Roselet Holidays Pvt.Ltd

Explore Keran Valley with Roselet holidays

keran is a village i in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is on the bank of the Kishanganga River. The village lies on the Line of Control. The Keran block includes four panchayats Keran, Mandian, Mandian-A and Kundian Patron.The adjacent habitation on the Pakistani side across the boundary is also called Keran. The Kishanganga river (known by the name Neelum on the other side) flowing through village acts as the natural border between the two habitations. While both sides have the same predominant religion, social and cultural practices differ greatly. The people are not allowed by Indian and Pakistani officials to intermingle. Keran village is surrounded by dense forests. Shalabhatu, a village in Keran sector is divided between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan administration Kashmir. It was among the foremost infiltration routes used in the early 1990s by militants. The village has three border posts Khokhri, Kulari and Mangerta.After the reiteration of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in 2021, the village attracted tourists for the first time, offering unique view of the Pakistan administered Kashmir. Before this, only military and locals had access to the village.The village is said to have been established by Raja Karn in the tenth century. In 1990, the Indian army relocated the villagers due to frequent firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army. In 1992, a flood swept over the cultivated land and houses. In 2013, armed militants infiltrated the village, but were killed by the Indian Army during a 15-day operation.Torn out by cross border shelling and infiltrations the Keran Valley has now slowly moved out of this and with the fresh cease fire accords between the governments of both countries the valley has witnessed peace across the border. With the opening of border tourism last year Keran has become one of the favorite offbeat location for the tourists. Year 2023 has seen the highest footfall of tourists proceeding Keran Valley.

Gurez, or Gurai (Gurai in the local Shina language), is a valley located in the high Himalayas, about 86 kilometres (53 mi) from Bandipore and 123 kilometres (76 mi) from Srinagar, to the north of the Kashmir valley. At about 2, 400 metres (8, 000 ft) above sea level, the valley is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It has diverse fauna and wildlife including the Himalayan brown bear and the snow leopard. The Kishanganga River flows through the valley. The valley lies near the Line of Control, which separates it from the Astore and Neelum districts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Being situated very close to the Burzil Pass, which leads into Astore, the inhabitants are ethnic Dards/Shins. They speak the Shina language and have the same styles of dress and culture as their kinsmen in Pakistani-administered Gilgit-Baltistan. Dawar is the central township in the area. The population of the area is estimated to be about 30, 000, and is scattered among fifteen villages. Tourism industry is emerging , hotels like Gurez knights, kaka Palace, woodvibes provide service to tourists.Due to heavy snowfall (around 2 metres (7 ft)) and closure of Razdan Pass in winter, the valley remains cut off for six months of the year. Historically, Gurez was part of ancient Dardistan, stretching between Sharada Peeth in the west, Minimarg in the north, Drass in the east, and Bagtore in the south. The valley falls along the ancient Silk Route, which connected the Kashmir Valley with Gilgit, before continuing further to Kashgar. Archaeological surveys in valleys north of Gurez have uncovered hundreds of carved inscriptions in Kharoshthi, Brahmi, and Tibetan. In particular, the carvings provide insights into the origins of the Kashmiri people and the early history of Buddhism.

The ancient capital of the Dards, Dawar, is located in the Gurez Valley and is an important archaeological site. Other archaeological sites of importance in the valley include Kanzalwan, where the last council of Buddhism is believed to have been held and, further downstream, the ruins of the ancient Sharda University are preserved along the Kishenganga/Neelum River.

Prior to the partition of Kashmir, Gurez had been a destination for foreign tourists, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is known to have visited some time before he became the US president. During the colonial period, Gurez was often visited by trekkers. Nehru and Indira Gandhi, accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah, were among those who visited the area in the 1940s, fishing for trout at Naranag, one of the lakes in the mountains above the valley.