Kashmir (Paradise on earth) is the principal region in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, the other two supplementary units being Jammu and Ladakh.

1: Srinagar (City of the Dal Lake), the state capital, its situated at an altitude of 1730 metres above sea level , founded by king Pravarasen in the 6th century. Srinagar is a unique city because of its lakes-the Dal, Nagin and Anchar. The river Jhelum also flows through a part of the city. Most houseboats on the Nagin and the Jhelum are situated on the banks of the Lake, and can be accessed directly from land without the help of a Shikara, while all those on the Dal require a Shikara to get to and from them. A shikara ride is one of the most soothing, relaxing aspects of a holiday in Kashmir. It can be an hour long ride to see the sights of the Dal. Because the Dal is so central to the landscape of Srinagar, many places of tourist interest have, over the ages, been built in its vicinity. Nishat and Shalimar gardens as well as Hazratbal mosque are directly accessible by Shikara.

» Mughal Gardens:Kashmir was a favourite of the Mughal emperors who visited its as often as they could.Cool and refreshing after the plains of North India where the business of governance kept them, they planted gardens with stepped terraces and flowing water courses. When they rested in their gardens, they dreamt they were in Paradise. The smallest of Srinagar's Mughal Gardens, "Cheshmashahi" has only three terraces in addition to a natural spring of water enclosed in a stone pavilion. The next garden is the Nishat, built by Empress Nur Jahan's brother Asaf Khan.The largest of the gardens, Nishat has several terraces, a central water course and a majestic site between the Dal and the Zabarwan hills. The third Mughal garden-the Shalimar was planted by Jehangir, the Mughal emperor, whose love for Kashmir was legendary. Shaded by magnificent Chinar trees, the Shalimar is a series of stone pavilions and flowing water with paint- -box bright flower beds.

» Places of Pilgrimage - Within Srinagar, on its highest hill is the Shankaracharya temple, nearly one thousand feet above the city. It is devoted to lord Shiva. The site dates back to 2500 BC. The philosopher Shankaracharya stayed at this site when he visited Kashmir ten centuries ago to revive Sanatan Dharma. To the west of the city is the much lower hill of Hari Parbat, which is surrounded by a fort. On this hill is the temple of Sharika Devi, believed to be a form of Durga Mata or Shakti. 25 kms from Srinagar, past Ganderbal, is the most important pilgrim place in Kashmir, the only exception being Amarnath Cave. Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara, the sixth guru of Sikhism travelled through Kashmir, stopping to preach occasionally. A gurudwara has been built at the exact site of each of these halts. The most important one is Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara near the Kathi Darwaza in Rainawari, Srinagar. While the summer (June-August) temperatures of Srinagar are between 25°C and 35°C. In Spring (March-May) and autumn (October-November) are cold, with minimum temperatures plunging down to 7°C.

Srinagar is well connected by air services, directly to Jammu and New Delhi. Srinagar's nearest railhead is Jammu which in turn connects all parts of the country, including Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and Kanyakumari. Srinagar is connected by an all-weather road to Jammu which in turn is connected to many parts of North India connects Srinagar..

2. Gulmarg (The Meadow of Flowers), at an altitude of 2730 metres above sea level , 56 kms from Srinagar. A huge cup-shaped meadow, lush and green, with slopes where the silence is broken only by the tinkle of cow-bells, Gulmarg looks like a fantasy set in a film, and not surprisingly, has been the venue of several films. All around are snow capped mountains, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Nanga Parbat in one direction and Srinagar in another. From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven springs, a couple of hours by pony, longer on foot. From here, across the Apharwat-the peak which looms up from this point-is Alpather lake, a picturesque alpine lake, frozen till late June. For horse riding afficionadoes, Alpather lake makes an exciting day's excursion,starting early morning and returning late evening. Slightly lower than Gulmarg is the Shrine of Baba Reshi, a Muslim mystic saint, whose Shrine is visited by people of all faiths. Gulmarg also has one of the world's highest green golf courses, as well as a club house which is a historical building in its own right. In winter, Gulmarg acquires a new persona-that of the country's premier skiing resort. Skiing, to many who watch it on TV, seems like a very elitist sport, requiring a high level of training and expensive equipment. They are surprised, when they visit Gulmarg for a day's expedition to " see the snow" , that others with the same level of physical fitness and training are skiing down slopes.

3. Pahalgam (The valley of Shepherds),at an altitude of 2130 metres above sea level , 96 kms away from Srinagar. At the confluence of the streams flowing from the river Lidder and Sheshnag lake, Pahalgam was once a humble Shepherd's village with breathtaking views. Now it is Kashmir's premier resort, cool even during the height of summer. Around Pahalgam are many places of interest, and because the resort is set between fairly steep hills, it is worth hiring a pony rather than walking. The most beautiful of these is the huge, undulating meadow of Baisaran, surrounded by thickly wooded forests of Pine. Hajan, on the way to Chandanwari is an idyllic spot for a picnic. Pahalgam has within it no fewer than eight tiny villages, one of which is Mamal. There is a Shiva Temple here, generally considered to be Kashmir's oldest existing temple dating to the 8th century. Chandanwari, 16 kms from Pahalgam, is the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra which takes place every year in the month of Sawan (July-August). The destination is the Amarnath cave, believed to be the abode of lord Shiva. Although the road from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is on fairly flat terrain , and can be undertaken by car, from Chandanwari onwards the track becomes much steeper, being accessible on foot or by pony. 11 kms from Chandanwari is the mountain lake of Sheshnag, after which, 13 kms away is the last stop, Panchtarni. The Amarnath cave is 6 kms away from there.

4. Sonamarg (the Meadow of Gold),at an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level and 87 kms from Srinagar. The drive to Sonamarg is through yet another facet of country side in Kashmir, this time the Sindh Valley. Sonamarg, which means "Meadow of Gold" has, as its backdrop, snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. The Sindh meanders along here and abounds with trout and mahseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier-a major attraction during the summer months.

Sonamarg's importance is two-fold ; It is the starting point of a major trek passing several mountain lakes-Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Gangabal. One trek leads all the way to the Amarnath cave. The other reason for Sonamarg's importance lies in the fact that it is the last halt on the Kashmir side for the drive from Srinagar to Leh, via Kargil.