Lolab Valley & Medows of Bangus by Ahanger HOBO

At present, the Lolab Valley is still a new tourist area. The wide oval shaped valley, blessed with lush forests and streams lies in the north-west corner of the Jammu and Kashmir state, 114 kms (about 70.84 mi) from Srinagar. It is a magnificent area full of trees that stretch low down into the plain; the villages grow delicious apple, pear and walnut trees. It is said that the prettiest girls in Kashmir come from this Valley. Besides its natural geographic beauty, the Lolab valley is famous for the centuries old Kalaroos caves and Satbaran monument (seven doors of carved stones). It has been discovered that some finds at the cave site indicate that the area must have been an important Buddhist or early Hindu pilgrim site.

At present there are moves to carbon date the site to discover its age and establish its links with other archaeological finds in the region. Locals believe that a tunnel through a cave in Kalaroos leads to some Central Asian countries, saying that the first two kilometres of the tunnel can even be covered on foot. As of October 2012, the Government has decided to market these caves for attracting tourists, the government has also suggested that it will act responsibly in this particularly fragile area and promote “eco-friendly” activities like homestays, fishing, and trekking, as from here it is possible to complete a trek to the famous Wular Lake. Located west of the Lolab Valley, in the northern mountain region of Kashmir is the extensive and beautiful meadow of Bangus, which has the potential to be the next Gulmarg. Now located near the Line of Control in Kupwara, it is opined that this place will also open to tourists soon. To reach Lolab you first take a shared sumo or bus to Kupwara from JVC Bus stand, and from there you can make your way to Lolab by private taxi, or with the locals.

Elevation 3,012 m (9,882 ft)
Coordinates 34°22′52″N 74°04′12″E 
Location Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, India

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