Tourist Places in Jammu and Kashmir

       Tourist Places in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu- Winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir. Temple, dogro art gallery of miniature paintings, forts and palaces. Nearby vaishno Devi is a important Hindu shrine. Airport: Jammu.

Srinagar- Summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir. An old city of unique atmosphere, with magnificent chinar trees. This city has the delightful feature if slim long boats called shikaras plying the lakes, earning the sobriquet, Venice of the East,. For the tourist, luxurious hotels on house boats parked on the lake shores make it a uniqe experience. Nishat and Shalimar Mughal gardens. An idyllic conference center. Airport: Srinagar.

Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg- popular hill resorts.

Achhabal, Kokernag, Verinag – Springs.

Ladakh – area has an extraordinarily isolated and barren, rocky landscape, in contrast with the verdant Kashmir valley. Ladakh is a remote area of the great Buddhist tradition, some 13 large monasteries. The main one is in the Hemis Gompa monasteries. 45 km from Leh, the administrative capital of Ladakh, Hemis Gompa is a well-preserved frescoes, good characters Buddha, the largest thangka in Ladakh and an excellent library. It is also the seat of the famous Hemis Festival in June.

Leh- Main town of Ladakh airport : Leh. With in Leh itself is the Namgyl Tsemo Gompa. The Soma Gompa and the Sankar Gompa. The Shanti Stupa here is truly impressive, especially when it is illuminated at night. About 8 km from Leh is the 15th century Spituk Gompa, perched on a hilltop above the Indus River.

Kargil –an ancient trading town on the caravan route to central Asia. The Buddhist religion and culture very strong here. Most famous monasteries are Hemis, Shey, Thikse.

In Amarnath, the Vaishno Devi Temple too, requires an arduous trek. Situated about 60 km north east of Jammu, on the triangular hill Trikoota Bhagwati, this shrine is at an altitude of 5300 feet and at a distance of 12 km from Katra, the fast motorable point. The temple enshrines Vaishno Devi, a manifestations of the three forms of Goddess shakti-Mahalakshmi, Maha Paravati, Maha Saraswati.

Vaishno Devi, in Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess, is considered to be the incarnation of Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Kali. The main reason of birth of Vaishno Devi was the destruction of Demon Mahishasura. The divine girl was born to a man called Ratnakar who named her Vaishnavi.

As the legend goes, more than 700 years ago Vaishno Devi a devotee of Lord Vishnu, used to pray to Lord Rama and had taken vow of celibacy. Bhairon Nath, a tantric (demon-God) tried to behold Her. Making use of his tantric powers, Bhairon Nath was able to see Her going towards the Trikuta mountains and gave chase.

In the cave, one can see the blissful ‘pindis’ of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. Mata Vaishno Devi is regarded as the granter of boons. She fulfills the wishes of her devotes and no one goes empty handed from her shrine. With faith in mind, people come to the temple of Vaishno Devi to seek the blessings of the Supreme power. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board maintains the shrine. A rail link from Udhampur to Katra is being built to facilitate pilgrimage.

Shivalingam in Amarnath, in Jammu Kashmir: Surrounded by snow clad mountains, Amaranth, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir is one of the most revered pilgrim centres of India, located 140km north east of Srinagar at a height of 13000 feet above see level, and the amaranth cave enshrines a natural Shivalingam of ice. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. There are two other ice formations representing Parvati and Shiva’s son, Ganesha.

To the left of the Shivalingam is another ice block representing Ganesha, and to the right of the Shivalingam are blocks representing, Parvati and Bhairava. Inside the Amarnath cave is another small cave from which a chalk like substance is give out to pilgrim as Vibhuti (Holy Ash). Open only for a few months during the year. Amarnath is reached after a strenuous hike through the Himalayas.

Raghunath temple: The picturesque state of Jammu & Kashmir is home to several sacred shrines and pilgrim centres. Hindus Temples, Muslims Shrines, Sikh Gurudwaras and Buddhist Monasteries add to the cultural diversity of this beautiful state. The most outstanding landmark in Jammu, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is the Raghunath temple, dedicated to lord Rama.

