"Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy." ~ Jennie J Churchill

Destinations


Jammu and Kashmir
People

Jammu and Kashmir has a curious intermingling of cultures and religions, festivals and rituals, quite diverse and different from elsewhere in India.

Jammu and Kashmir has a curious intermingling of cultures and religions, festivals and rituals, quite diverse and different from elsewhere in India. The state is divided into three broad segments: Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Kashmir has the maximum population at 53%, Jammu has 45%, while remote and difficult to access Ladakh, is a stark, sparsely inhabited moonscape of incredible rough-hewn beauty. With less than 1 percent of the total population of India, Jammu and Kashmir is the only Indian state with a two-thirds Muslim majority. Hindus make up about 30 percent of the population, and there are smaller minorities of Sikhs and Buddhists. Urdu is the official state language.

The people of Jammu area have close cultural similarities with neighbouring Punjab state. They are predominantly Muslim in the west, speaking Hindi and Urdu, and Hindu in the east where Hindi, Punjabi and Dogri are commonly spoken. In the northwest, Muslims form the majority in the Punch region. Jammu, the seat of the erstwhile Rajas and Maharajas was enriched by the cultural, historical and social bonds of all the diverse ethnic influences.

The inhabitants of the valley of Kashmir are mainly Muslim and speak either Urdu or Kashmiri. The Kashmiri language belongs to the Dardic branch of the Indo-Aryan group of languages and is rich in folklore and literature.

Kashmir has been the learning centre of both Sanskrit and Persian where early Indo-Aryanic civilizations had originated and flourished. The advent of Islam brought with it the finest traditions of Persian civilization, art and culture.

More on Kashmir
Overview
History
Geography
Economy
Festivals
Wildlife
Adventure
Tourist Information
Climate

Places to Visit
Drass
Gulmarg
Jammu
Pahalgam
Sonamarg
Srinagar
Ladakh
More on Ladakh
Travelogues
Kashmir
Journey to Ladakh

The sparsely inhabited Ladakh region and beyond is home mainly to Buddhist peoples speaking Balti and Ladakhi.

For those interested in Tibetology and Buddhism, Ladakh is a dream come true. Ladakhis are known for their integrity, simplicity and humanity. Famous for their mask and scarf dances, flutes and cymbals and monastic festivals, Ladakh is the repository of an ancient cultural heritage and has been the highest living centre of Tantric Buddhism.

Compiled by Puneet Sachdeva


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Editor: Romola Butalia       (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved.