Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir sit right beside each other on the map of India, but they could well be worlds apart. The former lies in the lowlands, a quiet city of temples attracting Hindu devotees from all over the country. The latter stands up there amid the snowcapped mountains of the Himalayas, a region so famously beautiful that it has traditionally been a residence for the Islamic Mughal kings.

Despite their contrasting character, these two places share the title of being the capital of India’s northernmost state (Jammu is the winter capital, while the city of Srinagar in Kashmir is the summer capital). Bordered on three sides by China and Pakistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir boasts a distinctive character, both in culture and landscape, that makes it easily one of the country’s most remarkable destinations.

To the unconverted, this isn’t a region that immediately conjures idyllic images. After all, the last time this part of the world made headlines was in 2005, when it was devastated by an earthquake. Prior to that, India and Pakistan waged a long-running battle for control of Kashmir. Nevertheless, travellers who have been to Jammu and Kashmir swear that it truly is one of the highlights of their India trip. They gush excitedly about Jammu’s exotic streets, and rave about the stunning Kashmiri landscapes. Most of them wish to return; many didn’t ever want to leave.

Jammu

Long overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbour, Jammu’s claim to fame is that it’s a major religious centre for Hindus. Not surprisingly, tourists have regarded it as a mere prayer stop on the road to Kashmir, with its main attraction being a 12kmpilgrimage hike to the sacred Mata Vaishno Devi hilltop shrine. Those who take the time to explore it, however, find an interesting city steeped in centuries of history.

Proof of this lies in Jammu’s old quarter, which today still throbs to the rhythm of an earlier age. At the Raghunath Bazaar, facing the 130-year-old temple of the same name, store-owners sell merchandise in shops established by their great-grandfathers. These stores line both sides of avenues teeming with motorbikes, pony carts, people and cows. Not far from here, Panjtirthi Road hosts an impressive array of residences dating from the British colonial era. Take a leisurely stroll down this lane, walking all the way towards the circa-1800s Mubarak Palace, formerly home to the Royal Family, but now host to the Dogra Art Gallery and its fine collection of miniature paintings.

Historic and picturesque as these structures are, this pilgrimage city’s most popular attractions are of course its countless temples – there are dozens of them in and around town, ranging from tiny, nameless shrines to sprawling complexes like the huge, statue-adorned Mahamaya Temple. These revered spots even include caves – the one named Peer Khoh is said to have been a place of refuge for the Hindu bear god Jamvant. There are also the holy lakes of Mansar and Surinsar, with their scenic shoreline temples and sacred fish.

Kashmir

The 12-hour bus trip to Srinagar, no matter how scenic, gives barely a hint of how naturally blessed this region is. Never mind the steady upward climb, or the slowly dropping temperature. Visitors only realise they’ve arrived in Kashmir the moment they come faceto- face with the Dal Lake. Indeed, with its endlessly shimmering, mirror-flat surface adorned in the far distance by white-topped peaks, this body of water forms a stunningly beautiful introduction to this legendary place.

Over the centuries people have found different ways to appreciate the Kashmiri scenery. India’s Mughal rulers liked it here so much that they built elaborate gardens on the shores. The British, on the other hand, invented wooden houseboats – floating palaces that served as little slices of England on the Dal Lake. Today these remain as time-honoured attractions that keep tourists flocking this way. Kashmir holidays are best combined with excursions to the nearby mountains. The hill station of Gulmarg offers some of the best skiing slopes in India, while the towns of Sonamarg and Pahalgam are blessed with spectacular treks down meandering river valleys.

No matter where these outings lead, it’s a good bet that they will all end back at Srinagar, with you watching the fading sun as it casts its gorgeous hues over the Dal Lake. Perhaps you’ll be doing this from a stately houseboat balcony, or the seat of a lazily cruising shikara – canoes covered with tarpaulins. Either way, the view becomes indelibly etched in the memory: yet another dazzling sight of this alluring, exotic land of the far north.

Essential Information

How to get there

Jammu and Kashmir are serviced by daily flights from Delhi by Air India. A more interesting travel option would be to take the train to Jammu, and continue the trip via bus to Srinagar. It takes much, much longer but it is definitely more scenic.

Where to stay

Hotel Asia (Nehru Market, Jammu-Tawi 18004; Tel: +91 191 243 5757) in Jammu is one of the few A-grade hotels in town, offering spacious rooms and a very good restaurant. In Kashmir, the place to stay would be one of the numerous houseboats on the Dal Lake. These floating hotels offer cosy, home-style amenities with full-board meals. Highly recommended is Shabnam Houseboat – for more information contact Haneef (Tel: +91 941 900 3801; www.nivalink.com/shabnam/index.html).

Where to eat

Those with cast-iron stomachs should try eating at dhabas – local eateries serving real Indian cuisine – in both Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu, considerably cushier eating can be found at Falak Restaurant (Tel: +91 191 252 0770) along Residency Road. In Srinagar, check out Ahdoos’s Hotel Restaurant (Tel: +91 194 247 2593; www.ahdooshotel.com) along Residency Road for traditional Kashmiri cuisine.