worlds highest motorable pass

World's highest motorable pass are ocated in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh. some time back Ladakh used to be an alien place for us and we had only heard of the great warrier General Zorawar Singh's expeditions to Tibet through Ladakh through our elders.

Khardung La (La means “ Mountain Pass ” in Tibetan language) is located at an altitude of 18,380 feet above sea level. The local pronunciation is "Khardong La" or "Khardzong La," but, as with most names in Ladakh, the spelling varies. Historically, it is quite important, as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia . The pass itself lies North of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra Valleys (the latter is home to the Siachen Base camp). A branch of the famous Silk Route used to pass through Khardung La centuries back. The Yakandis, Tsaqandis and Mongolians used to bring merchandise like silk goods, opium, and carpets to Leh, which has been a central business place. And in exchange they would take Indian cotton clothes, raw cotton, sugar, gur etc.

About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen in the area north of the pass, mute witnesses to history. During World War II there was a futile attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.

When Ladakh came under British rule, a Joint Commissioner was appointed during 1867 to look after the administration. The Britishers also gave due attention to this route and maintained the bridle path over Khardung La. The motorable road was constructed during sixties and was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions. The wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and the Siachen Glacier issue gave further importance to the Khardung La road.

The journey to Khardung La from Leh is 37 kms and takes about one-and-half-hours to reach. The first 24 km as far as the South Pullu check point, are paved. From there to the North Pullu check point about 15 km beyond the pass the roadway is primarily loose rock, dirt, and occasional rivulets of snow melt.

From North Pullu into the Nubra Valley , the road is very well maintained (except in a very few places where washouts or falling rock occur). Hired vehicles (2 and 4-wheel-drive), heavy trucks, and motorcycles regularly travel into the Nubra Valley , though special permits may need to be arranged for travellers to make the journey.

At south Pullu an army TCP stops all the vehicles and an entry is made in their registers. If you are moving only up to Khardung La, you don’t need an Inner Line Permit (the permit to visit some prohibited areas). But if you are planning to move across Khardung La, then an ILP is compulsory and it can be obtained either from the Leh Deputy Commissioner or the SSP’s office.

In South Pullu , one finds some facilities that seem to be a luxury in this difficult terrain - a tea shop, rest rooms, hot water etc. One can never imagine that sipping a hot cup of tea can be so heavenly in cold dizzy heights.Khardung La is a mini tourist stop with jeeps and bikes, and even a souvenir shop! Most travellers go up to Khardung La only to see the world’s highest motorable pass, buy some souvenirs from the souvenir shop, click some pictures and come back.

There is a temple of Lord Shiva at the top. The soldiers crossing the Pass stop here and pay their obeisance to the Lord of the Himalayas . The Tibetan Religious Flags with mantras on them flutter atop the Pass. The general belief here is that with the wind, these mantras spread to all the directions taking with them good positive vibrations.

There is a "Rinchen tea stall" at K-Top that serves some high altitude tea and snacks - mainly Maggi noodles. Other than that the main thing to do here is to take a photo next to the “World’s Highest Motorable Road ” sign. Acute Mountain Sickness is a serious risk and visitors are not recommended to spend too long at the top. But needless to say, the views from the top are stunning. Due to its sheer height, the pass gives you jaw dropping views of deep valleys and narrow twisting roads and high altitude traffic jams.

On the other side, after crossing the Pass is North Pullu . From South Pullu to the North Pullu check-point about 10 kms beyond the pass the roadway is primarily loose rock, dirt, and occasional rivulets of melted snow, mainly because the Pass remains snowbound all the time.

It is very difficult to cross the Pass in winter, especially for big vehicles like the Stallion of the army, as many feet of snow accumulate here. And then the snow freezes on the road making the vehicle prone to skidding. Chains are tied to the tyres to prevent the vehicles from skidding off the road and also facilitate them to move through the snow.Though Khardung La receives heavy snowfall, the Himank (Border Roads Organization) keeps it open round the year as all the essential supplies to Siachen troopers go from here only.

