skin disease. Huge number of people take bath in the river.

Krishnasar Lake

Lying on a height of 3801 m above sea level, Krishnasar Lake is among the most fascinating lakes in the series of many Himalayan lakes. Travellers from all over the country visit the place to take delight in its unspoiled beauty. You can see travellers busy in trout fishing, which makes it a popular excursion site on Sonmarg travel.

Baltal

Baltal is striking grassland that is located right at the foot of Zoji la pass, near Ladakh territory. It is more famous for its adjacency to Amarnath cave. The site turns into a popular camping site during the Amarnath yatra when many pilgrims set up their camps at the site.

Adventure in Sonmarg

Besides beautiful places to see in Sonmarg, travellers can also take delight in exciting adventure sports. The town has become popular for various excursion opportunities. Short walks and trek routes to adjoining areas add charm to the Sonmarg tour. It boasts of its hiking as well as trekking trails. The snow-covered peaks in the Himalayas and the hilly mountainous regions invite trekkers from far and wide. Another fascinating thing about Sonmarg is that it serves as the base camp for various trekking expeditions. The prime treks passing through different mountain lakes like Gadsar, Vishansar, Gangabal, Satsar, and Kishnasar has also its base at Sonmarg.

Sonmarg Tour takes you to a scenic world where all you can do is the natural beauty and exciting adventure. Adding new heights to Kashmir tourism, Sonmarg is a must visit hill town in India.

Article Source : http://www.squidoo.com/sonmarg-tour

A Divine Transformation at Temples of Jammu Kashmir

Endued with myriad tourist attractions, the state of Jammu and Kashmir boasts of its pilgrimage tour. It has innumerable religious spots and sacred sites that make it a popular destination for devotees as well as tourists. Some major temples in Jammu & Kashmir include Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Temple, Shankaracharya Temple and Sudh Mahadev Temple.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is home to many temples, which are internationally renowned. Various temples and shrines with 'Shikhars', touching the sky create an ambience of a tranquil destination.

Major temples of Jammu Kashmir include:

Vaishno Devi

Snuggled in the ranges of the majestic Trikuta mountain, the cave shrine is known for fulfilling the wishes of people. Since time immemorial, millions of devotees have been visiting the destination. It is a holy cave shrine that lies at an elevation of over 5000 feet. The cave houses ancient images of the three deities, the Mahakali, Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi. People from different faith, creed and religions visit the shrine year after year to pay their obeisance.

Amarnath Temple

This famous cave temple in Jammu & Kashmir is home to one of the holy trinity, Lord Shiva. It lies at an elevation of 12,760 feet above sea level. The holy cave of Amarnath belongs to some interesting legends, which tell that Lord Shiva shared the secret of creation and eternity to His consort Goddess Parvati at this place. A dove couple secretly heard their conversation and they learned the secret as well. They reborn and made the cave their eternal abode.

Raghunath Temple

Lies in the centre of Jammu, the majestic Raghunath temple is a famous attraction of the destination. It is enveloped with other temples, which are dedicated to the various gods of the Hindu mythology. Constructed in the 19th century by the Dogra rulers, the temple boasts of its magnificent architecture. Its gold leaf interiors makes it an important part of Jammu Kashmir temples tour.

Shankaracharya Temple

Tourists can take a stroll to Shankaracharya Temple, which adds popularity to Kashmir tourism. It is among the most revered destinations of Hindu pilgrimage. Lies atop the hills, the temple positions itself at an elevation of 1100 feet above the Srinagar city. Devoted to Lord Shiva, the temple was known as Gopadri.

Sudh Mahadev Temple

A famous temple of Jammu Kashmir Temple Tour, Sudh Mahadev shelters a natural black marble Lingam. Lies at an elevation of 1225 m, this sacred shrine has a spring, called Pap Nashni Bowli. People believe that taking bath in the spring exempts you from all sins. After taking bath, devotees proceed to the sacred temple of Lord Shiva.

Ranbireshwar Temple

Built by Raja Ranbir Sings, it is another well-known temple in Jammu, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple houses the 12 Shiva lingams of crystal and galleries with various saligrams, installed on stone slabs. It offers a spectacular view of the deserted forested hills.

Wildlife of Kashmir to Heighten the Joy of Holiday

The highest and the largest range of mountains in the world, the Himalayan range is among the most gorgeous natural wonders on earth. It has gifted Jammu and Kasmir with a diverse topography. The state houses many popular wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the major ones include Dachigam National Park, Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve and Hemis High Altitude Wildlife Sanctuary.

Blessed with varying geography, Kashmir preserves various types of plant and animal life. The inaccessible peaks of the Himalayas serve as perfect breeding grounds for the Chiru, the rare deer and others, which add popularity to Kashmir tourism. The snow leopard takes shelter in the snows covered mountain crevices. The plains of Jammu are an abode of birds like yellow grosbeak, pheasants and others.

Various wildlife parks protect the different species of flora and fauna. Let us have a look.

Dachigam National Park

It lies 32 km from the capital city. Sprawling over an area of 140 sq km, the park is among the few remaining habitats of rare species, including hangul, leopards and musk deer. The Park is well-known for harbouring the most exotic variety of wildlife in Kashmir. With its dense forests of pine on the various mountain slopes and shrubs, Dachigam stream is a spectacular sight. The park is also an abode of the endangered hangul or the Kashmir stag, which is the only species of red deer to be spotted in India.

Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve

This forest reserve is known for protecting the most endangered wildlife of Kashmir. The reserve covers an area of 180 sq km, and lies at an elevation of 2,400 - 4,300 m above sea level. This encompass musk deer, hangul, snow leopard, brown bear and fox. It has a rich bird population, including snow cock, blue rock pigeon, Jungle Crow and Kashmir Roller. In winters, tourists can spot high-altitude bird species who move to the lower valleys.

Hemis High Altitude Wildlife Sanctuary

Jammu & Kashmir wildlife tour takes you to the sanctuary that boasts of being the largest park in South Asia. Lies at 12000 feet from sea level, it sprawls over an area of about 3,350 sq. km. It is a famous sanctuary of Ladakh. Hemis sanctuary is known for providing shelter to snow leopards, bharal, goats, wild sheeps and shapu. September to March is the best time to see the wildlife of the park. Trekking routes remain open from mid June to mid October. On their Kashmir wildlife tour, visitors can also enjoy a jeep or elephant safari to spot the various endangered species of wildlife.

Overa Wildlife Sanctuary

This wildlife destination in Kashmir positions itself at 87 km away from Srinagar. It houses a rich variety of flora and fauna. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot animals like snow leopards, musk deer, hangul and langurs in the park. The birds of the sanctuary include Himalayan Thrush, griffon vulture, mynah and others. Visitors can also come across a variety of plants including mushrooms, pines and other grasses.