Malenadu: JAMMU & KASHMIR- GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

HISTORY OF KASHMIR: According to a legend, the great sage Kashyap drained a lake and the Brahmins then inhabited it.

The place came to be known as Kashmir.

A land of turbulent past and present, the missionaries of Emperor Ashoka introduced the Buddhism in the region.

The religion flourished under the rule of Kushan in 2nd Century.

However, Hinduism continued to be the dominant religion of the region for many centuries. In the 7th Century, Durlabhavarrdhana founded the Karkota dynasty, which was replaced by Utpalas in 855 AD, which were succeeded by the Tantrins, Yaskaras, Guptas abd Loharas ruled respectively. The first Muslim who reigned Kashmir was Shams-ud-Din who replaced the last Hindu king, Udiana Deva in 1346.

Moghul emperor Akbar conquered it in 1586 and thus Kashmir became a part of his vast empire.

1757 saw the victory of Ahmed Shah Durrani and Kashmir went out to Pakistan until 1819, when Ranjit Singh won it again to annex it to his Sikh empire. In 1846, the British defeated the Sikhs and sold it to Ghulab Singh of Jammu for Rs 7.5 million under the Treaty of Amritsar and gave him the status of an independent princely ruler of Kashmir.

He conquered Ladakh and added it to his dominion. Maharaja Ghulab Singh died in 1857 and was succeeded by Maharaja Rambir Singh. Maharaja Partab Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh ruled over Kashmir in succession.

The India-Pakistan partition took place during the reign of Hari Singh in 1947 and the rulers of princely states were given the choice to freely accede to either India or Pakistan or to remain independent.

However, since the Maharaja of Kashmir was a Hindu, he chose to join India despite the majority of the Muslim population in his dominion.

However, since then there have been controversies over the decision and Pakistan claims that the decision was partial and the region should be a part of its dominion.

Dal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir tourism industry. A Himalayan urban lake, it has five basins and a number of channels that are well linked with each other. There are plenty of fishes in Dal Lake and fishery is the second largest industry of the region centered on the lake.

The sparkling quiet waters of Dal surrounded by snow-capped mountains on its three sides, undoubtedly mark it as one of the most beautiful lakes of India. It is also the second largest lake in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with numerous gardens and orchards all along its shores.

Houseboats form an indelible part of the scenery of the Dal Lake that are always ready to take tourists to a romantic and peaceful ride of the lake and soothe their nerves as the houseboat floats over the slightly rippling waters. They also offer some of the most exotic views of the splendid scenery of the Dal Lake.

There are Shikaras that look like small ornate versions of the gondolas of Venice that offers ferry rides to and from the banks of the lake to the houseboats.

The shores of the Lake houses the distinct Moghul monuments and the campus of the University of Kashmir while the two hillocks overlooking the lake house Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples.

The glorious Mughal gardens on its shores contribute to the beauty of the Dal Lake.

Out of about five hundred gardens laid down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive. There have been controversies about the origin of the Dal Lake.

While some geologists believe that the origins of Dal Lake lie in the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake that once covered the entire valley of Kashmir, others just believe it to be a flood plain lake. The floating gardens of Dal Lake are considered a beauty in themselves. One can find a number of restaurants and hotels at the lakefront that have sprung up, encouraged by the large influx of tourists here.

Jammu Kashmir » Jammu » Jammu City
Jammu City
A view of Jammu City, JammuKashmir
The city of Jammu, besides being the winter capital of the state, is also known as the city of temples. It is believed that Raja Jamboo Lochan originally founded the city in the 14th century.

According to the popular legend, while the Raja was hunting one day, he happened to witness a tiger and a goat drinking water side by side from one and the same pond. He was so struck by this extraordinary phenomenon that he decided to build a city at this site so that the strong and weak could live together in peace and mutual tolerance. Eventually, he founded the city, which came to be known as "Jamboo" after his own name. The name later distorted to that of Jammu as it is called now.

In 1730, the city came under the rule of the Dogra king, Raja Dhruv Deva and under the patronage of Dogra rulers; Jammu became an important centre of art and culture, especially the Pahari School of paintings.

Today, the beautiful city of Jammu boasts of innumerable temples and shrines, refreshing environs, pleasant climate, breathtaking views and harmonious existence of Hindus and Muslims.
Flying into Leh, the cold desert land, over the magnificent Himalayas is a beautiful and scary experience at once. Leh Palace illuminated by huge halogen lamps looks like a bewitching castle on a hilltop set ablaze in the dark nights of the Leh.

Drive in the city is as exciting as the wonders it has in its lap with the long isolated winding road that opens up into a sheer expanse of arid flatness in burnt sienna.

There is blinding sun at the top and perhaps at the first impression, a visitor is not likely to appreciate the blessings of the land fully.

Bon and Buddhism rule the lifestyle and culture of the people here. The Chortens (Stupas) and enchanting Gompas (Monasteries) adorn the city with their presence. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and there is an ominous beauty in the stark surroundings of Ladakh.