Gulmarg (), known as Gulmarag (; in Kashmiri), is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

hill station A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...

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 ...

destination, and a

notified area committee A nagar panchayat () or town panchayat or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,00 ...

in the

Baramulla district Baramulla district (or Varmul, in Kashmiri) is one of the 20 districts in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of ...

of the northern

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

of the Indian

union territory Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the Government of India, central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own State governments of India, s ...

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 ...

, within the larger disputed

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

region. It is located at a distance of from

Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a city and municipality of the Baramulla district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various r ...

and from

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 ...

. The town is situated in the India’s well known

Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range ( ; ) is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in the Western Himalayas of northern Indian subcontinent. It runs southeast to northwest between the Beas and Neelam/Kishanganga rivers, in the Indi ...

in the

Western Himalayas The Western Himalayas are the western half of the Himalayas, in northwestern India and northern Pakistan. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab ( Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, and Ravi) rise in the Western Himalayas; while the fi ...

and lies within the boundaries of

Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary spread over is a protected area in Gulmarg, Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the most beautiful and attractive sanctuary in J&K. You can also trek to poonch ...

Etymology

Kashmir has many summer retreats suffixed with the word ''-marg'': Sonamarg, Tangmarg, Gulmarg, Khilanmarg, Yousmarg, and Nagmarg. Gulmarg is one of the Margs that has historical importance for Kashmiris. Gulmarg is a compound word or portmanteau of two Persian words, ''Gul'' and ''Marg''. ''Gul'' means flowers and ''Marg'' means meadow.

History

Yousuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586, frequented the place with his queen

Habba Khatoon Habba Khatoon (; born Zoon Rather () ; sometimes spelt Khatun), also known by the honorary title ''The Nightingale of Kashmir'', was a Kashmiri Muslims, Kashmiri Muslim poet and ascetic in the 16th century. She was the consort of King Yousuf Sh ...

and renamed it 'Gulmarg' ("meadow of flowers") from Gaurimarg (meaning "the path of Goddess Gauri"), the name used by locals in reverence to Goddess

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

(Wife of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

). Wild flowers of 21 different varieties were collected by the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

emperor

Jahangir Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...

for his gardens in Gulmarg. In the 19th century, British civil servants started using Gulmarg as a retreat to escape summers in the

Indo-Gangetic plains The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain spanning across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses northern and eastern India, eastern Pakist ...

. Hunting and golfing were their favorite pastime and three golf courses were established in Gulmarg including one exclusively for women. One of the golf courses is located at an altitude of is the world's highest golf course. In 1927, British established a ski club in Gulmarg and two annual ski events were hosted, one during Christmas and Easter. Central Asian explorer

Aurel Stein Sir Marc Aurel Stein, (; 26 November 1862 – 26 October 1943) was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at Indian universities. ...

also visited Gulmarg during this period. After the end of

British rule in India The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, Gulmarg became a part of the independent Dogra princely state of Kashmir and Jammu. Pakistan planned an invasion of the state called Operation Gulmarg. One of the routes used by the invading militia of Pathan tribesmen, armed and supported by Pakistani regular troops, passed through the

Haji Pir pass The Pir Panjal Range ( ; ) is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in the Western Himalayas of northern Indian subcontinent. It runs southeast to northwest between the Beas and Neelam/Kishanganga rivers, in the India ...

and Gulmarg headed towards the state capital

. Gulmarg fell to the invading army, but the Indian Army, led by the 1st

Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the most highly decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion, with 245 pre-independence and 82 post-i ...

, successfully defended the outskirts of Srinagar. Thereafter, Indian counterattacks pushed the tribesmen back - many towns, including Gulmarg, were recaptured. In 1948, Indian Army established a ski school in Gulmarg which later became the High Altitude Warfare School. On 1 January 1949, the war ended under UN supervision and a Ceasefire line (CFL), which was rechristened the

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but ser ...

