Jammu and Kashmir so close together and yet a world apart from each other.

On the edge of the plains swelters Jammu, past unending mountains at what could be mistaken for the end of the world; Head inland through Jammu, into the untamable mountains, with its insanely high peaks and its yetis and you will come to somewhere that is carved out of a different stone, visually different, culturally different- Kashmir Valley.

Geographic regions in Jammu and Kashmir

The state of Jammu and Kashmir has three main geographic regions The Lesser Himalayas known as Jhelum Valley in Kashmir, The Inner Himalayas or known as The Indus Valley Ladakh & Frontier areas and are also called “Trans-Himalayas”, and lastly The Outer-Himalayas or the Southern mountain range in Jammu.

Initially, the valley of Kashmir used to be a vast Lake, of which in present day Kashmir is on the bed, mythologically the lake was called Satt e Sar, which in course of time got drained by deepening of the Baramulla - Khadiniyar gorge, In the mythological story that goes with the draining of the lake however is much more interesting, where Lord Vishnu and his friends drain the valley to kill a watery lake demon. The valley is distinctively set with breath-taking lakes, fresh water streams, delicious fruits, magical forests, mountains and meadows which lead the area to be known as a paradise on Earth. And who could blame anyone for thinking so when Gulmarg or the Meadow of Flowers is a breathtaking sight where flora displays different colours with the changing seasons.

Situated at the western edge of the Tibetan plateau, Ladakh is bound by the mighty Karokaram mountain range in the north and the Great Himalayas in the South. The Landscape of Ladakh has been modified and eroded by the wind over the centuries and sculpted into spectacular shapes. Ladakh is crossed through by mountain chains, the Ladakh range and Zanaskar range. All of this has lent to the apt term “the broken moon-land”.

At the bottom of the snow-capped Pir Panjal range is Jammu, it is dotted with several temples many of which are over 100 years old. Jammu’s numerous shrines attract tens of thousands every year.  Jammu is the winter capital of this area due to much of the rest of the state being heavily inaccessible in the winter months.

Political situation in Jammu and Kashmir                

Jammu is focused heavily in Hindu faith while Kashmir is mostly Islamic.  They had lived a somewhat peaceful and tranquil existence, with the Kashmir being fiercely independent but unfortunately Kashmir has be severely scared and beaten since India became independent.  There have been three wars with Pakistan, of which the greater area of Kashmir has been divided, so the tourism industry suffered here, but fortunately, took a turn for the better from July 2008. Tempers had cooled by September 2008, but it is always best to re-check the political status and situation here periodically before travelling to this otherwise stunning region of India.