Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sonamarg hill station

Location : Jammu & Kashmir.

Altitude : 2,740 m

Best time to Visit : May To June in the Summers.

Sonamarg - Introduction

Beat the heat at the hill resort of Sonamarg. The meadow of Gold, Sonamarg is one of the many famous hill resorts of Jammu and Kashmir. Sonamarg is a major gateway to Ladakh besides being a popular base for adventure sports. The spectacular valley of Sonamarg derives its name from a legend. As per the legend there is a well in the Sonamarg valley whose water can turn anything into gold. The other possible reason for the name Sonamarg could be its location on the route to Central Asia. Sonamarg is in fact wrapped in sycamore, alpine flowers, silver birch, fir and pine.

Accessibility

By Air : Sonamarg is in Srinagar District on the Srinagar Leh Highway, 81-km from Srinagar. The nearest airport is in Badgam District, connecting the capital city with all the major cities in India.

By Train : The nearest Railhead is at Jammu and from there National Highway NH1A connects the Kashmir valley with India.

By Bus : Every sort of transport to suit every budget from Buses to Taxis ply on National Highway NH1A. Bus service is available from Srinagar and Anantnag, which leave at fixed time from the Bus stands. Taxis and other sort of transport can be hired from Srinagar at pre-fixed rates.

Places to Visit

Nilagrad : A mountain river meets the Indus at the Baltic colony, Nilagrad, 6-km away from Sonamarg. The water of the river is reddish in colour. The Baltic thinks the water has curative power of many diseases. Inhabitants of the colony visit this place every Sunday to bath in the river.

Bisansar Lake & Krishnasar Lake : These are two beautiful lakes added to the beauty of Sonamarg. On the way from Sonamarg to Bisansar Lake via Nichinai Pass, stands the Bisansar Lake at an altitude of 4, 084m, while crossing the river at Nichinai Pass, with its its lovely natural beauty. Beside the lake is the Krishnasagar Lake at an altitude of 3,801m, famous for Trout fishing.