North India · Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir
About Jammu & Kashmir
- Mountains
Where it is
Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in the far north of India, reaching from the plains around Jammu across the Pir Panjal range to the Kashmir Valley in the Himalaya; Srinagar is its summer capital and Jammu its winter capital.
History
The Kashmir Valley was a centre of Hindu and Buddhist learning under dynasties such as the Karkotas, whose story is told in Kalhana's 12th-century chronicle, the Rajatarangini. From the 14th century it was ruled by the Shah Mir sultans, then by the Mughals, Afghans and Sikhs, and in 1846 it passed to the Dogra ruler of Jammu, Gulab Singh, forming the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2019 it has been a union territory of India.
People
Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English are the official languages, and Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi are also spoken, with Gujjar and Bakarwal herders moving their flocks between the seasons. The region is known for its wazwan feasts, Dogra traditions and crafts such as walnut-wood carving.
Known for
- Houseboats and shikaras on Dal Lake
- The Mughal gardens of Srinagar
- Gulmarg and Pahalgam
- Pashmina shawls, carpets and papier-mâché
- The Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra
Did you know?
Saffron is grown on the plateaus around Pampore near Srinagar, and Kashmiri saffron is prized for its deep colour and aroma.
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