Restoring Beauty of Kashmir and its charm with Full Throttle After Article 370

“If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here”, “A paradise on Earth” and more are a testament to the breathtaking beauty of this place in south Asia, Jammu and Kashmir. The place is home to some exotic and exquisite sights, ice-capped and lush green mountains, flora, and fauna that are indigenous to this place and also hatred, riots, terrorism, blood, poverty, illiteracy, and more. Jammu and Kashmir have been one of the most beautiful and most disturbing places in South Asia. But the impeccable beauty that this land accumulates keeps the spirits of the inhabitants always high. Travelers, conquerors, rulers to inhabitants anyone who has been to the land even for once in its lifetime has become its admirer.

Gulmarg, a place to enjoy snow sports, skiing, trekking, trolley ride, and ethereal sights of ice-capped mountains! Sonmarg, a piece of land that’s surreal, and is an ideal place for camping and trekking. Kupwara situated in the lap of nature that’s adorned by lush green mountains, landscapes that reaches the horizon, and mesmerizing sights. Pulwama the rice bowl of Kashmir, famous for pleasant weather, and saffron (Zaafraan) cultivation. Pahalgam, another worth visiting destination in Kashmir that’s famous for its dense forest cover. These are just a handful of popular tourist destinations of Kashmir and this is not the end, the list is long! Let’s dive into the history & explore this heavenly place on earth.  

A Land with Surreal Beauty & History of a Treaty

The history of Kashmir is a well-known fact, we all know how the political scenario was back then among the three key nation-states of South Asia. It all started with an ambiguous treaty of accession that sought harmony and cooperation but in bits and pieces. This treaty pushed the state towards a dark future.

For the last 7 decades, J&K despite being a state of India enjoyed a special autonomous status and yet it always remained in a state of turmoil. However, it somehow successfully managed to develop an economy wherein the major contributing sector was tourism. Many tourist destinations in J&K with mesmerizing locations, scenic beauty, lush green landscapes, divine lakes attracted tourists from India and the world. But ironically, that this heavenly place that’s drenched in beauty on earth got greater global media coverage for the political tension and propaganda. All of these made travelers, movie makers, poets, nature lovers, mountaineers, adventure enthusiasts, abandon the place!

Will the Revocation of 370 Revive the Old Charm of Kashmir?

The recent revocation of Article 370 is expected to change the equation for the tourists who always ignored the place as they never considered it ‘safe’ to visit and for the inhabitants who lost their jobs because of unending tensions and terrorism. People and experts believe that the state is on the verge of changing its fate and come back stronger and taller in the near future.

Safety, stability, lack of facilities, and infrastructure together took off the tourism from the track. Experts are of the opinion that stability in the valley will make tourists more confident about their stays and will boost tourism throughout the year and from all the parts of the world. This will revive tourism and the economy of the state.

Despite all the positive reactions from the experts, its only time on which we can depend to know how good or bad this revocation of Article 370 is. We will have to give the valley the time to embrace this change and make the best of all the opportunities that are coming along.

It’s Time to Welcome New Possibilities

The Maharashtra government’s tourism department came forward with a prompt and positive announcement wherein they declared of developing MTDC resorts in Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. The announcement was welcomed by the tourism lobby, political leaders, the public, and the people of Kashmir.

The newly formed Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir will host a 3-day investor summit starting from 12th October 2019 with a motive to boost tourism and business in the valley. This summit will bring new prospects that will strengthen tourism, bring private sectors from IT, hospitality, finance, and other sectors to the place, boost start-ups, bring employment, and will raise the standard of living in the UT.

The hotel industry has been closely following the developments in the 370 matter because Kashmir is a hot tourist destination that holds unlimited opportunities to grow. It is expected that when normalcy is achieved in the valley and the laws of the land will be obliged by one and all, then people from other parts of the country will also be able to buy land and do business in the union territory. Big hoteliers, private players from the hospitality lobby are pushing for business-at-ease policies in Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.

Travel Delights that are Out of Sight

Amidst all the political drama a lot of worth visiting places got lost on the map of Jammu and Kashmir. Either they lacked development in the form of infrastructure, accessibility or were victims of bad publicity. Tourists who gathered the courage to explore the state never went to the interiors of the valley or the unpopular places to discover the breath-taking beauty of many hidden gems.

Verinag

Verinag water spring whose source river is the Jhelum is a must-visit spot that will amaze you with its architecture, natural surroundings, and the melodious sound of running water.

Doodhpathari

‘Valley of milk’ is another name with which it gets described by the tourist who has been to the place and admirers of its scenic beauty.

Dachigham National Park

Abode to multiple species of flora and fauna indigenous to the place the park is unexplored and attracts very little footfall.

Chatpal

An unexplored place with mountains, green cover, and streams. It’s a must-visit place on a trip to J&K.

Warwan Valley

The valley is located in Kishtwar district, and is home to Warwan river which is a tributary of the Chenab river. The place has more than 200 species of flora, with many having medicinal properties is a great place for nature lovers.

Gurez

Gurez is a part of the Himalayan range and is located at a height of 8000 ft above the sea.     

All these places will get more footfall and the connectivity to these places will also improve with time if the state manages to attract the huge investment in the coming future.

The plan is to bring back the admirers, travellers, & peace

The valley has something for every traveler, it offers an adrenaline rush to the adventure enthusiasts, spiritual fulfillment to the souls in search of peace, the divine calm to the people on the journey of self-discovery and an escape zone to those who are stuck in the hustle-bustle of life! But these snow-capped mountains, shikaras that sails you through the dal lake, the green terrain, and the warm and the sacred culture of the inhabitants often get replaced by the news reports related to curfew, riots, terrorist encounters, stone-pelting activities, and stories of poverty which might not float on the surface in the near future.

The revocation of the article 370 has left people in the country optimistic for now but the dust hasn’t settled neither in the political scenario, nor in the valley! It’s time that we support the valley to go through this drastic and dramatic change and come back on track! Only time will answer our queries and doubts till then we have to stay strong, and together!