The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in the portion of the Kashmir region administered by India. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and on the northeast by the main Himalayas range. It is approximately 135 km long and 32 km wide, and drained by the Jhelum River.
The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) is an autonomous, public institute of sectoral management located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and course assistance from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. The institute's objective is to fulfill the growing need for the managerial human resource in the area of Forest, Environment, and Natural resources Management and allied sectors. The institute is headed by a director selected and appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarters of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1158 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is generally known as a holy town close to Rishikesh. It is located in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location the city of Kashi (Varanasi). Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on the Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varunavat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat and has a temple dedicated to Shiva similar to in Varanasi, in the center of the town.
Magam is a town located in the district Budgam in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an administrative Tehsil, and is known because of its presence on Gulmarg Highway. It is 11 kilometres from sub-district headquarters Beerwah and 20 kilometres away from Srinagar, the state's summer capital. The Idara Abu Fazal Abbas Islamic Library, opened in Magam in 1985, is the largest Islamic private library in Jammu and Kashmir. It has an average elevation of 1569 meters. [[Babapora]] village in [[Magam]]
Ajeet Bajaj is the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the South Pole within a year.
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India locked in Himalayan Mountains. Jammu and Kashmir is home to several Valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Tawi, Chenab Valley, Poonch, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, the Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Jammu, and Ladakh. Some areas require a special permit for non-Indians to visit.
The High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) is a training and research establishment of the Indian Army. In 1948, Indian Army established a ski school in Gulmarg which later became the High Altitude Warfare School of the Indian army specialising in snow–craft and winter warfare. It is located in an area which is prone to avalanches. It is one of the most famous warfare academies of the world. Selected soldiers from the US, UK, Germany and other countries visit regularly for specialist training.
Gulmarg Gondola in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir is one of the world's highest operating cable cars. Higher lines include the Dagu Glacier Gondola in Sichuan, China which reaches 4843 m, Jade Dragon in Yunnan, and the Mi Teleferico between El Alto and La Paz, in Bolivia.
Snow boating or snow kayaking is a somewhat newer winter sport typically done by kayakers. It usually involves kayakers descending snow slopes, in contrast to river sports such as whitewater kayaking for which the boats were usually designed. Snow boating is typically done in the backcountry and occasionally at resorts and ski areas. Races are held in a modus similar to those of snowboarding they are known as a boatercross. In the races, kayakers race to a finish line or point.
Dina Nath Walli , also known by his pen name Almast Kashmiri (1908–2006), was a renowned water colour artist and poet from Srinagar city in Kashmir valley. He was the part of the modern art movement in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and was known for painting everyday scenes of Kashmir.
Winter sports are common in India in the Himalayan areas. Ski tournaments take place every winter in Gulmarg, Kashmir and Manali. Winter sports are generally more common in the northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Skiing, snow rugby, snow cycling and snow football are few of the common sports played in India. Skiing is more popular although India has taken part in Luge in Winter Olympics since 1998. The Bandy Federation of India is headquarters are in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Luge is practiced in a big way by the mountain residents in an improvised form called 'Reri'.
Skiing in India is an activity that mostly takes place in the northern states of India, where the Himalayas are situated. Skiing is administered by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation in India. The Himalayas provide an excellent skiing experience owing to their great height which makes for long descents. Heliskiing is also gaining popularity in places like Manali and Gulmarg. However skiing in India suffers from lack of infrastructure. There are also security concerns in Gulmarg which is 20 km (12 mi) from the Line of Control, however since 2002, it has been peaceful, which has led to an increase in skiing activity in the region. Some of the most popular skiing locations in India are Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Solang in Himachal Pradesh and Auli in Uttarakhand. The skiing season in India is from January to March.
Maj. Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna was a leading mountaineer of India and a military personnel. He lost his life in the international expedition on Mount Everest on April 18, 1971. That was his second attempt. He had to abort his first expedition in 1965 just 400 feet short of the summit. He was instructor of skiing and mountaineering at the High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg and had successfully climbed many mountains.
Mountaineering is quite popular in India, since the entire northern and north-eastern borders are the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. The apex body in India is the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, which is affiliated to the International Federation of Sport Climbing.
The Indian Information Service (IIS) is the administrative civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India.
The Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports was established in 1983 in Aru, Pahalgam. It was the brainchild of the then chief mister of Jammu and Kashmir who suggested the creation of such an institute in Kashmir Valley to the then Prime Minister of India, Smt Indira Gandhi. The institute was formed on the lines of other national mountaineering institutes in the country. Aru was chosen as a natural location for the institute with its rolling hills and easy access to mountain passes. The institute currently offers training in Mountaineering courses, Skiing courses and Adventure Courses.
Popular sports in Jammu and Kashmir include cricket and football along with sports like golf, winter sports, water sports and adventure sports. Jammu and Kashmir has produced international and national level players including Gul Dev, Aamir Aziz, Chain Singh, Iqra Rasool, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Mithun Manhas, Abid Nabi, Parvez Rasool, Tajamal Islam and Palak Kaur.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports is an Indian institute, which provides specialized training in skiing, mountain rescue and mountaineering, founded in 1961. The institute is located in Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
