Gulmarg
Gulmarg or the
“meadow of flowers” is a famous skiing resort of Kashmir and extremely popular
tourist destination of Kashmir and people from every nook and corner of India
as well as abroad visit this place both during summer and winters. Gulmarg has
been a resort for the kings like Yousuf Shah Chak and Jahangir who used to
visit this place frequently. The old name of Gulmarg was "Gaurimarg",
after the name of Lord Shiva's wife.
Besides famous for
its scenic beauty, Gulmarg is also now famous for its Gondola (cable car) , which is second highest in the world. It is the
only cable car system in Asia that travels up an elevation of 13,500 ft above
sea level. It is located on the backdrop of the beautiful Himalayan Peaks in
the Gondola Village of Gulmarg. The Gondola covers the distance from Gulmarg to
Kongdoor and from Kongdoor to Apharwat.
This cable lift service comprises 2 stretches that travel a total distance of 5
km.
Gulmarg is a very
popular trekking base in the Himalayan regions. Many trekking trails offering
medium to hard adventurous trekking originates from the hilly terrains of
Gulmarg. There are many resorts offering all supports for trekking expeditions
and also there are many skilled guides. Gulmarg-Khilanmarg, Gulmarg-Apharwat
and Gulmarg-Alapther trekking trails are very popular among the trekking
enthusiasts. The trekking through the breathtaking undulated snow covered
sloppy Himalayan ranges is really an adventurous experience to extol.
Majestic views of Nanga Parbat, enchanting snow covered valleys and dense forests make the trekking in Gulmarg a wonderful experience for any traveller. Ideal time for trekking is from April to November. Gulmarg is also famous for its Golf Course, which is the highest golf course in the world.
Avantipur Ruins
While going to
kokernag we visited enroute, the temples in Avantipur. These ruins are situated
about 18 kilometres on the main road and therefore are very easy to find and
can be seen even with a brief stopover. The two temples dating 9th century are
only 1 km apart. One is a Shiva Temple, which is renovated and is in daily use.
The larger, the Avantiswami Temple is now a ruin. King Awantivarman, who ruled
Kashmir from 853 to 888 AD built both temples and dedicated the larger, the
Avantiswami Temple to the Hindu God Vishnu. Awantivarman was the first king of the Utpala dynasty.
We could only see the Vishnu temple , which is located within a kilometre northwest of the
Shiva temple by the side of the Srinagar-Jammu highway. The main shrine is in
the centre of a spacious oblong courtyard and four subsidiary shrines at the
corners. The temple is of rectangular shape with a central building. It is
surrounded by an array of 69 cells around the periphery of a paved courtyard
and has an imposing gateway in the middle part of the western side. The stairs
leading to the sanctum, are engraved with figures of Kamdev, King
Avanthivarman, his queen and entourage. The elegant forms, proportionate
layout, exuberant carvings and graceful sculptures of the temples exhibit the
masterly composition of architecture and art in Kashmir during that period. The
temples are made of large, dressed rectangular blocks, slabs and columns of
limestone of the Triassic age.
The two temples, although in ruins, still proclaim
the great architectural skill of ancient Kashmir. The factors responsible for the ruins are varied, which include destruction of the
roof by the Sultans and the effect of earthquakes. We were told that the main cause of the deteriorated condition of
the sculptures was the inherent defect
in the rock made of the limestone which
is easily subjected to weathering. Thus, the magnificent temples of Avantipur
including their carved images became the target of the hostile elements of
nature and a victim of time.
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