Sonamarg
or Sonmarg, to be found at a substantial elevation
of 2,740 m upstairs sea level, accurately means
'Meadow of Gold'. The charming likely exquisiteness
of the area got this title to Sonamarg. Sonamarg, a
town bounded by magnificent glaciers and peaceful
lakes in Sonamarg, is a snow shielded good-looking
flower burdened the meadow in the stately Himalayan
mountain area. Sonamarg in the Kashmir valley is the
entryway to Ladakh and placed just previously the
Zojii La pass. Set at 87 km from Srinagar, the
location is celebrated for trekking and hiking
traces. The snow attired Alps in the Himalaya and
the swollen hilly rocky areas are effortlessly
appropriate for all kinds of trekking excursions.
Tourist Attraction
Thajiwas Glacier
A paradise on Earth, the name "Sonamarg" itself
signifies its beauty: The Golden Meadow. Set in a
backdrop of snow capped mountains and bright
flowers, this place is sure to get your energy
flowing.
Sonamarg,
which means 'meadow of gold' has, as its backdrop,
snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. the Sindh
meanders along here and abounds with trout and
mahseer, snow trout can be caught in the main river.
In late April when Sonamarg is open for road
transport, the visitors can have access to snow
which is furnished all over like a white carpet.
Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas
glacier a major attraction during the summer months.
However, there is need for some stricter regulation
to save the environment of the area from over
tourism. Litters such as plastic bottles, etc., are
strewn all over along the track.
It offers many adventurous routes with amazing green
water & frozen lakes around and Thajiwas glacier is
a one such major tourist attraction in the region.
Located 7 km from Sonamarg, it is an ideal spot for
enjoying a sledge ride on the snow even in
mid-summer. The nearby area is perfect camping site
too.
Baltal
Baltal,
on the shores of the Sindh River, is located around
15 km away from the north of Sonamarg. This small
valley serves as a camping ground for the Amarnath
pilgrims. It rests at the foot of Zoji-La Pass on
the banks of the river Sindh. Moreover, for the
convenience of the pilgrims, base camps are set up
in is this ground and this little valley is only a
day's journey away from and provides a shorter
high-altitude alternate route to the sacred cave of
Amarnath.
Through a meandering trek of 14 km from Baltal, one
can reach the Holy Cave and during the
Amarnath pilgrimage,
tents are also set up here. One can hire taxi or
take a bus from Sonmarg for Baltal and it will take
approximately 1 hour.
Tourists can directly reach Baltal from Pahalgam as
well which is just 24 km away and takes
approximately 45 mins on bis. For those tourists
wanting to indulge in trekking to Baltal from
Pahalgam will take around 5 hours.
Baltal is known for its scenic views. The tents
available here are affordable and tourists need to
either trek to hire ponies to reach the cave.
Tourists can also take helicopter services from
Baltal that will drop the yatris till Panjtarni
which is 5 km from the cave in just 7 minutes. The
journey further to the cave needs to be covered on
foot or ponies. From Baltal to the holy cave and
back, ponies will cost around Rs 1,700. The 14 km
long steep trek will take almost 4 hours for the
tourists to reach the cave. Large number of free
langars are also available in Baltal for the
pilgrims and many small tea shops will also be
available enroute.