If you are traveling to Khardung La, the ideal time is summer. Do take an ample stock of batteries with you as extreme cold conditions tend to exhaust your batteries. And don’t forget to cover yourself well, especially your head as one faces drowsiness, hangovers, high altitude fever, vomiting when traveling through this high altitude region.Road connectivity to the Pass is through Manali and Srinagar and daily flights operate from Delhi and bi-weekly from Jammu . From Leh, a daily bus service to Nubra Valley plies through Khardung La.

Swami Nandbab Ji

The vale of Kashmir perpetually shines in its pristine glory and is blessed to have been a place hallowed by great saints and men of deep insight. This place though ravaged by the travails of time, even now, holds aloft the light of spirituality and mysticism in its fragrant ambrosial sands of time. The beauty of subtle celestial vibrations still pervades the land. Among the myriads of spiritual giants who attained true self realization, Swami Nandbab Ji is regarded as a 'venerable intercession' between him and his God as a bridge for humanity to touch the trail of cosmic consciousness.

Many anecdotes about his life have been recorded and almost all of them point to his divine attainments and mastery over the four 'fruits of life'. The bliss that emanated from his being was for everybody near to uphold and feel blessed. Outwardly he sported no signs of a darvesh such as beard, jap-mala since he was way beyond the idea of body consciousness. His magnetic persona reflected the aphorism of "Tat tvam asi" - you are that? That infinite Atman is not limited by sensory bioscope of the ephemeral world. At the same time he also knew that it would require a superhuman effort from an ordinary human to transcend Mahamaya and hence preached no obscure philosophy but lent his personal help to obviate man's material and spiritual trials. This clearly points out his concern for humanity which could not comprehened lofty philosophy but like smaller boats needed a big ship for them to overcome the wirls and potential dangers of life. What separates this man of God from many other saints is his uniqueness to alleviate human suffering instantly. He was clairaudient and clairvoyant-could hear and see things beforehand. According to the recorded version of Justice J N Bhat, a few anecdotes about Swami Nandlal would substantiate the persona of this sage. Nandbab would always pay attention to keeping himself tidy with daily morning bath through regarding food he would be abstemious. He would talk in parables and generally the words seemed incomprehensible but soon it would be realized that he saw before him events that were about to happen or would happen later.Oft times saints and mystics behave in mysterious ways to convey a message and at the same time to accentuate the transitoriness of the material world. Nandbab was no different in such strides of mystical communion that upfront look strange and devoid of normal sense. His empathy with fellow human beings was revealed in several situations when suffering persons who were terminally ill and spurned by medical specialists miraculously got cured through his benign gaze. Though he didn't seem to speak directly to a person, his spiritually murtured seekers; he evinced interest in their personal matters in order that they don't get dragged back to the muck of the material world. He protected his chosen flock like a mother rendering personal attention to her child's well being.It is difficult to fathom the mysterious ways of a profound mystic with a stature as high as Nandbab, for the perceptions that we tend to hold based on the glamour of the world are often foggy, coloured by prejudices. Thus it is appropriate for us to prostrate before such a mystic and entreat him to bestow on us clarity of vision. Saints serve not from the standpoint of personal seeking but a broader cause in order to open our inner eye. They are intoxicated by a state of supreme love and strive to sacrifice themselves for the good of many. A saint’s whole life prods us with the vedantic inquiry. "Tattakim" what next! What next! The great thinker Abraham Maslow puts it very well when he states that every human has four basic needs - those of food, protection, recognition and self-actualization. Of these self-realization should be the supreme aim of every true spiritual seeker.

