This was the best region that I covered in my world tour. The abode that will always remain close to my heart. As a scenic destination, Jammu and Kashmir, remains a best known place for placid lakes and hot tourist spots.

Located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Jammu and Kashmir lies in the vicinity of the Karakoram and western Himalayan mountain ranges. I was quite mesmerized by the beauty of the region as it is filled with snow-clad mountains, glittering peaks, variety of flowers. All this welcomed me to a perfumed air and misty winds; Jammu and Kashmir is a paradise in itself, enticing all those who choose to visit the place.

I also visited Jammu, the winter capital, an important tourist center after Srinagar. Jammu has a own story to tell. It endorses the famous shrine of Hindu Goddess Mata Vaishno Devi. Then there is a dargah of Peer Budhan Ali Shah, who is believed to protect the local people, is also a site of religious interest. oh! yes, the Raghunath Temple Complex, my guide told me that it is the largest temple in North India and is devoted to Lord Rama, a hindu god.

Man! how can I forget about Srinagar, the favorite destination among tourists. Thankfully Srinagar open to tourism after a period of troubled times, Srinagar is again attracting hordes of tourists and is definitely proving to be the most famous tourist destination in the state. An ancient city, there are many attractions that can lure the tourist to this land. Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and Chashme Shahi are some of the best-known tourist spots in Srinagar

My Story In Jammu and Kashmir
Being a Doctor in Argentina for last 30 years, I have to always have to be on my toes looking for patients. But annoyingly, I observed a decline in my outputs for last many months and I knew the reasons. I need a break, may be a world tour will help me to come back to form, I thought. And I relentlessly applied for a three months holiday in which I thought to cover Asia, India in particular. As I collected infomation about India, I found that Kashmir is one of the major region in India that I should visit.

Believe me! Internet was a great help to me in assmilating information about the place. In last few decades net has grown so vast that it has virtually become so easy to access anything anywhere in the world. Through Net, I came to know that Kashmir was a delight for Moghuls rulers especially in summers.

I landed on Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi and then took a flight to Srinagar Airport that lies 14 kms from Kashmir. Kashmir is a well connected city by rail, road and air. With in the city, Jammu Kashmir Road Transport Corporation operates between the airport and city. It charged me Rs 250 in Indian currency on my visit. Being one of the attractive place, Kashmir is no short of hotels and resorts. In fact, it has another option to live in houseboats that are worth trying.

As I explored entire India, I found Kashmir to be the most beautiful regions in the state. Kashmir is surrounded by three snowcapped majestic Himalayan ranges Karakoram, Zanaskar and Pir Pinjal that conceals the landscape from northwest to northeast. As I entered the exotic horizon for the first time, I had to contact a travel operator for sightseeeing purpose.

The first place I thronged to was the Mughal Gardens, The gardens was built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jehan, Shalimar, is a beautiful garden with sweeping vistas over gardens and lakes, and shallow terraces as told to me by guide.He also informed me that the garden is 539 m by 182 m and has four terraces, rising one above the other. A canal lined with polished stones and supplied with water from Harwan runs through the middle of the garden. The fourth terrace, by far the best, was once reserved for royal ladies. I also visited Nishant bagh, Chasma Shahi, Pari Mahal.

Then my guide, Usman, took me to Dal lake, one of the most beautiful and largest lake in India. After that I visited the most enticing Shankrachraya temple at a hill called Takt-e-Sulemeiman that is 5 km from Nehru park. My guide also told me about the dreadful incident that took place in this temple by the terrorist decade back.

After looking all the scenic destination in Kashmir, I also explored the nearby places such as Wulnar lake, Watlab, Achabal, Daksum, Kokernag (70 km from Srinagar). Oh! how could I forget to tell about the dishes that I relished in Kashmir. I tried Dum aloo (curry potatoes), Mutton in vegetables, Seekh Kababs. The food was quite spicy and well cooked.