Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir is a state in northernmost of India it is situated in the Himalayan Mountains. The state shares border with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and an international boundary with Pakistan to the north and east.

J&K comprises three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The state has two capitals: Srinagar in the summer and Jammu in the winter. Jammu & Kashmir comprises 22 districts.

The Mughal emperor, Akbar, invaded Kashmir in 1586. He appointed one of his generals, Ramchandra I, as a governor of the Himalayan Kingdom. He founded the city of Jammu. Ranjit Singh of Lahore captured Jammu and Kashmir in 1780 after the death of Ranjit Deo, a descendent of Ramchandra.

The Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab are the major rivers following through the state. But the Jhelum River is the only Himalayan river flows through the Kashmir Valley.

There are several Himalayan glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir. Siachin Glacier is one of them. It is the longest Himalayan glacier.

Jammu & Kashmir is home to several famous lakes: Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake and Manasbal Lake in Jammu, Pangong Lake and Tsomo-riri Lake in Ladakh, Surinsar Lake and Mansar Lake in Jammu.

There are many gardens in the state. These are Mughal Garden, Shalimar, Nishat Garden, Pari Mahal, Harwan, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden, Cheshmashahi, Srinagar, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, Jharokha Mughal Garden, Manasbal, Mughal Garden, Darashikoh Bagh, Bijbehara, Botanical Garden Kokernag, Mughal Garden, Bagh-e-Bahu, etc.

Urdu is the official language of the state. Other principal spoken languages are Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Balti, Ladakhi, Gojri, Shina and Pashto.

The state celebrates many festivals: Tulip festival, Baisakhi Festival, Khir Bhawani Festival, Gurez Festival, AmarnathJi Yatra, Saffron Festival, Snow Festival, Urs or annual festivals, the monastic Festival, Chhams, etc.

Jammu & Kashmir is well connected by rail, road and air. Direct flights operate to Srinagar and Leh. The major service providers in the state are Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan.

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is a beautiful Himalayan region bordered by Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the south, Uttarakhand to the south-east, and Punjab to the west and to the south-west. Himachal Pradesh is the region of snowy mountains, as it is located in the western Himalaya. Its capital is Shimla, which was formerly British India’s summer capital.

Places to visit
Major attractions of Himachal Pradesh are Shimla, Dalhousie, Chamba, Kullu and Manali, Kangra-Dharamshala-Palampur and Paonta-Nahan.

Climate
Himachal Pradesh experiences three seasons: hot, cold and rainy seasons.

Languages
Himachal Pradesh comprises 12 districts. There are Hindi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandialli, Kangri, Gojri and Kinnauri.

Communities
There are Brahmins, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gaddis, Gojri, Bilaspuri, Kannets, Rathis, Kolis and Punjabi in Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest literacy rates in India.

Culture
The Himalayan state offers handicrafts, comprising carpet, shawl, leather work, metalware, woodwork and paintings. Pashmina shawl is high in demand all over the country. Kullu is famous for shawls with vibrant colours. However Kangra and Dharamshala are famous for miniature paintings.

Himachal Pradesh is home to a variety of birds and animals. There are around 1200 bird and 359 animal species in the state.

Cuisine
Himachal Pradesh’s cuisine is charming. It includes Pateer, Chouck, Bhagjery, Jhoul, Patradoe, Sidku, Bedaun, Chutney, Madra, Khatti Dal, Ambua, Pahari Aloo and Pahari Murga.

Air Transport
There are three domestic airports in Himachal: Shimla Airport, Bhunta Airport and Gaggal Airport. However, most international flights land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.