Our scriptures state that the subtler an object is the more is its capacity to hold energy. Body is gross; it has muscular energy which looks great from outside but that is not necessarily a sign real strength. Nerve fiber is very subtle, it holds the fine power of thinking and is a testimony to the strength of great thinking. Individual soul is the subtlest and an infinite energy reservoir. It augurs well for us to shift our attention slowly and gradually from gross manifestations to the subtler ones in order to comprehend our own true nature. May the spark that Nandbab has lit in our hearts during his earthly sojourn continue to guide us and help us in realizing our own true potential. May everybody of our life be a festival of lights! Hallowed be thy name-the omniscient Nandbab-the mystic extraordinary!

To quote Shamboo Nath Dhar who served in J&K Accountant General's office, Nandbab made a sudden entry one day into office and signalled with his staff in hand to a junior clerk to occupy a vacant seat nearby. Shaken by the attire of the swami, the employee complied and occupied the chair. Within a few days, he was promoted out of turn as accountant in Radio Kashmir. This is a pointer to the sage's clairvoyance.
Nandbab was observed to dress up as in a battle uniform with an English hat on during the 1947 raid in Kashmir. And during that time he would draw out his stick in different directions as if he were someone to save the native land. During the invasion of Kashmir by Pakistan, people at a place where petrified to hear the sound of saber jet flying over the city. Nandbab assured them that the enemy would be kept in check but consternation was more than real for people to feel satiated. He calmed everybody that if they required his assurance on a stamp paper he would willingly provide. This raised an air of reassurance in the audience and the ritual ceremony continued. It was soon seen that despite best attempts by the enemy, Srinagar Airport did not bear a scar from the attack.It is also reported that during Bangladesh conflict, Nandbab was seen very worried for a couple of days and later he suddenly seemed to revel in joy and murmured with himself, "Everything is alright now." He also asked a person to prepare tasty Kashmiri food at that moment. Next day on All India Radio it was announced that Pakistani military had surrendered en-masse to India in Bangladesh.Nandbab was always seen scribbling something on chits of paper which people would call parvanas. Parvanas were some sort of foretelling of events about to materialize. There is a reported incident about a young man of average intelligence being given one such chit and told that he has been offered a post. Many people irrespective of faiths and age were blessed to receive these chits which indicated their soon-to-be-good fortune.

Contemporary to his times there was a towering spiritual personality staying nearby - the great Bhagvaan Gopinathji. A day before Bhagvaanji attained Mahasamadhi Nandbab was crying inconsolably and shedding tears as if possessed by some grief. When a few people interjected and asked him the reason, he said, "The king of rishis is going away and leaving a huge worked on my shoulders."

In conclusion, I should add that Sadgurus remove "darkness" solve very difficult problems faced by their devotees, cheer them up with their sweet and soothing words. Nandbab was certainly a godly person endowed with spiritual siddhis of a rare order.

