Gulmarg | |
|---|---|
Hill Station | |
      From top left to right:Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharani Temple,Gulmarg Gondola, Gondola station, Gulmarg withPir Panjal in the background,Apharwat Peak, | |
  Gulmarg Gulmarg (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:34°03′N74°23′E / 34.05°N 74.38°E /34.05; 74.38 | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Baramulla |
| Elevation | 2,650 m (8,690 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,965[1] |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri,Urdu,Hindi,Dogri,English[2][3] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 193403 |
| Website | baramulla |
Gulmarg[a] (also known asGulmarag,[4]lit. 'meadow of flowers' inKashmiri[5]) is ahill station and anotified area committee inBaramulla district of the Indianunion territory ofJammu and Kashmir.[6][7] It is located in theIndian administered Kashmir, close to theLine of Control that serves as thede facto border between India and Pakistan. It is in thePir Panjal Range in theWestern Himalayas within the boundaries of theGulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.[8] Gulmarg is situated at an altitude of 2,650 m (8,690 ft), and is a populartourist andskiing destination in theKashmir Valley.
Known as Gaurimarg (meaning "path of goddessGauri") to the locals, it was renamed as Gulmarg byYousuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586. The place served as a summer and recreational retreat during theMughal rule in the 17th century, andBritish Raj in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Gulmarg ski club was established in 1927. After the end of the British rule in the Indian subcontinent, it became part of theprincely state ofKashmir and Jammu, which lateracceded to India in October 1947. It was briefly captured by Pakistan during theIndo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948, before being re-taken by theIndian Army.
In 1948, the Indian Army established theHigh Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg. In the 1960s, it was promoted as a tourist andwinter sports destination by theIndian government. In the 1990s, the area was affected byinsurgency, which had an impact on tourism, before its recovery in the 21st century.Gulmarg Gondola, which was constructed in multiple phases since the late 1990s, is a multi-stageropeway that ferries people between Gulmarg and a shoulder of the nearbyApharwat Peak. Gulmarg has hosted theNational Winter Games three times.
Historically, the place was known as Gaurimarg ("path of goddessGauri") to the locals.Yousuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586, renamed it Gulmarg ("meadow of flowers").[9][10] During theMughal rule, emperorJahangir used to visit the place, and collected different varieties of wild flowering plants for his gardens.[9][11] In the 19th century, during theBritish Raj, civil servants used the place as a summer and recreational retreat. They indulged in hunting wildlife andgolfing, and threegolf courses were established in Gulmarg.[11][12] In 1927, the British established a ski club in Gulmarg and hosted two annualskiing events, duringChristmas andEaster.[13][14] ArcheologistMarc Aurel Stein explored Gulmarg during the late 19th century.[10]
After the end of the British rule in the Indian subcontinent, Gulmarg became a part of the independentprincely state of Kashmir and Jammu ruled by theDogra kingHari Singh. Singh signed theinstrument of accession and acceded to India in October 1947.[15] Gulmarg was briefly captured by Pakistan during theIndo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948, as a part ofOperation Gulmarg. The invading militia consisting of Pathan tribesmen supported by Pakistani army, and passed through theHaji Pir pass towards Gulmarg andSrinagar. The Indian Army, led by the 1stSikh Regiment, defended the outskirts of Srinagar.[16][17] The Indian counterattacks led to the re-capture of Gulmarg and the surrounding areas.[18] In 1948, the Indian Army established theHigh Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg.[19] On 1 January 1949, the Indo-Pakistan war ended under the supervision of theUnited Nations, and theLine of Control (named as per theShimla Agreement of 1972), which became thede facto boundary between India and Pakistan, was established closer to the region.[20][21]
AfterIndian Independence, theGovernment of India sought to develop Gulmarg as awinter sports andtourist destination. In 1960,alpine skierRudolph Matt, who came on the invitation of the government, determined Gulmarg to be a suitable location for winter sports. In 1968, the Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering was established in Gulmarg to train skiers. The government invested₹30 million (US$350,000) for the development of skiing facilities in Gulmarg.[22] In the mid-1980s,heli-skiing was introduced in Gulmarg.[14] In the 1990s, the rise ofinsurgency in Kashmir affected tourism in Gulmarg.[22] The industry started to recover in late 1990s, and early 2000s. TheGulmarg Gondola was opened in various stages from 1998 to 2011.[23][24] In 2014, Government of Jammu and Kashmir drafted a master plan, to be implemented by 2032, for sustainable development in Gumarg.[25]
Gulmarg lies in a cup-shaped valley in thePir Panjal Range of theHimalayas, at an altitude of, 2,650 m (8,690 ft). It is located about 56 km (35 mi) fromSrinagar, inBaramulla district of the Indianunion territory ofJammu and Kashmir.[10][12] The soil in Gulmarg comprises glacial deposits,lacustrine deposits, andmoraines fromPleistocene epoch covering shales, limestones, sandstones, schists and other varieties of rocks.[26] The natural meadows of Gulmarg, which are covered with snow in winter, allow the growth of wild flowers such asdaisies,forget-me-nots andbuttercups during thespring andsummer.[12][9] The meadows are interspersed by parks and small lakes, and are surrounded by forests ofpine andfir trees.[12]Apharwat Peak, rising to 4,267 m (13,999 ft), overlooks Gulmarg, and offers a view ofNanga Parbat andHarmukh peaks.[12][14]
Due to its high elevation, Gulmarg has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfb) and a wetwinter season with heavy snowfall. Summers are moderate in temperature and length, with relatively cool shoulder seasons.
