Jammu and Kashmir, known as heaven on earth, has never failed to live up to the tag it has received. It is one of the most attractive tourist locations in India and the beauty it beholds is beyond imagination! J & K has got everything a tourist might look for. Blissful snowy mountains, beautiful rivers and water bodies, adrenaline pumping treks and a vast wildlife! Keeping aside the beauty of this place, J & K has been known for not being a safe location. Being near to the border of our neighboring countries, J & K has seen quite a lot of attacks. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t safe to go out there and experience the nature. Here is a list of places one can visit in J & K without any thought of being unsafe!
1. Srinagar
You will surely get a moment of relief when you see the extra security they have at the Srinagar airport. Srinagar is a special place with some beautiful Mughal Gardens like Chashma Shahi garden located on the foothills of the Zabarwan range. Harwan garden is one of the most elegant gardens in Srinagar, with a waterway passing through the garden, making it even more magnificent. The Harwan lake right behind the garden gives you the view of a mountain range worth going for! Other than these, we have the Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, the Badamwari garden, Pari Mahal or ‘The Palace of Fairies’, and many such jaw-dropping pieces of beauty one can look out for in Srinagar.
2. Vaishnodevi Temple
One of the most religious place in India where people from all over the world come to take the blessing of the goddess Vaishno Devi. Located 13kms from Katra, Vaishnodevi is known to be at the peak during the festival of Navratri, a celebration of Devi’s victory over evil demons. Every year millions of people visit this place and the security and safety of these people are taken care of by the government.
3. Amarnath Temple
Another religious place to visit in J & K is the Amarnath temple, the worship place for Lord Shiva. One can see a naturally made ‘Shivling’ with ice in this cave temple. The route from base point to the temple is a 3-5 days thrilling trek. The people taking this spiritual journey are given barcodes and nearly 40,000 army personnel are guarding the whole route.
4. Gulmarg
The most famous skiing location in India, situated at a height of 8,800 feet is Gulmarg. It is located in the Pir Panjal range of snow enveloped mountains. This place defines elegance. It has some charming meadows, evergreen forests and the most important tourist attraction is that this place has the second highest gondola ride in the world. It has also been a place of attraction for the Bollywood movies.
5. Sanasar
Talking about safe places to visit in this union territory, Sanasar is the best location for you if you need a bit of silence and alone time. It is a hill station which is not visited as much as the other locations in the union territory. It is surely a place where adventure seeking people would want to go. One can do paragliding, rock climbing and other adventurous sports like abseiling and trekking.
5.Dachigam national park
If you are a fan of looking out for some unique flora and fauna, the Dachigam national park gives you the opportunity to take a glimpse at the rarest forms of fauna like the graceful Kashmir Stag, ferocious Himalayan Brown Bear, the Pygmy Owlets and the apex predator, Leopard. This place has got some distinctive flora like the Wild Cherry trees, Oak trees, Apple trees, Chestnut trees, Apricot trees and many other special tree ranges that will surely bring a sparkle in your eyes!
Jammu and Kashmir has been a safer place to visit now than before. One should always be careful about their surrounding not just in the case of Jammu and Kashmir but for wherever you are visiting!