God and Man

God is the abode of Truth, consciousness and Bliss (Bhagvad-Gita-VIII, 9). He is born of none, beginingless and the cause of everything (X, 3). According to the Holy Qur'an - "God is one without a second". In the Bible there are references to the threefold nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost - (John 5:22; 1:18; 14:26). God the Father is the Absolute Unmanifested. God the Son is the Christ consciousness existing within vibratory creation. Holy Ghost is the "Word" - the sole causative and activating force that upholds all creation through vibration: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Work was God" - John 1:1 (Bible). The "Word" corresponds to "Aum" of Hindu scripture. Atheists do not believe in God, but the idea of God preoccupies their minds more than that of the common believers. God has never been away from the minds of men and women. Even Chairman Mao had said (though sarcastically) during his last days that he was going to "meet God soon". God cannot be proved; but His existence needs no proof. The existence of God is not mere opinion. It is a matter of faith. More than that, it is a matter of personal experience and actual perception (Anubhav). Lalleshwari, Sai Baba of Shirdi, Parmahansa Rama Krishna, Maharishi Raman, to name only a few, are no pre-historic personages or characters from mythology. The lives of these saints of recent past leave no doubt in our minds about their attainment of God Realization. Religions which are silent about God speak of the Self (soul). The realization of the Self is the realization of God. However, it is one thing to talk of God or even to believe in God and quite another thing to be aware of the presence of God within oneself. Men and women use the idea of God in innumerable ways. Some use Him as a shield against many fears, real or imaginary, like the fear of the unknown. They invoke the protection of God against unforeseen misfortunes, enemies, ghosts and even death. The symbols of God's attributes are extensively used by people to sell their goods. Many "Gurus" use His name to earn easy money and material comforts. Dacoits and criminals worship the images of different "gods" and "goddesses" before going out to commit heinous crimes. Terrorist kill innocent men, women and children with God's name on their (terrorist's) lips. As far as we know, man is the best of God's creation: "Ashraf-ul-Makhlukat". Tennyson calls him the "crown and glory of things". According to Tulsidas, "Man is very fortunate in being born with a human body". Why is man superior to all other living beings? Man is "superior" because he is not only aware of the material reality in him but also capable of realizing the non-material reality of his existence. All other creatures possess only the awareness - "I am". Man with his mind and intellect (both material stuff) probes the mysteries of the material reality within and outside him. He has unraveled innumerable secrets of Nature. His knowledge about his own body and the universe around him is immense. He has succeeded in harnessing the forces of Nature to his advantage, and for his own comfort. But still he is more miserable than happy: "Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar". Why is man unhappy? He is unhappy because his life is not in tune with his spontaneous self. The spontaneous self (soul) has precedence over material self. Man ignores the promptings of his soul or fails to interpret them. The mechanical-material mind remains his only guide and the habits of mind direct the course of his life. He may find pleasure or satisfaction now and then. The pleasures or satisfactions, however, are transitory. But at some stage of spiritual development, some men and women ask themselves the question: "Who am I?" Gradually they become aware of their inner self. Meditation on the inner self silences the noise of the mind. The mind is relieved of the role of the director of life, and it confines itself to its real role as the instrument of adjustment to the outer world. Thus, these spiritually awakened people do only that which their inner self wants done. They do not stop working, but work more efficiently than before without getting elated by success or depressed by failure. Work becomes worship for them, and ultimately they reach the state of Bliss (Ananda), where sorrow cannot touch them.

Phalsa cultivation in Jammu

We can redress the problem of ecology and economy in Jammu region to a greater extent, if we go for Phalsa cultivation. Phalsa is a type of berry found in Shivaliks of Jammu.Firstly for ecology of the Shivaliks it is a soil binder, prevents erosion, it helps in recharging ground water by harvesting rain water thereby preventing flash floods and conserves water. By itself it is drought resistant and can survive even thrive on rainfall of the Shivaliks which is over 1200 mm yearly. Its leaves are ideal fodder. It does not demand any special effort except a fence to protect it from cattle.

It is a medicinal plant with the following characteristics and usages:-
* Leaves are known to have antibiotic action and are applied on skin eruptions.
* Fruits are a cooling tonic and aphrodisiac; they allay thirst and burning sensations, remove biliousness, cure inflammation, heart and blood disorders and fevers. The fruit is astringent and stomachic.
* Administered in respiratory, cardiac and blood disorders as well in fever reduction.
* Infusion of bark is given as demulcent, febrifuge and treatment for diarrheoa. It cures urinary troubles and relieves burning in the vagina. The root bark is employed in treating rheumatism.
* The phalsa seeds produce approximately 5% yield of a bright yellow oil that contains % palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and major component is linoleic acid

Secondly, Economy : It is planted 10 feet apart line to line and plant to plant with a density of 1000 plants per Hectare (50 plants per kanal & 400 per acre). Each plant gives an average of 4 kg of fruit in the month of Jun which is selling at Rs. 100 per kg today in Jammu i.e. Rs. 400 per plant worth Rs. 4 lacs per Hectare. Even if the farmer gets Rs. 50 per kg he would earn 2 lacs every year besides providing Rs. 60,000 to the local landless labour particularly women who pluck the fruit at Rs. 15 per kg at Suchani. There cannot be anything better for income generation in Kandi area which has a very large population without resource and sources of income generation and employment. Hamdard and other herbal industry including Pepsi are interested in developing Phalsa as herbal drink "Shivalik Berry" like Leh Berry now selling in Army Canteen, Airways & Railways.

