Overview:

Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.

Provisions for the formation of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were contained within the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which was passed by both houses of the Parliament of India in August 2019. The act re-constituted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, one being Jammu and Kashmir and the other being Ladakh, with effect from 31 October 2019.

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Know more about Jammu & Kashmir

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In contrast to other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution, flag, and administrative autonomy. Indian citizens from other states were not allowed to purchase land or property in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir had three distinct areas: Hindu-majority Jammu region, Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh. Unrest and violence persisted in the Kashmiri Valley and, following a disputed state election in 1987, an insurgency persisted in protest over autonomy and rights.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the 2014 Indian general election and five years later included in their 2019 election manifesto the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, in order to bring Jammu and Kashmir to equal status with other states.

A resolution to repeal Article 370 was passed by both the houses of the Parliament of India in August 2019. At the same time, a reorganisation act was also passed, which would reconstitute the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The reorganisation took effect from 31 October 2019.

In September 2019, nearly 4,000 people, including two former Chief Ministers and hundreds of other politicians, were arrested by the Indian authorities in Kashmir; the state was put under a lockdown and communication and internet services were suspended.

Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Tawi Valley, Chenab Valley, Poonch Valley, Sind Valley, and Lidder Valley. The Kashmir valley is 100 km (62 mi) wide and 15,520.3 km2 (5,992.4 sq mi) in area. The Himalayas divide the Kashmir valley from the Tibetan plateau while the Pir Panjal range, which encloses the valley from the west and the south, separates it from the Punjab Plain of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Along the northeastern flank of the Valley runs the main range of the Himalayas. This valley has an average height of 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) above sea-level, but the surrounding Pir Panjal range has an average elevation of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The Jhelum River is the major Himalayan river which flows through the Kashmir valley. The southern Jammu region is mostly mountainous, with the Shivaliks, the middle and the great Himalayas running parallel to each other in a southeast–northwest direction. A narrow southwestern strip constitutes fertile plains. The Chenab, Tawi and Ravi are important rivers flowing through the Jammu region.

Popular Places to Visit in Jammu & Kashmir.

Climate of Jammu & Kashmir:

The climate of Jammu and Kashmir varies with altitude and across regions. Southern and southwestern areas have a sub tropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. This region receives most of its rainfall during the monsoon season. In the east and north, summers are usually pleasant. The effect of the monsoon diminishes in areas lying to the leeward side of the Pir Panjal, such as the Kashmir valley, and much of the rainfall happens in the spring season due to western disturbances. Winters are cold, with temperatures reaching sub-zero levels. Snowfall is common in the valley and the mountain areas.

Jammu and Kashmir has many lakes, rivers, and glaciers. Significant rivers that flow through Jammu & Kashmir from the Himalayas are Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi. These river basins are located at a higher elevation facilitating huge hydro power potential. Major lakes include Manasbal Lake, Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Nageen Lake. There are around 1230 water bodies in Jammu & Kashmir.

Best time to visit Kashmir is during the months of March to August. Tourists come to Kashmir valley so they too can witness this ‘heaven on earth’ and enjoy all that it offers. During this period two seasons are covered in Kashmir. Spring (March to early May) and Summer (early May to late August). The blossoms of spring and the cool weather of summer creates the perfect season to visit Kashmir during this time. The beauty is enough to transport you to another realm altogether. Kashmir’s beauty is indeed quite bewitching, and you will want to start making plans for the next trip right away.

Kashmir is located in the northernmost part of India and is known for its mountains, hills and rivers and exotic beautiful locales. If you’re wondering how to reach Kashmir, then you will be happy to know that you can reach Kashmir by road, train and air.

By Air: Reaching Kashmir by air is quite popular. The Srinagar airport is an international airport, but it mainly serves domestic flights from a number of cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Bangalore, Mumbai etc. An important thing to remember is that Srinagar Airport has strict security measures. To reach it, you have to travel beyond a 1.2km security barrier. Although the airport is not too far from the city, it’s a good idea to come here before time as there are many long queues for luggage and body screening that must be completed. Airlines such as IndiGo, Spicejet, Go Air and Air India fly to Srinagar regularly.

There are prepaid taxis that take you to the airport from the city. Another possibility to get to the city from the airport would be to take the free shuttle bus to the security gate outside and from there, you can try and get an auto. Curfews are common in Srinagar so reaching the airport on time can be a struggle. Also, even if you do manage to reach early, you might have to wait outside as you can go inside only three hours before the flight departure. During winter months, it’s common for flights to get cancelled routinely.

