Gulmarg, the premier winter sports destination in India

Gulmarg is a beautiful hill resort that today finds prominence in the most popular places to visit in India. The town is extremely blessed by the nature and is also rapidly turning into the hub of all winter sports actions. Home to highest cable car ride in India and a golf course from the British era, the town is a must visit. Head to the town in next holidays and for accommodations choose from the best Gulmarg hotels.

There is simply a plethora of beautiful towns and cities in the northern regions of India, and Gulmarg is a destination that simply prevails many. Located about 56 km south-west to Kashmir, the capital of the state Jammu & Kashmir, Gulmarg is one of the major highlights of the state. The town finds prominence particularly in the domain of tourism; the state's tourism is simply incomplete without the mention of the hill town.

The history of the town points to medieval era. Somewhere in the 16th century when Sultan Yusuf Shah visited the place which consisted of wide grassy slopes that were capped by the layer of beautiful-aromatic wild flowers, he named the place Gaurimarg. The town at the erstwhile was the place where the sheep and other cattles of the natives grazed; this is the reason that the place was originally considered a shepherd land. Later during the British Raj, they discovered Gulmarg somewhere around the year 1927 and started colonizing the region, thus making it a retreat to escape from the unbearable heat experienced at the plains of the northern and the central India. History has it that the town was also a favourite hunting ground of the Mughal emperor Jahangir as the dense tree covered jungles of the region were home to a wide species of animals.

The bewitching beauty of Gulmarg has been the inspiration for many of the renowned writer. Plus, the serene picturesque views of the region have been rendered multiple times in the works of famous photographers. It is one of the most beautiful places one has been to. Gulmarg true to its name, which means a meadow of flowers is home to large species of flowers. There is a popular belief that emperor Jehangir once collected 21 different varieties of flowers from the region of Gulmarg. Post independence of India there were frequent militancy issues that badly impacted life and tourism in the town. However, the past few decades have experienced a significant decrease in militancy, thus giving the opportunity to tourism to sustain and flourish in Gulmarg.

Today, Gulmarg is one of the premier hill resorts in the country and also is the hub of all winter sports actions. The beautiful regions, lovely weather, world-class Gulmarg hotels, and growth of the tourism based infrastructure has made the town one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The town is home to an excellent golf course which is amongst the handful of golf courses situated in highest heights. Plus, to further improve tourism in the town a fun cable car ride has been recently added to the tourism domain of the town. It is called the Gondola Lift and covers the distance between Gulmarg to Kongdoor to Apharwat. The total distance is 5 km, and the ride takes tourists pass through the most beautiful parts of the region. The cable car ride operates all days in a year.

The other most popular tourist attractions in Gulmarg include: Avantiswami Temple, Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve, Gulmarg Ski Area, Palhalan, Pattan, Khilanmarg, Apharwat Peak, Golf Course, Magam, Verinag, Tangmarg, Alpather Lake, Ningle Nallah, Maharani Temple, Outer Circular Walk, and Ferozpore Nallah. The good thing is that there are number of budget hotels in Gulmarg that are situated close to the prime tourist attraction, offering content accommodation, along with having the benefits of connectivity.

Sandeep is an experienced travel consultant, who enjoys travelling and loves to write about the destinations he has been to and shares his experience. He also writes about travel tips, world's best holiday destinations, best hotels in a destination,