It has a great potential and now Ghulam Nabi Azad Union Minister for Health has promised full support to develop herbal and medicinal plants in the State and at the same time Phalsa has been included in the State Horticulture programme. Now is the time to go all out and plant hundreds of acres of phalsa in the kandi which should extend to thousands and later lacs of acres of phalsa cultivation from Ravi to Rajouri which is the answer to our economy (employment) and ecology and environment of a tourist State which has a ready market of a crore of pilgrims to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi,Shri Amarnath Ji and other shrines and tourists for these herbal products through kiosks on the National Highway from Lakhanpur to Katra, Pahalgam and Baltal offering Aloevera juice,Ashwagandha andTrifla churans which have already caught the imagination of the health conscious Indians, Thanks to Swami Ram Dev and the call for Ayurveda from the West. Let us make our State a herbal State and start with Jammu region this year 2009.ious Indians. Thanks to Swami Ram Dev Ji and the call from Ayurveda from the West. Let us make the State a herbal State and start with Jammu region this year 2009.

Let Phalsa (Shivalik Berry) be on focus in the Shivaliks during the Environment Month this year.It can indeed transform the Shivalik Kandi into a green oasis which will take care of ecology and economy of the region through self employment.

Historical Temple Nara Nag in Kashmir

The Valley of Kashmir is known not only for its lush green meadows, snow-capped mountains but also for its historical and religious places. There is a temple complex called Nara Nag which evokes awe and is a devotee's delight. There is a small hamlet called wangath which lies in the Ganderbal district - 50 kms from Kashmir on Srinagar - Leh National Highway. The highway bifurcates at a particular place and there is a sign board which reads Wangath. The village of Wangat lies along the dense forests on the periphery of Bhuteshwara mountain range along the terrace of the Kanka River, a tributary of Sindh River. Five miles or eight Kms to the east of Wangath or Vasishthashrama, higher up in the Sind Valley, lies the scared Nara Nag. According to the traditions the water of the spring comes from the Gangabal Lake, as the spring is located at the foot of the Bhutsher or Bhuteshwara, a spur of the Haramukha peaks. They are two groups of temples situated at a distance of about 100 yards from each other. The moonlight in the valley of the Nara Nag is a mesmerizing experience in the month of November as the snow on the higher peaks reflects the full moonlight in the sky, beauty is further added by the tortuous course of the Kanka River torrent whose white and foaming water epitomize the moon silver light on the earth. The fast gale, silver moon light and sound of the gushing water of the Kanka River is a commemorative sight for the Nara Nag group of temples. The small tank with perennial water of Nara Nag has refreshing, digestive properties. At a further distance there is a temple dedicated to Bhairva. The western group identified with the temple is dedicated to Lord Siva. Lalitaditya Muktapida eighth century King of Kashmir erected a temple of Lord Shiva here. The King Avantivarman paid a visit and donated a pedestal with a silver conduct for bathing at Bhutsher. These temples are built of grayish granite found in abundance in neighborhood and their different architectural entities as evidently prove that they are of a different era. The Sodaratirtha referred in the Nilamata Purana is among the scared tiratha in Kashmir Valley presently known as Nara Nag. Till the last quarter of 20th century, out of religious beliefs, local Kashmir Pandits after consecrating the ashes of their relatives in the Gangabal Lake come to perform the last rites for the peace of departed soul. The first group consists of seven temples, the largest temple of the group has two entrances opposite to each other in north-east and south-west direction. The temple is built of huge rectangular stones laid in dry masonry with inter locking system. The interior is square and ceiling is domical built of