(LOC) by the

Shimla Agreement The Simla Agreement, also spelled Shimla Agreement, was a peace treaty signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. It followed the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which began after India interv ...

of 1972, was established near Gulmarg. After Indian Independence, Indian planners sought to develop a destination for winter sports in India. In 1960, the Department of Tourism of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

invited

Rudolph Matt Rudolph Matt (10 September 1909 in St. Anton am Arlberg – 18 November 1993 in Innsbruck) was an Austrian alpine skier and world champion. Matt became a world champion in the slalom in Innsbruck in 1936, before fellow Austrian Eberhard Kne ...

to select a suitable location for such a purpose. Matt determined Gulmarg would serve as a suitable location as a winter sports destination. In 1968, the Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering was established in Gulmarg to train ski instructors. Over the next decade, Indian planners invested to transform Gulmarg into a world-class ski destination. Gulmarg became a centre for skiers from Asian nations. In the mid-1980s,

heli-skiing 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 ...

was introduced in Gulmarg. In the 1990s, the rise of insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir affected tourism in Gulmarg. However, tourism started to recover in late 1990s. Work on the

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...

project between Gulmarg and Apharwat Peak, which was commissioned in 1988 by

Government of Jammu and Kashmir The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the principal administrative authority responsible for the governance of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Established on 5 March 1948 as the Government of Princely state of Jammu and Ka ...

, resumed in 1998 after being put on hold due to security concerns. In May 1998, Phase 1 of the project, between Gulmarg and Kongdori, began its commercial operation. In May 2005, Phase 2 of the project was completed, making it one of the longest and highest ropeways of Asia. The

chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tran ...

installed as a part of Phase 3 of the project began its operations in 2011. The National Winter Games were held in Gulmarg in 1998, 2004 and 2008. In 2014, Government of Jammu and Kashmir drafted a Master Plan–2032 for Gulmarg. The plan includes development of a solid-waste treatment plant on 20 acres of land close to Gulmarg.

Geography and geology

Gulmarg lies in a cup-shaped valley in the

of the Himalayas, at an altitude of, , 56 km from

. The soil in Gulmarg comprises glacial deposits,

lacustrine deposits Lacustrine deposits are sedimentary rock formations which formed in the bottom of ancient lakes. A common characteristic of lacustrine deposits is that a river or stream channel has carried sediment into the basin. Lacustrine deposits form in all ...

, and

moraines A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

age covering shales, limestones, sandstones, schists and other varieties of rocks. The natural meadows of Gulmarg, which are covered with snow in winter, allow the growth of wild flowers such as daisies, forget-me-nots and buttercups during spring and summer. The meadows are interspersed by enclosed parks and small lakes, and surrounded by forests of green pine and fir. Skiing and other winter sports in Gulmarg are carried out on the slopes of Apharwat peak at a height of . Many points on Apharwat peak and Khilanmarg offer a panoramic view of

Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...

and

Harmukh Mt Harmukh is a mountain in the Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Harmukh has a peak elevation of , and is located in Ganderbal district, between the Sind River to the south and Kishanganga River to the north, rising above Gangabal ...

mountains.

Climate

Due to its high elevation, Gulmarg has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb'') where the wet winter season sees heavy snowfall, especially for its latitude. Summers are moderate in temperature and length, whereas shoulder seasons are relatively cool.

Demographics

At the 2011 Indian

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Gulmarg had a total population of 1,965 over 77 households. The male population in the town stood at 1,957 while there were only eight females and no children between the ages of 0 and 6 years. Gulmarg had an average literacy rate of 99.24%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constituted 0.61% and 0.15% of the population respectively. Gulmarg has few permanent residents with most residents being tourists or those involved in the tourism industry.

Tourism

According to

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, Gulmarg is the "heartland of winter sports in India" and was rated as Asia's seventh best ski destination. The town is accessible from

by road via

Tangmarg Tangmarg is a town and tehsil in Baramulla district in Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2014, Tangmarg was granted a sub division and trifurcated into three Tehsils (Tangmarg, Kunzer and Karhama), with Sub Divisional Magistrate ...

. The road climbs uphill in the last 12 kilometres to Gulmarg passing through forests of pine and fir. Winter sports like skiing,

tobogganing A toboggan is a simple sled used in snowy winter recreation. It is also a traditional form of cargo transport used by the Innu, Cree and Ojibwe of North America, sometimes part of a dog train. It is used on snow to carry one or more people ( ...

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

and heli-skiing take place on the slopes of Mount Apharwat reachable by a

Gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...

Gulmarg Gondola

Built by the French company

Pomagalski Poma, incorporated as Pomagalski S.A., and sometimes referred to as the Poma Group, is a French company which manufactures cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, peopl ...

