Sonamarg
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Sonamarg (सोनमर्ग ) is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Location
It is located about 62 Kilometers from Ganderbal Town and 80 kilometres northeast of the capital city, Srinagar.
Variants
Origin
Sonamarg = lit. 'meadow of gold' in Kashmiri
History
Sonamarg had historical significance as a gateway on the ancient Silk Road, connecting Jammu and Kashmir with Tibet.[1][2] Today, the hill station is a popular tourist destination amongst fishers and hikers, and following the Kargil War with neighbouring Pakistan in 1999, serves as a strategically important point for the Indian Army
Geography
The hill station is situated in the Kashmir Valley, at an altitude of 2,730 metres (8,960 ft) and is close to some of the valley's tallest peaks, alongside the Machoi Glacier, Sirbal Peak, Kolahoi Peak, Amarnath Peak and Machoi Peak. Combined with the alpine meadows that bloom in the summer as well as rivers and lakes stocked with fish, Sonamarg is a notable tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir.[3]
Sonamarg gives rise to the 'Three Sisters'—a group of rivers (the Lidder, Sind and Neelum) that run parallel to each other and serve as tributaries for the major Jhelum River that runs through the Kashmir Valley and into Pakistan.
Tourism
Sonamarg provides trekking routes leading to Vishansar Lake, Krishansar Lake, Gangabal Lake and Gadsar Lake in the Himalayas, which are stocked with snowtrout and brown trout.[4] The Sind River meanders here and abounds with trout and mahseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier, a major attraction during the summer months. The Yatra to the nearby Amarnath Temple begins in Sonamarg.
Baltal, 15 km east of Sonamarg, is a valley that lies at the foot of the Zoji La pass. Trekkers can also reach the city of Leh - known as "the rooftop of the world" - by crossing over the Zoji La.
सोनमर्ग
सोनमर्ग या सोनामर्ग भारत के जम्मू व कश्मीर राज्य के गान्दरबल ज़िले में ३,००० मीटर की ऊँचाई पर स्थित एक पर्वतीय पर्यटक स्थल है। यह सिन्द नाले (सिन्धु नदी से भिन्न) नामक नदी की घाटी में है। सोनमर्ग से आगे ऊँचे पर्वत हैं और कई प्रसिद्ध हिमानियाँ (ग्लेशियर) स्थित हैं और यहाँ से पूर्व लद्दाख़ का रास्ता निकलता है।
नामोत्पत्ति - मर्ग का अर्थ 'घास का खुला मैदान' होता है। सोनमर्ग का मतलब 'सोने का मर्ग' है।
References
- ↑ Knight, E. F. 1893. Where Three Empires Meet: A Narrative of Recent Travel in: Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the adjoining countries. Longmans, Green, and Co., London. Reprint: Ch'eng Wen Publishing Company, Taipei. 1971
- ↑ ["Sonamarg on Silk Route". silkroutee.com. ]
- ↑ "Sonmarg from Srinagar". kashmironline.net.
- ↑ Petr, T., ed. (1999). Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes : Asia. Rome: FAO. p. 72. ISBN 92-5-104309-4.