horizontal kanjur stones and the apex stone crowned by a full blown lotus. The galvanized sheets roofing is of later addition. All the temples had conical stone roof of a single stone, the evidence of which are available on the site. The center is an unpaved square space for missing image of principle diety in the interior. The closed doors embellished with trefoil arches and pediment reflect the Greco-Roman influence on the Kashmiri Temple architecture. The closed arches decorated with square topped arches meant to carry sculptures. Besides the main temple, there are six other miniature shrines placed in an unsymmetrical manner in the compound intended as subsidiary shrines. These subsidiary shrines were probably erected by various groups of pilgrims as a mark of reverence after returning from Gangabal Lake in form of "votive offering" after successful accomplishment of the hazardous ascent to Gangabal Lake. About one hundred meters below towards the River Bed , the second group of temples is enclosed by two chambered huge gateway of similar size and shape as of Avantipur temple. The roofless two chambered gateway were once supported by four pillars, the base of which are in situ. In this group there are about six small roofless temples with high plinths. The main shrine has only huge arched entrance and other three sides have closed doors with trefoil arches encased in triangular encasing. The ceiling of the grabha-griha or the Cella rounded off with rubble lime motar, probably of the later period, converting the square into a circle originally the triangular slabs springs the domical roof by corners of Kanjur stones. The three exterior trefoil niches once had a large image which is no more extant. A huge rectangular tank scooped out from a single rock into a water tank exists on the south face of the principal temple. The whole group encircled is by the remains of rectangular wall of huge stones of which the foundation could be traced, together with several base of pillars and fluted pillars similar to the Avantiswamin Temple, just opposite to the main entrance. There is a large platform with evidence of twelve pedestals of pillars, eight in number four on the longer side and four on the shorter side. The flight of stairs is built between the central pair of columns facing the first group of temple. The 100` ft long by 67` broad pillared hall is a remarkable architecture feat of the whole group of temples. The temples were plundered in the days of Jyasimha in Kalhana's time. The temple of Naranag suffered many misfortunes as mentioned in Khalhana's Rajatarangani during the reign of Sangramaraja (11th century). The temple- was plundered by Bhandesvara, a Minister of the King. For the period of the reign of Uchchala (12th century) a conflagration caused much damage to the building and during the reign of Jayasimha Hayavadava(12th century), a rebel minister also attacked these temples. Nara Nag is the base camp of the Gangabal Lake' it takes 8-10 hour on foot or on horse back to reach the lake. During the June-Oct the village acts as host for thousands of foreign tourists who visit the beautiful Gangabal Lake.

Peach Round juicy fruit

The scientific name Prunus persica, along with the word "peach" itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia(Iran). According to Modern Botanical Consensus, Peaches have been originated from China, and introduced to Persia and Mediterranean region along the Silk Road before Christian times. Peaches are grown in the temperate zone of all the continents of the world. In India, peach cultivation is confined to mid-hill zones of Himalayas extending from Jammu & Kashmir to Khasi hills at an altitude of 1500-200 m above sea level. Low chilling peach cultivars are also grown in sizeable area in sub-mountainous regions of western part of the country i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western U.P. It is also grown on a limited scale in hills of South India & Northeastern region of the country. Peaches remain the "Queen" of fruits and rank second to the apple among deciduous tree fruits in production and value. Peaches are grown both for fresh market and processing purposes.

