Wandering Thoughts

Having read about the origin and intense history of Kashmir in the last article, this article continues to tell you about the story of Kashmir that includes its beauty, culture, food, economy and current situation. Kashmir is known as the Paradise on Earth. The place is world famous for its scenic splendor, snow-capped mountains, plentiful wildlife, exquisite monuments, hospitable people and local handicrafts. Srinagar is the largest city in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dal lake is the most beautiful place in Srinagar with houseboats and shikaras. Along with it, Shalimar Bagh, Hazratbal Shrine, Tullip Garden, Char chinar, Pari Mahal are the major attractions in the city.    Gulmarg is another beautiful destination in Kashmir. It is famous for skiing scenes in India. It also offers the famous Gondola ride, the highest and longest cable car in Asia.    Sonamarg is one more amazing place in Kashmir. Thajiwas glacier is a lovely vantage p...

“Agar Firdaws ba roy-i zamin ast , hamin ast -u hamin ast -u hamin ast ”, these were the words about Kashmir by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. It means, “If there is Paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.” That is the beauty of Kashmir.    As part of this article, I am going to narrate the story of Kashmir that includes its origin and history. There is one more article coming next that talks more about the valley’s beauty, the current situation, culture, food and economy of Kashmir.   It is believed that the word Kashmir was derived from the name of the Vedic sage Kashyapa who settled people in this land. Historically, Kashmir referred to the Kashmir valley. Today, it denotes a larger area comprising of Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract or Saksham Valley.   In the first half of the 1st millennium, the Kashmir region became an important center of Hinduism and later of Buddhism; l...

Every year we celebrate the new year on January 1 st. We make new resolutions, give a new beginning for things, wish for best things to happen in that year and even greet our family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, in short everyone a Happy New Year. Not just that, we attend parties, taste some special food items and even lit some crackers in the midnight.   But most of us tend to forget the fact that Indian New Year’s days vary depending on the region and the calendar. While it is important to celebrate January 1 st as the new year, it is equally important to know and acknowledge the new year days across various regions of India. Well, in this article let’s find out the actual new year days celebrated across various states in India and their significance.   Ugadi / Yugadi -> Ugadi is the new year day for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana whereas Yugadi is the new year day for the state of Karnataka. Both Ugadi and Yugadi are observed on the firs...