Gulmarg lies in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. It derives its name from the words “Gul” meaning flower and hence the place means “the meadow of flowers” that bears the wonderful bluebells, daisies, forget-me-nots and buttercups etc.
Gulmarg was chosen to host the winter Olympics of the 2010 but the venue got shifted later. But it was worth thinking as the place is filled with all the winter games and the adventure sports that can be done in the mountains. Some of the Tourist Places in Gulmarg that need special mention here are as the under –
Alpather Lake
Alpather Lake is situated at a distance of 13 kms from the town of Gulmarg. The lake remains frozen for most of the year round and no boating is possible even at times of the year when the lake is semi frozen. The popular activity on this lake is the horse riding where the visitors enjoy a full day of horse riding.
Baba Reshi Shrine
This place is the popular shrine of Baba Reshi who was the courtier of the ancient king of Kashmir Zain-ul-Abedin who gave up the noble life and dedicated his life to the principles of Sufism. The place is situated at a height of 2133 meters. Vehicles are not available up to the shrine and hence the sledges and chutes are available for those who have difficulty climbing up the shrine.
Gondola from Gulmarg
the gondolas are the cable cars that give a thrilling ride to the tourists that charge around rupees 200/- for a ride from Gulmarg to Kongdoor. These gondolas have become a major boost to the Kashmir economy providing a net annual worth of 6 to 8 crores.
Gulmarg Gold Golf
golfing was brought in the Gulmarg valley by the Britishers in the year 1911 and from then the sport has been flourishing in the state. Previously the course had only a six hole golf course but now we can see two 18 hole golf courses here and a small course called rabbit course for the children.
Khilanmarg
Khilanmarg is known for its scenic natural beauty which is located at about 4 km from Gulmarg. This place becomes a garden in the spring season when the meadows bloom with the flowers flowering everywhere around the place. Here one can enjoy the horse riding on a fine weather day. From here the mesmerizing views of the Wular Lake, the Alpather Lake, the rice fields and the captivating snow capped Mt. Nanga Parbat can be visible on a clear day.
Maharani Temple
it is called the maharani temple because it was built by the wife of the last ruler of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh in the year 1915. This temple, dedicated to the Hindu God lord Shiva, is built centrally in the town here so that it is visible from every corner of the town. it was the royal temple of the Dogra kings and sees many devotees visiting the temple round the year.
These is an addition to the plentiful of the adventure sports available in the region like the trekking, skiing, mountaineering, sledging etc. so if you are in Kashmir then make sure you are here in Gulmarg.
