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Hidden paradise
The beautiful
valley of Gurez, which was recently brought on the tourism map,
is yet to catch the fancy of tourists because of its harsh
climate and proximity to the LoC, reports Ehsan
Fazili after a visit to
Bandipore
THE beauty of the
picturesque valley of Gurez in north Kashmir can rival even the
Swiss Alps. But the valley’s harsh climatic conditions, with
many parts being avalanche-prone, coupled with continued
cross-border firing till about five years back have made life
here difficult. Situated at over 8,000 feet above the sea level,
this unique valley remains cut off from the world for more than
seven months every winter as the only road connecting it to the
state remains closed. |
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Tourism potential
THE development of
tourism remains the main hope for the overall development of
this landlocked valley. The potential areas are adventure
tourism, trekking and fishing, which can attract a lot of
foreign tourists. "There is lot of tourism potential in
Gurez," said Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism Department
of Jammu and Kashmir Government, which organised an inaugural
two-day tourism festival in Gurez in July this year.
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