Peaches are usually classified into one of two categories viz. freestone (with loose and easily removed pit) and clingstone (the stone is enmeshed fruit's flesh). Freestones are mostly sold fresh, while clingstone for canning, freezing and making preserves. Being a highly perishable fruit, it is difficult to distant transport and prolonged storage. Poor quality fruits are used in wine or brandy making. The consumption of peach fruit juice is also increasing rapidly in the form of nectars, fruit drinks and breakfast drinks. The quality of peaches is related to the optimum maturity, as half ripe fruits give better quality of canned product. The cultivar Golden Bush is best suited for canning purpose followed by Foster and Crawford's Early but Prince of Wales and Hales unfit for this purpose. Peach kernel oil is used in food, cosmetics &and Pharmaceutical preparations as apricot kernel oil. The cake contains 7.9 percent nitrogen, is used as a fertilizer or cattle feed. Peach flowers and leaves are plugative and anthelmintic. Fresh peaches are low-calorie source of beta carotene and vitamin C content. They contain fiber, especially pectin, soluble fiber that is instrumental in lowering high blood cholesterol. A medium-size peach contains only 35 calories. Canned and frozen peaches are higher in calories than the fresh. Peach do well in wet and humid climate with cold winter and dry summer. Varieties which need more cold for breaking dormancy are commonly cultivated in hills of Uttarakhand, J&K and Himachal Pradesh. In its soil requirement, light sandy soil is considered best. Peaches havegreat diversity, hence can be grown in plains(Shan-e-Punjab, Florda prince, Florda red, Early Grand, Saharan Prabhat, Sharabti etc) as well as in hills (July Elberta, Red haven, Elberta etc).Deep fertile loam or sandy loam with good drainage also favours peaches.

