Page 160 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

158  DELHI & THE NOR TH

Caution
At present, it is not advisa ble
to visit Jammu and Kashmir,
due to continued unrest. In
recent years, there have been
reports of terrorist activity by
militant groups in the area.
Foreign tourists are advised
to be careful while visiting
the region.

structures, date from the 17th
century. In an altogether
different style is the Hazratbal
Srinagar’s 14th-century Shah Hamadan Mosque, made entirely of wood Mosque, with its dazzling
white dome and single slender
r Jammu their numbers; an Eighth Bridge, minaret. Rebuilt in the Saracenic
built more recently (in the 20th style after a fire in the 1960s, it
Jammu district. 500 km (311 miles)
NW of Delhi. * 378,400. ~ 8 km century) above First Bridge, is contains Kashmir’s most sacred
(5 miles) SW of city centre. £ @ known with typical Kashmiri wit relic, a hair from the beard of
n J&K Tourism, Vir Marg, (0191) 254 as Zero Bridge. This serves the the Prophet Muhammad.
8172. _ Lohri (13 Jan), Jammu modern part of the city, built The Mughal emperors
Festival (Apr), Navratra (Sep/Oct). in the late 19th century. At the delighted in Kashmir’s beauty
city’s edge are the idyllic Dal and enhanced it by introducing
The winter capital of Jammu and and Nagin Lakes, linked by the stately chinar tree (Platanous
Kashmir state, Jammu is located a network of backwaters. orientalis) to the
on a bluff of the Shivalik Range, Srinagar’s mosques Kashmir Valley. They
overlooking the northern plains. and shrines are also created
The main site of interest is the among the city’s terraced hillside
Amar Mahal, once the residence most attractive gardens that were
of the maharajas, and today a features. These are designed around
museum with artifacts relating to typically built of wood, foun tains and water-
the region’s culture and history. intricately carved in courses, formed by
Jammu is also the base for the geometric patterns, channeling water
pilgrimage to the cave shrine and, instead of having Chinar leaves in from natural springs
of the goddess Vaishno Devi in a dome, they are autumn colours or streams. Of the 777
the Trikuta mountains, 50 km (31 surmounted by a Mughal gardens that
miles) away. The shrine attracts pagoda-like steeple. The most reportedly once graced the
four million Hindus every year. striking examples are the Kashmir Valley, not many
Mosque of Shah Hamadan in survive. There are three, however,
E Amar Mahal Museum the old city, and the Shah within easy reach of Srinagar,
Off Srinagar Rd. Open Tue–Sun. & Makhdum Sahib Shrine on the on the eastern shore of the Dal
slopes of Hari Parbat hill. Two Lake – Chashmashahi, Nishat
conventional stone mosques, and Shalimar Gardens. Above
t Srinagar the Patthar Mosque and the the pretty Chashmashahi Garden,
Mosque of Akhund Mulla Shah, and rising tier upon tier on the
Srinagar district. 700 km (435 miles)
NW of Delhi. * 895,000. ~ 8 km both beautifully proportioned mountainside, are the ruins of a
(5 miles) S of city centre. @ n J&K
Tourism, (0194) 245 2690. _ Milad-
ul-Nabi (May).
Srinagar, the summer capital of
Jammu and Kashmir, is a city
of lakes and waterways, gardens
and picturesque wooden
architecture. The old quarters of
the city sprawl over both sides
of the Jhelum river, crossed by
seven bridges. Although the
bridges have their own names
(such as Amira Kadal and Zaina
Kadal), they are also known by The impressive ruins of the 8th-century Sun Temple at Martand
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp695–6 and p708

158-159_EW_India.indd 158 26/04/17 11:43 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm