A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in colonial Asia, but also in Africa, for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges from the summer heat and, as Dale Kennedy observes about the Indian context, "the hill station (...) was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". The term is still used in present day, particularly in India, which has the largest number of hill stations, most are situated at an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 metres.
Gulmarg, known as Gulmarag in Kashmiri, is a town, hill station, tourist destination, skiing destination, and a notified area committee in the Indian controlled part of the disputed territory Jammu and Kashmirof north Kashmir’sBaramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of 31 km (19 mi) from Baramulla and 49 km (30 mi) from Srinagar. The town is situated in the India’s well known Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas and lies within the boundaries of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Pir Panjal Range is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in the Western Himalayas of northern Indian subcontinent. It runs southeast to northwest between the Beas and Neelam/Kishanganga rivers, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with its northwestern end extending into territory administered by Pakistan. The Himalayas show a gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges. Pir Panjal is the largest and westernmost range of the Lesser Himalayas. Near the bank of the Sutlej River, it dissociates itself from the main Himalayan range and forms a divide between the Beas and Ravi rivers on one side and the Chenab on the other. Further west, the Pir Panjal range forms the southwestern boundary of the Kashmir Valley, separating it from the hills of Jammu region, forming a divide between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers.
The Bakharwal dog is a livestock guardian dog found in northern India. It is an ancient working Indian dog breed found in Ladakh and across the Pir Panjal Range of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Brammah is a mountain massif in the Kishtwar Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir, India, east of the town of Kishtwar and near the border with Himachal Pradesh. It comprises four peaks, listed in order from west to east: Brammah I, Flat Top, Brammah II,, and Arjuna.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Patnitop and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.
The Indian Himalayan Region is the section of the Himalayas within the Republic of India, spanning thirteen Indian states and union territories, namely Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. The region is responsible for providing water to a large part of the Indian subcontinent and contains various flora and fauna.
The Ganderbal district, is an Indian-administered district in Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It was formed in 2007 and has 6 subdistricts (tehsils): Kangan, Ganderbal, Tullamulla, Wakura, Lar, and Gund.
Gulmarg Gondola in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir,is the second longest and second highest cable car in the world. Higher lines include the Mi Teleférico in Bolivia and at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
The following lists of tourist attractions include tourist attractions in various countries.
Aru known as Adav in Kashmiri, is a village, tourist spot in the Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies 53km from Anantnag city, the district headquarter. It is located around 12 km from Pahalgam, 11 km upstream from the Lidder River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Kolhoi Glacier, Tarsar Lake, Marsar and Herbaghwan Lake. The village lies on the left bank of the Aru river, which is a tributary of the Lidder river. Jammu & Kashmir’s biggest Fodder Seed Product Station is also located in the Aru village.
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 centered 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 allows long descents. Heliskiing is also gaining popularity in places like Manali and Gulmarg. However, skiing in India suffers from lack of infrastructure. The security concerns near the Line of Control have reduced since 2002, 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.
Naranag or (Nara Nag) is a tourist village and ancient Hindu pilgrimage site, near Ganderbal town in the Ganderbal district of the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir. Well known for its ancient temple ruins complex, it is located around 16 km from Kangan, 10 km upstream from the Sind River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh 16,870 ft and Gangabal Lake. The village lies at the left bank of the Wangath river, which is a tributary of the Sind River. Tourism hut at Naranag for any information and assistance tourism officials are available and hut is also provide for accommodation.
Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a hill station in the western part of the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated 53 km (33 mi) south of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. Yousmarg provides space for beautiful landscapes, young pine nurseries, green pastures and heart touching lotic and lentic water bodies. Nilnag, Doodhganga and a nascently created artificial dam adds more to the beauty of the meadows. Nature has bestowed Yusmarg with pleasant flora and fauna. Yusmarg is often referred to as a trekkers paradise.Yusmarg has some modest stay options but some new homestays have come up around the area.Tribe homestay and cafè located at the nearest village Nagbal is gaining popularity especially among the youth. The place is rustic, wooden and reflects the Kashmiri architectural heritage. Among fauna, locals claim that they often sight wolves, bears, apes, cats, aves of various types. Among aquatic fauna, schizothoraxic is abundant one in catch.
Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary or Heerpora Wildlife Sanctuary is located, Hirpora in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies 12 km from Shopian town, 70 km (43 mi) south of Srinagar. It spreads over an area of 341 km2 (132 sq mi). It is bounded to the north by Lake Gumsar, northeast by Hirpora village, east by Rupri, south by Saransar and to the west by the Pir Panjal pass. The slopes are gentle to moderately steep on the eastern aspect and very steep with many cliffs on the higher northern and western aspect. The southern and southeastern portions are moderately steep. Heerpora wildlife sanctuary is one of the beautiful wildlife sanctuary in Jammu and Kashmir
Sinthan Top is a mountain pass, a popular tourist destination located in Kishtwar district and borders with South Kashmir's Breng Valley of Anantnag district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Majority of the area lies on the Kishtwar side. The top acts as a sort of base camp to several alpine lakes in the region.
The Western Himalayas are the western half of the Himalayas, in northwestern India and northern Pakistan. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab rise in the Western Himalayas; while the fifth, the Sutlej cuts through the range after rising in Tibet.
Popular sports in Jammu and Kashmir include cricket, football and winter sports along with sports like golf, water sports, Ice stock sport and adventure sports. The National Winter Games have been held in Gulmarg in 1996, 2004 and 2009. The first Khelo India Winter Games were held in February and March 2020 in Leh and Gulmarg. Jammu and Kashmir won the most gold medals while the Indian Army team came second with 8 gold medals. The second edition of the winter games were also held successfully in Gulmarg in 2020 with Jammu and Kashmir coming first and Karnataka second.
The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary spread over 180 square kilometres (69 sq mi) is a protected area in Gulmarg, Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the most beautiful and attractive sanctuary in J&K. You can also trek to poonch through this sanctuary. Kanternag peak, Apharwatt peak, Neel kanth peak etc are situated in this sanctuary.The sanctuary lies on the north-eastern side of the Pir Panjal mountain range and falls under the northwest Biogeographic Zone 2A. It lies 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-west of Srinagar and 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Baramulla. The sanctuary was first declared as a game reserve in 1981 and later upgraded to a sanctuary in 1987.