Baramula

Baramula is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It stretches over a vast area of 4,588 sq km. There are many temples, shrines, monasteries and gurudwaras, which attract visitors of all communities to this district.

The Baramula District is divided into 16 blocks and 8 tehsils, which are the administrative units of the district. The district shares its borders on the west with the section of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan. It is bordered by Srinagar and Ladakh on the east. Kupwara lies in the north of the district and Budgam and Pooch border the south end of the district of Baramula.

Baramula District has a strategic position in the valley of Kashmir that opened the routes to Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad, both of which are presently located in Pakistan. The ancient city of Baramula was founded by Raja Bhimsina.

The region attracted the Mughal ruler Akbar who visited the district in the year 1508. Jahangir resided in the region during his visit to the Valley of Kashmir. The Chinese traveller Hieun T'Sang also visited Baramula.

The district is marked for its tolerance towards all religions and has several religious centres. The Teeratha is visited by Hindus. Buddhist devotees visit the Buddist Vihars. The shrine of the Muslim saint Syed Janbaz Wali is sacred to the Muslims.

Chatti Padshahi is the Sikh site of worship visited by pilgrims of the community. The town has some very good schools and there are several big projects underway in order to enhance the infrastructure of the area.

Baramula is famous for its terrain and cool weather. The lakes, mountain streams, valleys, mountain ranges, springs, streams and waterfalls make it a wonderful tourist destination. Some of the places to visit are Gulmarg, Manasbal Lake, Manimarg, Vijimarg, Mahalishamarg and the Wular Lake. Apart from the religious places, there are also two famous archaeological monuments, one at Parihaspora Pattan, and another at Pattan Bazzar, which can be visited.

Baramula lies close to Srinagar and can be easily reached from there. The nearest rail station is at Jammu which is connected to major cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Nagpur, etc. Buses are available from places like Srinagar, Jammu and Kargil. The best time to visit Baramula is the summer season, i.e. the months of April to July.