Aru, known as Adav in Kashmiri, is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

, tourist spot in the

Anantnag District Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a m ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It lies 53km from Anantnag city, the district headquarter. It is located around 12 km from

Pahalgam Pahalgam () or Pahalgom () is a town in Anantnag district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of in the Vale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the headquarters of the Pahalga ...

, 11 km upstream from the

Lidder River The Lidder or Liddar ( Kashmiri: لیٔدٕر, IPA: /lʲədɨr/, ) is a river situated in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It originates from the Kolahoi Glacier and feeds the Jhelum River in Mirgund Khanabal, at an altitu ...

. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Kolahoi Glacier, Tarsar Lake, Marsar and Herbaghwan Lake. The village lies on the left bank of the Aru river, which is a tributary of the Lidder river. Jammu & Kashmir’s biggest Fodder Seed Product Station is also located in the Aru village.

Tourism

The Aru valley is noted for its scenic

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

s. It is popular among the tourists for its natural environment and scenery. The village is a base camp for trekkers to the Kolahoi Glacier, the Tarsar– Marsar lakes and the Katrinag valley. It is also a base for the treks to Lidderwat, the Vishansar– Kishansar lakes and Kangan. The

Kolahoi Kolahoi Peak (locally called 'Gashe-braed' meaning Illuminated Cat) is a mountain with peak elevation of located in Lidder Valley, Jammu and Kashmir. Kolahoi Peak is easily accessible through Aru Pahalgam. The mountain is the highest mountain ...

is the largest glacier in the Kashmir Valley, and is located near Mt. Kolahoi (5425m), the highest peak in the Valley. A number of hotels, restaurants and huts are available for boarding and lodging. There are about 20 alpine lakes, peaks and meadows around the Aru Valley. In the winters, when Aru receives heavy snowfall,

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

and

heliskiing Heli-skiing is off-trail, downhill skiing or snowboarding where the skier reaches the top of the mountain by helicopter, instead of a ski lift. History In the late 1950s, helicopters were used in Alaska and Europe to access remote terrain. The ...

are practiced. Other tourist activities include fishing of

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

in the Lidder river, trekking, hiking, horse riding, sightseeing and photography.

Overa-Aru Biosphere Reserve

The Overa-Aru Biosphere Reserve is located 76 km from the state capital

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

. It has the status of a

wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...

, and is spread over an area of 511 km². The altitude ranges from 3,000 to 5,425 m above the sea level. It is known for several rare and endangered species. File:Entrance to Aru Village.jpg , Entrance to Aru Village File:AruDuotone.jpg, Landscape at Aru Valley file:View of Aru Village enclosed by snow clad mountains from top of Birzamal.jpg

References

Villages in Anantnag district Hill stations in Jammu and Kashmir Tourist attractions in Anantnag district {{Villages in Anantnag district