The impressive shrine was built in 1835. Raghunath temple is situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by a group of other temples, this temple, dedicated to Lord Rama is outstanding and unique in Northern India. The temple has seven shrines, with god-plated interiors. The most important houses the Dogra’s patron deity, Rama, Vishnu’s eighth incarnation. The cluster of temples makes it the largest temple complex in Northern India Pilgrimage Places.

Part of the Buddhist devotee’s itinerary is the 400 year old mud-brick Gompa at Basgao, one of the top hundred endangered World Heritage sites, the magnificent Gompa at Likir, the Shey Gompa, 15 km south of Keh, with the 12 metre high gold plated Sakyamuni Buddha Statue, the Matho and Stakna Gompas and the Stok Gompa with its fine masks and frescoes.

Alchi, is a little village about 70km from Leh, known as a jewel among the religious sites in Ladakh. Abandoned centuries ago, this monastery has been lovingly maintained by the monks at Likhir, the nearest functioning Gompa. It is popularly known as Chos-kor (religious enclave) and comprises five temples.

Around Kaza, the administrative centre of Spiti sub-district, are several Gompas. The largest and oldest of these is Ki Gompa. 14km from Kaza, the Gompa has a spectacular locations and a priceless collection of ancient Thangkas.

The Thiksey Gompa, 17km south of Leh, is situated on a hilltop amidst picturesque surroundings, one of the largest monasteries in the region. Thiksey has rooms full of statues, stupas and Tankahs – religious paintings of all kinds.

Special position of Jammu & Kashmir:

The Jurisdiction of the parliament in relation to Jammu & Kashmir is confined to the Union List, and the Concurrent List.
Residuary power belongs to the Legislature of Jammu &Kashmir.
Proclamation of Emergency under Art. On the ground of internal disturbance has no effect in the state of Jammu & Kashmir without the concurrence of the Government of the state.
No decision affecting the disposition of the State can be made by the Government of India, without the consent of the Government of the state.
The Union has no power to suspend the Constitution of the state on the ground of failure to comply with the direction given by the Union under Art.365.
Arts. 356-357 relating to suspension of Constitutional machinery have been extended to Jammu & Kashmir by the Amendment order of 1964. But “failure” would mean failure of the constitutional machinery of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Union has no power to make a proclamation of Financial Emergency with respect to the state of Jammu & Kashmir underARt.360.
Directive Principles of state Policy do not apply to the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Jammu & Kashmir has its own Constitution made by a separate Constituent Assembly and promulgated in 1957.
The Constitution of Jammu & Kashmir (accepting the provisions relating to the relationship of the state with Union of India), can be amended by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of the state.
No alteration of boundaries of Jammu & Kashmir can be made Parliament without the consent of the Legislature of the State.
The Jurisdictions of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, Election Commission, and the Special Leave jurisdiction of the Supreme Court have been extended to Jammu & Kashmir.
List of Districts and their headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir state of India.

• District          Headquarters  Area (km²) Official website

• Anantnag  Anantnag          3,984                 www.anantnag.gov.in/

• Badgam         Badgam         1,371                 www.budgam.nic.in/

• Bandipore Bandipore 3,010        www.bandipore.gov.in/

• Baramula        Baramula     4,588                www.baramulla.nic.in/

• Doda        Doda                11,691               www.doda.gov.in/

• Jammu        Jammu        3,097                www.jammu.gov.in/

• Kargil       Kargil       14,036                    www.kargil.gov.in/

• Kathua       Kathua       2 ,651                www.kathua.gov.in/

• Kupwara                       2,379                     www.kupwara.gov.in/

• Leh                Leh              45,110             www.leh.nic.in/

• Poonch        Poonch       1,674                  www.poonch.gov.in/

• Pulwama       Pulwama       1,398                       www.pulwama.gov.in/

• Rajauri        Ra jauri      2,630                  www.rajouri.nic.in/

• Srinagar         Srinagar       2,228                    www.srinagar.nic.in/

• Samba            Samba         913                        www.samba.gov.in/

• Udhampur Udhampur 4,550         www.udhampur.gov.in/