A state that is steeped in history, surrounded with snowclad mountains, green valleys and stunning natural beauty…you guessed it right! Its the resplendent state of Jammu and Kashmir . Situated in the northernmost state of India it shares a common boundary with Afganishtan , China and Pakistan . It is because of its location that it was a major caravan route in ancient India .

In fact Jammu and Kashmir seems to have been a point of conflict ever since India attained its independence. To be annexed to India or Pakistan was the big question because even though its population was predominantly Muslim, the state was not under the British rule but was ruled by a Hindu maharaja and enjoyed the status of a princely state. This was the beginning of decades of unrest in the area.

The state has many contrasts, both geographical as well as cultural. The green and fertile Kashmir valley is fenced in by the snowcapped peaks of the Pir Panjal range on the west and south and the Himalayas on the east. The climate in this region is mild and the soil well-watered. Mount Godwin Austen/K2 (8,611m) and mount Nanga Parbat (8,123m) lie in Northern Kashmir . The rivers Indus and Jhelum flow through this region.

The Jammu region that lies to its south includes the summer capital of Jammu , and in its close vicinity are the Sivalik Hills. It is in the Jammu region also that the River Chenab flows. While winters are comfortable the summers are quite hot and sweaty in Jammu .

With climate that varies from tropical (in Jammu ) to temperate (in the higher climes of Jammu and Kashmir ), it is but a given fact that a state like Jammu & Kashmir will have diverse flora and fauna. However in the last few decades, neglect, urbanization; lad grabbing; poachers; and commercialization have all taken their toll bit by bit in whittling down the numbers.

Fauna like leopard, cheetah, deer, wild sheep, bears, brown musk, musk rat, snakes, lizards, frogs, ibex, and snow leopard abounds in the region. But some of the species that are in dire need of protection include the Hangul (stag), neelgai, barking deer, spotted deer, musk deer, markhor, snow leopard and brown bear as they seem to be the most sought after. While Jammu has game birds that include chakor, snow partridge, pheasants, and peacock, the Kashmir region has ducks, goose, chakor, wagtails, herons, water pigeons, warbler and doves too.