Lush Green Valley of Gulmarg

Gulmarg, located as a bowl-shaped small valley at 8,500 feet (2730 meters) in Pir Panchal basin is a preferred destination of matchless beauty. Also known as the meadow of flowers, Gulmarg’s lush green grasses with cool breezes coming from surrounding dense forests of tall conifers on mountains with snowy peaks creates a fabulous experience that no tourist visiting Kashmir can afford to miss. And as winter approaches, the entire landscape changes from the bright green slopes of summers into the shinning white skiing track area beckoning winter sports lovers and adventurers to its gentle snow covered slopes. In fact, it is skiing that defines Gulmarg now-a-days. Gulmarg is said to have been discovered as a leisure spot by one of the rulers of Kashmir, Yusuf Shah Chak, who along with his poetess Queen Habba Khatoon would visit the place. Mughal Emperor Jehangir with great aesthetic sense too well liked the place. British were so fascinated by Gulmarg that it became their favourite sports jaunt on this side of Suez both during summer and winter. Besides setting up the world’s highest golf course at Gulmarg, they also made it an important ski resort with the introduction of Skiing almost at the same time as it had started in the Alps. The Ski Club of India was set up in 1927 and ski competitions were held at the nearby Khilanmarg with its pony track from Gulmarg kept open throughout the winter. The Christmas and Easter competitions evolved as the two major events. Winter sports activities including skiing, which vanished from the area with the departure of British from India in 1947, were revived by the high Altitude Warfare School of Indian Army set up at Gulmarg. And after 1965 with the union Tourism Ministry’s intervention, Gulmarg started evolving into a Ski Resort of international standards. The Gulmarg Winter Sports Project was launched with UNDP’s assistance. Soon a large number of skiers mostly from abroad started thronging mountain slopes in the area especially to enjoy a white Christmas in the Himalayas in this region. Many of the winter sports lovers would make a four-hour climb to top of the mountain, “Apharwat” for a ski run that facilitates a fascinating view of the Himalayas and also far away Karakorum ranges including the peaks of Nanga Parbat and K-2. A National Ski School was set up which started turning out qualified national ski instructors and in turn improved job opportunities in the area. Work also began for putting in place a Gondola from Gulmarg to Apharwat at an elevation of 3980 meters to coincide its completion with the proposed 1990 Asian Winter Games here. But unfortunately, all projections went haywire with the outbreak of militancy in Kashmir valley at the beginning of 1990 and the dream Gondola cable car project could be completed only in 2005-06 making it the highest ski resort served by lift in the entire world. Designed by Poma of France, Gulmarg’s Gondola offers skiers and snowboarders a bigger lift-serviced vertical rise than any ski resort in the United States. As an idea of its scale, the vertical rise of Gulmarg’s Gondola is on par with any comparable single lift at Whistler-Blackcomb, which is famed for having the biggest vertical rise of any ski resort in North America. With already a part of required infrastructure on stream, Gulmarg and its adjoining areas have the potential of emerging as the world’s most preferred destination in the near future. Its advantages are that unlike many European winter resorts Gulmarg has better snow line, is not overcrowded and is easily approachable with a little more than an hour’s drive from the nearest city Srinagar which has good board and lodging facilities and an airport of almost international standards. However, there are certain mandatory requirements for operating a safe world-class ski resort in which Gulmarg and other winter ski sports arenas in the valley still lack. These include machinery for grooming the slopes, avalanche controllers and ski patrollers for rescue. In Europe several private institutions and voluntary organizations specialize in meeting these mandatory requirements but in absence of such facilities in the valley, the government needs to fill in the vacuum as it requires capital and expertise in a big way. In the meantime, ski-mountaineering, cross country skiing, and open air ice-skating, which need the least infrastructure, can be promoted. Kashmir valley abounds in virgin and mostly unexplored cross-country stretches that include the trails from Gulmarg to Yusmarg via Tos Maidan, valley behind Kungwattan-Ahrabal range and Lidder valley to Sindh valley. They are fairly vast cross-country areas and a number of groups can simultaneously operate in them. The slopes in Gulmarg varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet make the ski runs the highest in India. It is noteworthy that heli-skiing is another winter sport that is quite popular at Gulmarg, which boasts of being the only heli-skiing resort in Asia. Ever since the hosting of the first National Winter Games in 1998, Gulmarg has been the venue for winter sport festivals. In fact, winter sports in Kashmir are not just games of adventure. They are part of the festivals organized during winter to add to the fun offered by snowfall. These include races, contests and fests that are widely observed across the state and involve the participation of locals and tourists in large numbers. Locals say that the arrival of tourists means livelihood for them. Acting as guides or ski instructors to the tourists, each of them can earn anything between Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per day.The villagers operating as ponnywallas during summer turn into sledge pullers during winter and do good business as they charge around Rs. 130 per hour from the tourists to show them around the Gulmarg valley. Their only demand is that the government should ensure that the tourists keep thronging the area and that would make their livelihood safe.The hotel owners also agree that Gulmarg has the potential to develop as an all year tourist destination but the state government needs to promote it more aggressively within and outside the country. Gulmarg also boasts of a gorgeous green golf course that happens to be the world’s highest too. Its 18-hole golf course has long been famous for golfing. Being a course of Par 72, the Gulmarg golf course is good enough to hold any professional level events. The records of almost a century-old historic Gulmarg Golf Club make a fascinating reading. The first Golf championship was held here in 1922.The Clubhouse itself, reminiscent of a Swiss chalet with its quaintly sloping roof, has a rare old character. Development of winter tourism would extend the tourism activity from the present 90 days in summer to almost entire year. As most of the activities connected with winter tourism are service oriented, it has appreciable scope for employment at various levels.It would also help in making the winter sports popular among the locals that could eventually produce international class winter sportspersons from the region as is the case with the Europe’s skiing nations Austria and Switzerland who produce World’s best skiers and mountaineers. Prior to the outbreak of turmoil in nineties, local students and youth from the nearby villages came to Gulmarg for training in different winter sports events. Some of them excelled as sportspersons in their own right and participated in Asian Winter games and Olympics. Many of them eventually got employed in different jobs at the hill resorts.India boasts of a huge young population and they, including the youth from the state, would make the best clients for winter tourism if the habit of holidaying both for leisure, fun and adventure were cultivated among them. The local youth has also got to be made partners in this progress with easy assistance to set up infrastructure ventures. All this will need a major national effort.