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Jammu and Kashmir
At the present writing, the western part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is potentially highly dangerous. The capital, Srinagar, is a semi-police state with army roadblocks and security checks. Regardless of what you may be told by Kashmiri travel agents in Delhi and other places, the state is totally unsafe. I read a newspaper article in which the Kashmiri military operations were described over a period of a few months, and twenty small battles took place between the army and militants during which hundreds of people were killed. Several tourists were captured and held hostage in 1995. One was executed and the others were never heard about again. The eastern part of the state, the Tibetan Buddhist regions of Ladakh and Zanskar, do not have any violence and are considered to be safe. Leh in Ladakh is a popular tourist destination. When India was partitioned in 1947 according to religious faith, the majority of the Kashmir-Jammu population was Muslim, but the Hindu Maharaja wanted his kingdom to be part of India. In late 1947, an army of Pathan tribesmen, whom Pakistan had supplied with arms, attacked Kashmir in an attempt to force Kashmir to become part of Pakistan. In desperation the Maharaja asked India to provide military aid and in return, he offered India his kingdom. When the fighting was over, Pakistan had control of a good part of Kashmir. In 1962, China took control of a portion of the northeast part of the state, and that area is now known as Aksai Chin. India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir again in 1965, but there were no boundary changes. The present border is the same as what it was after the 1948 cease-fire, although India still disputes the present border. During the 1950s and ’60s, Kashmir was relatively autonomous, with a special status in the Indian constitution. In the 1970s and ’80s, the important Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah and his son who succeeded him, Faroou Abdullah, forged closer ties with the central government. In 1989, out of a fear of being absorbed into India, violence broke out. Since then, the Indian army and the Jammu and Kashmiri Liberation Front (JKLF), who want to be a separate country, and various other Muslim groups who want to become part of Pakistan, have been fighting. There does not appear to be an end in sight, and it is likely the violence will continue for years. Remember Kashmiris are excellent salesmen, and Kashmiri travel agents will try to convict you that they can arrange a package tour for you at unbelievable discount prices (which they would be if the place was safe). They will also tell you that the violent has totally stopped. This is definitely not true!!! Do not believe this for a second. Also I have been told that because there are so few tourists on the house boats, that salesman are constantly coming around in boats with their wares, so your dream of sitting around on a beautiful lake is totally ruined. Amarnath Amarnath
is located in a glacial valley at 4,175m (13,700 ft). The cave is about
45m (150 ft) high and 27m (90 ft) long. Within the cave there are four
or five ice formations resembling figures of various gods. The largest
figure is accepted as Siva (Amarnath). On the left side of the linga
is an ice formation accepted as Ganesh, and on the right are formations
of Parvati and Bhairava. Visitors must walk uphill for about five days to reach this temple. About 25,000 people make the pilgrimage annually. Ponies and dandies may also be hired for the trip. The area is especially crowded during the Sravana festival. There is a yearly pilgrimage starting from Srinagar led by the Chhari Saheb, the holy scepter. Amarnath is 46km from Pahalgam, which is the place from which most people begin the trek. From Pahalgam it is a tough three to five day trek. The yatra (pilgrimage) from here starts on the 11th day of the moon. WARNING At the present time, the area around Amarnath is considered extremely dangerous. It is highly advised that foreign tourists do not visit due to Kashmiri militants. It is best to check the situation in advance. In early 1999, foreign tourists were banned from this area.
Vaishno Devi Vaishno Devi is a difficult, four-hour (13 km) climb from Katra. The best time to visit is March to July; the rest of the year can be very cold. The main pilgrimage time is March to April and Sept to Oct. In 1986, 1.6 million people visited, or 15–20,000 people per day. The cave ideally handles just 8–10,000 people a day, as only twelve or fifteen people are allowed into the cave at any one time. On the full moon day in Karttika (Oct-Nov), the line to get into the cave can be 4 km long. It is believed that Sati’s arm fell at this place. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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