Kashmir has two other airports as well – Jammu Airport, a domestic airport that serves Jammu and is 8kms away from the city with bus, taxi and car rental options to reach the city and Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, another domestic airport that serves the city of Leh.

By Bus: Kashmir is connected to other cities and states by a network of state and private buses. From cities like Chandigarh and Delhi, there are bus services that take you to Srinagar. Srinagar is connected to Jammu via the National Highway 1-A. State road transport corporation buses from various states have private deluxe buses which travel to Kashmir. In Srinagar, there is a J&K SRTC bus station where you can board your bus. Buses often arrive early in the morning or late at night and if you are planning to arrive by bus, then do remember this before you finalize your travel plans. Sometimes, the buses are not very comfortable, and your journey might feel too cumbersome. Especially if you are coming from Delhi, the bus journey can go up to 24 hours! However, the buses are quite cost-effective which makes them popular. There are government buses as well which take you to Srinagar. Once you reach Srinagar, You can find the best places to visit in Kashmir such as Jammu, Pahalgam, Gulmarg as there are buses from Srinagar that take you there.

By Rail/Train: Travelling to Kashmir by train means you have to take a train to Jammu Tawi Railway Station in Jammu which is the only railway station in Kashmir. Although Srinagar too has a railway station at Nowgam which is around 10kms away from the city, it covers just a few cities such as Baramulla, Anantnag, Qazigund and Banihal. It is not yet linked to the Indian Railway network. To reach Kashmir from other cities, Jammu Tawi is better as it is well-connected to numerous Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Udaipur, and Pune. Numerous trains come here regularly and some of them include Delhi Anand Vihar-Katra Special Express, Lucknow-Katra Special Express, Pune-Jammu Tawi Jhelum Express and several others. After you reach Jammu, you can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach Srinagar if you so wish. However, this is not a good idea as it can take nearly 8 to 10 hours to reach Srinagar from Jammu by road.

By Car/Self Drive: You can take a taxi or a rental car to Kashmir, typically to Srinagar. The roads are well-connected to both Jammu and Srinagar. You can choose from taxis or jeeps to travel to Kashmir. It is often recommended to book a taxi for multiple days as it turns out to be more economical in the long run. Do note that travelling from Srinagar to Jammu takes nearly ten hours. However, old hands at travelling in Kashmir often advise that it’s a good idea to keep a margin of 5 hours at least as there can be traffic on the highways which might affect your travel time. Bad weather can also affect travel time and cause delays and traffic jams.

When you travel in Jammu and Kashmir there are lots of options available to Commute Locally.

By Bus: If you are in Srinagar, then there are buses run by JKSRTC and other private organisations which you can use to get around the city. Buses come at regular intervals and the tickets don’t cost much, so this is a good idea. Jammu too has local buses, but these are crowded and it’s not very clear where they are headed, so you need to ask locals about the buses. These are not very good options for tourists as locals are more used to them.

By Minibuses: Both Srinagar and Jammu have minibuses which can be used to get around the city. In Srinagar, there is a minibus stand in Lal Chowk. From here, you can visit various places such as Hazratbal, Shalimar Bagh, Dal Lake and other such tourist spots. Jammu also has minibuses which cover various places and suburbs. Routes are fixed, so ask before you get on one. Also, minibuses are often crowded and can be bothersome for those who are not used to travelling in such vehicles.

By Taxi/Cabs: In Srinagar, it’s possible to get taxis. They are not very frequent, however. You can also choose to get a rental from a travel agency where they rent out cars. There are several such places from where you can hire cars and explore Srinagar easily. In Jammu, there’s the Special Tourist Taxi Association which offers taxis for hire. It’s also possible to take a 2 -3-hour tour to go around some of the famous tourist places here.

There are autos in Srinagar which can be used for short distances. However, do be warned that they don’t run on meters and rates are not fixed. Sometimes, you can hire autos per hour, and they will take you around the city on short tours. Jammu too has autorickshaws which follow the same principle. No meters but a fixed rate that has to be decided before the passenger gets inside the auto ideally. It’s also a good idea to negotiate the amount before the ride begins.

The sight of the colourful shikharas as they glide over the Dal Lake is something that’s hard to forget. While not really a mode of transport, tourists can hire shikharas for an hour. The boatmen will take you around the lake for just Rs.500. They will also provide you with entertaining titbits about film shoots that have taken place here for no extra charge! The Dal Lake also has several gorgeous houseboats and you’ll also get to see Kashmiri people from close quarters as they row the shikharas, selling you all manner of things, from kahwa to trinkets.