The Sind Valley is a
Himalayan sub-valley of the
Kashmir Valley in the Indian union territory of
Jammu and Kashmir. The
entrance of the Sind Valley lies northeast of
Srinagar the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a long gorge valley
with an average width of .
History
The Sind Valley had a strategic importance on the ancient
Silk Road. It worked as a bridge between
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
China and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
along with Srinagar-Skardu Route.
First
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
and then
Islam spread in Kashmir through this route. The Sind Valley still connects
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu ...
with the rest of India through a National Highway
NH 1D
National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D. The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system, that it is the northernmost East-Wes ...
, though it remains closed during winter due to heavy snowfall at
Zojila
Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh, Kargil district, Kashmir. Located in the Drass, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west, with the Drass and ...
.
Geography
The Sind Valley is situated within the jurisdiction of
Kangan tehsil, of
Ganderbal district
The Ganderbal district, or more formally District Ganderdal, is a district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Ganderbal town is administrative headquarters of district. It was formed in 2007 and has 6 subdistricts (tehsils): ...
. It is bordered by the
Kashmir Valley in the west,
Zojila
Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh, Kargil district, Kashmir. Located in the Drass, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west, with the Drass and ...
in the east,
Kishanganga in the north and the
Lidder Valley
The Lidder Valley or Liddar ValleyKaul, Manmohan N., ''Glacial and Fluvial Geomorphology of Western Himalaya,'' South Asia Books, 1990, p. 23, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is a Himalayan sub-valley that forms the southea ...
in the south.
It has a length of and reaches a maximum length of at village Preng towards the north through a stream Wangath Nala which flows down from
Gangabal Lake. At some places the width is less than which gives only space to
NH 1D
National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D. The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system, that it is the northernmost East-Wes ...
, a National Highway which connects
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu ...
and the
Kashmir Valley. It is formed by the flow of the
Sind River
The Sind River or the Sindh River is a river in the Ganderbal district of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a major tributary of the Jhelum River and is 108 kilometres long.
Geography
The Sind River forms the Sind ...
which flows down from east to west. The River originates from the inner Himalayas at
Drass in
Machoi Glacier
The Machoi Glacier is a 9 kilometer long glacier in the Himalayan Range in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, India.
Geography
It is situated 30 kilometer west from Drass, Ladakh, India and 8 kilometers east from Sonamarg on the southern side o ...
and runs through green forests of pine and fir and
alpine meadows of
Sonamarg
Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 Kilometers from Ganderbal Town and northeast of the capital city, Srina ...
. The Sind Valley contributes heavily to the economy of the State, through generation of hydroelectricity, provides fresh water supply to other districts and irrigation for agriculture. The
Sind River
The Sind River or the Sindh River is a river in the Ganderbal district of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a major tributary of the Jhelum River and is 108 kilometres long.
Geography
The Sind River forms the Sind ...
flows through the entire valley passing several natural landmarks, tourist spots including
Baltal,
The meadow of gold, Gagangear,
Naranag
Naranag or (Nara Nag) is a tourist village and ancient Hindu pilgrimage site, near Ganderbal town in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Well known for its ancient but pillaged temple ruins complex, it is located around 8 km from ...
and
Wayil.
The main towns in the valley are Gund, Mammer,
Kangan, Wangath, Preng, Wussan and Manigam.
Geology
The Sind Valley has formed over a period of several thousand years as the Sind River cuts into the Himalayan mountains. The
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...
s of the valley are shrinking.
Today, the river continues to deposit the sheets of sand in the lower areas of Ganderbal.
Gradual
erosive processes have washed away side forests and created a deep gorge at many places.
Ecology
The Sind Valley has many glacier fed streams, the tributaries of the Sind River are home to different types of
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
among of which is the
brown trout.
The valley is the natural habitat of
Himalayan black bear
The Himalayan black bear (''Ursus thibetanus laniger'') is a subspecies of the Asian black bear found in the Himalayas of India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, and Pakistan.
Description
It is distinguished from '' U. t. thibetanus'' by its longer, thicke ...
, the
Himalayan brown bear,
musk deer,
snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
and
hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...
.
Markhor
The markhor (''Capra falconeri'') is a large ''Capra'' species native to Central Asia, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015.
The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where i ...
and
ibex
An ibex (plural ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa ...
are also spotted in
Sonamarg
Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 Kilometers from Ganderbal Town and northeast of the capital city, Srina ...
of the Sind Valley.
References
Further reading
*
H. W. Bellew,
Kashmir and Kashghar, A Narrative of the Journey of the Embassy to Kashghar in 1873-74', Trübner & Co, 1875 p.86-99
External links
Onway to Sonmarg through Sind Valley YouTube
{{Kashmir Valley
Valleys of Jammu and Kashmir
River valleys of India