, the Gulmarg Gondola is 2nd highest in the world reaching 3,979 metres. The two-stage ropeway ferries about 600 people per hour between Gulmarg and a shoulder of nearby Apharwat Peak (). The first stage transfers from Gulmarg at to Kongdoori at . The second stage which has 36 cabins and 18 towers, takes passengers to a height of on the Apharwat Peak . A chair lift system connects Kongdoori with Mary's shoulder for taking skiers to higher altitudes. The high inflow of tourists has had an effect on the fragile eco-system of Gulmarg and activists have demanded tighter regulation to save the environment of the area from over-tourism. K-Line Adventures Gulmarg Terrain Map Alpine Zone v2

K-Line Adventures Gulmarg Terrain Map Alpine Zone v2

An accident occurred on 15 June 2017 due to an enormous pine tree being uprooted by a gust of wind and breaking the perspex windows on one of the gondola cabins, causing it to swing violently and its seven occupants to fall to the ground.

Igloo cafe and Igloo restaurant

In February 2022, the world's largest igloo cafe was opened in Gulmarg. It was made with a height of 37.5 feet and a diameter of 44.5 feet. Around 40 people can eat there at a time. In 2023, a glass igloo restaurant was developed by Kolahoi Green Heights, a hotel in Gulmarg.

Maharani Temple

Maharani Temple (commonly known as Shiv Temple of Gulmarg) was built by a Hindu ruler Maharaja

Hari Singh Hari Singh Bahadur (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir of the Dogra dynasty. Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's deat ...

for his wife Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia in 1915. This temple was considered as the stately possession of the Dogra kings. The temple is dedicated to

and

. This temple is visible from all corners of Gulmarg. The temple is a popular tourist destination and shooting of some of the popular songs like “Jai Jai Shiv Shankar” from 1974 Hindi film

Aap Ki Kasam ''Aap Ki Kasam'' (English: ''I swear by you'') is a 1974 Indian Hindi romance film produced by J. Om Prakash, which also marks his directorial debut. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz (Indian actress), Mumtaz, Sanjeev Kumar, Rehman (actor), R ...

was done here.

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is located in the valley of Shepherds in Gulmarg. It was built in 1902, during the period of British rule, and was constructed in a British style. Made of grey brick with a green roof and decorated wooden interior walls, it has been described as a "Victorian architectural wonder". In 1920 the church saw the wedding of the brother of

Bruce Bairnsfather Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (9 July 188729 September 1959) was a prominent British humour, humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill (comics), Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's ...

; Miss Eleanor Hardy Tipping married Capt. T. D. Bairnsfather, with newspapers describing the church as "very prettily decorated" and with the service conducted by Rev Canon Buckwell in the presence of both organ and a full choir. St Mary's was closed for years but was renovated and reopened in 2003, holding its first Christmas service there for 14 years. The church belongs to the Diocese of Amritsar, Church Of North India.

Sport

Gulmarg Winter Games 2020

The first-ever

Khelo India Winter Games Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) are the national level multidisciplinary grassroot winter games of India. Events include skiing, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snow rugby, Ice stock sport, snow baseball, mountaineering, snowshoe running, ice ...

were held from 7 March at Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. Around 955 participants took part in the 5-day event. Organised by Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in collaboration Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Games included various sports disciplines at the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir from 7 to 11 March.

Avalanche information center

In 2008, an American avalanche forecaster named Brian Newman began an NGO named Gulmarg Avalanche Center. The purpose of this organization was to dispense daily avalanche risk bulletins to visitors entering the unmanaged backcountry surrounding the Gulmarg ski area. The center provides avalanche education including a free weekly avalanche awareness talk during the winter season.

Events

An annual three-day Gulmarg Winter Festival is held in March. Budding artists in the fields of music, films and photography are given an opportunity to showcase their work during the festival.

In popular culture

Gulmarg has been the shooting location many

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

films like ''

Bobby Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People *Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (surname), a list of surnames * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwrit ...

'', ''

Jab Tak Hai Jaan ''Jab Tak Hai Jaan'' ( ''As Long as I Live'') is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, co-written and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, ...

'', ''

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Produc ...

'', ''

Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

'', ''

Phantom Phantom, phantoms, or the phantom may refer to: * Spirit (metaphysics), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phanto ...

'', ''

Haider Haider is a predominantly Arabic name, with alternative spellings such as Haidar, Haydar and Heydar. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Haider Shah 15th-century sultan of Kashmir *Haider Al-Abadi, Iraqi politician * Haider Acke ...

'', etc.

References

{{Jammu and Kashmir topics Ski areas and resorts in India Hill stations in Jammu and Kashmir Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir Cities and towns in Baramulla district

Etymology

History

Geography and geology

Climate

Demographics

Tourism

Gulmarg Gondola

Igloo cafe and Igloo restaurant

Maharani Temple

St Mary's Church

Sport

Gulmarg Winter Games 2020

Avalanche information center

Events

In popular culture

See also

References