| Climate data for Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir (1991–2020, extremes 1907–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.5 (52.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 18.0 (64.4) | 23.6 (74.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 29.4 (84.9) | 31.2 (88.2) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.4 (74.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 31.2 (88.2) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) | 7.1 (44.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.5 (72.5) | 19.4 (66.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 9.8 (49.6) | 26.3 (79.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.7 (33.3) | 1.8 (35.2) | 5.4 (41.7) | 10.4 (50.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 19.3 (66.7) | 21.1 (70.0) | 20.5 (68.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.0 (48.2) | 4.6 (40.3) | 11.9 (53.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.4 (34.5) | 6.2 (43.2) | 10.9 (51.6) | 14.4 (57.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 9.0 (48.2) | 4.2 (39.6) | −0.1 (31.8) | 7.4 (45.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.7 (18.1) | −6.4 (20.5) | −2.7 (27.1) | 1.9 (35.4) | 6.1 (43.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 8.6 (47.5) | 3.8 (38.8) | −0.6 (30.9) | −4.8 (23.4) | 2.8 (37.0) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) | −11.1 (12.0) | −8.4 (16.9) | −3.4 (25.9) | 1.2 (34.2) | 4.8 (40.6) | 7.9 (46.2) | 7.8 (46.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | −0.4 (31.3) | −5.0 (23.0) | −8.7 (16.3) | −12.8 (9.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −27.2 (−17.0) | −31.6 (−24.9) | −14.8 (5.4) | −8.7 (16.3) | −3.2 (26.2) | −3.9 (25.0) | 2.8 (37.0) | 2.7 (36.9) | −2.8 (27.0) | −6.5 (20.3) | −13.4 (7.9) | −24.3 (−11.7) | −31.6 (−24.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 161.3 (6.35) | 207.5 (8.17) | 215.6 (8.49) | 166.2 (6.54) | 139.3 (5.48) | 101.6 (4.00) | 101.7 (4.00) | 101.0 (3.98) | 75.9 (2.99) | 47.7 (1.88) | 57.2 (2.25) | 74.1 (2.92) | 1,449.2 (57.06) |
| Average rainy days | 8.6 | 10.2 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 10.1 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 95.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 76 | 77 | 72 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 73 | 74 | 66 | 59 | 60 | 67 | 68 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department[27][28] | |||||||||||||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 86.6% | |||
| Islam | 12.4% | |||
| Christianity | 0.6% | |||
| Sikhism | 0.4% | |||
As per the2011 census, Gulmarg had a population of 1,965 across 77 households. There were 1,957 males and eight females with no children below the age of six years. The average literacy rate was 99.24%.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constituted 0.61% and 0.15% of the population respectively.[29] The town has few permanent residents with most residents being tourists and those associated with the seasonal tourism industry.[12]
Hinduism was the major religion with 86.6% adherents, followed byIslam with 12.4% adherents. Minor population ofChristians andSikhs are also present in the town.[1]
Maharani Temple (also known as Shiv Temple) was built by Maharaja Hari Singh for his wife Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia in 1915.[30][31] The temple is dedicated to Hindu godShiva and his consortParvati.[32][33][34]St Mary's Church is located in the valley of shepherds in Gulmarg.[35] It was built in 1902, with outer walls made of grey bricks, a green roof and decorated wooden interior walls.[36] In 1920, the church served as the location of the wedding of the brother of British cartoonistBruce Bairnsfather.[37][38] It was closed for years before being renovated and reopened in 2003, holding its first Christmas service there after 14 years.[39]
An annual three-day Gulmarg Winter Festival is held in March. Artists from the fields of music, film and photography showcase their work during the festival.[40]
Gulmarg is accessible from Srinagar by road viaTangmarg. The road includes a 12 km (7.5 mi) uphill segment that passes cuts through forests of pine and fir.[12][9][11] The nearest railhead is atBaramulla, about 53 km (33 mi) from Gulmarg.[10] The nearest major airport is theSrinagar International Airport at Srinagar, about 53 km (33 mi) from the town.[10]
Gulmarg is one of the popular destinations for winter games in India.[41] It hosted theNational Winter Games in 1998, 2004 and 2008. The first-everKhelo India Winter Games was held in March 2020 at Gulmarg.[42]CNN mentioned Gulmarg as the "heartland of winter sports in India" and rated it amongst the top ten ski destinations in Asia.[43][44]
Skiing,tobogganing,snowboarding and heli-skiing take place on the slopes of Mount Apharwat, which is reachable by aGondola lift.[14] Built by the French companyPomagalski, the Gulmarg Gondola is second highest in the world.[24] The two-stage, five kilometer ropeway project between Gulmarg and Apharwat was commissioned by theGovernment of Jammu and Kashmir in 1987. The construction was stopped in 1990 due to security issues, before resuming in 1998. The first phase connects Gulmarg with Kongdori at 2,600 m (8,530 ft) and began operations in May 1998. In May 2005, the second phase connecting Kongdori with a shoulder on Apharwat peak at 4,100 m (13,500 ft) was completed in 2011.[23][24] A 3.2 km (2.0 mi)-long chair lift system connects Kongdoori with Mary's shoulder, which is used for taking skiers to higher altitudes in the winter.[45]
In February 2022, the world's largest igloo cafe, with a height of 37.5 ft (11.4 m) and a diameter of 44.5 ft (13.6 m), was opened in Gulmarg.[46][47] In February 2023, a glass igloo restaurant was built in Gulmarg.[48][49]
Gulmarg is a popular location for film shooting,[50] and variousBollywood films have been shot here.[51][52][53]
Gulmarg, meaning 'Meadow of Flowers' was 8,500 feet above sea level'
