Green Valley Communication

09/08/2018

Pangong Tso

Pangong Tso (Tibetan: སྤང་གོང་མཚོ, Wylie: spang gong mtsho; Hindi: पांगोंग त्सो; Chinese: 班公错; pinyin: Bāngōng Cuò), Tibetan for "high grassland lake", also referred to as Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to China. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It is not a part of Indus river basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin.

The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.

03/08/2018

Article 35A of the Constitution of India. Article 35A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.

Article 35A and its Significance
1) Introduction
 Article 35A of the constitution empowers J&K legislature to define state's "permanent residents"
and their special rights and privileges.
 Special rights and privileges in public sector jobs, acquisition of property in the State, scholarships
and other public aid and welfare.
 No act of the State legislature can be challenged for violating the Constitution or any other law of
the land.
 It was added to the constitution through a 1954 presidential order under Article 370 (1) (d) of the
Constitution.
2) Background
 After J&K's accession, Sheikh Abdullah In 1949 negotiated J&K's political relationship with New
Delhi, which led to the inclusion of Article 370 in the Constitution.
 Article 370 guarantees special status to J&K
 Under the 1952 Delhi Agreement between Abdullah and Nehru, several provisions of the
Constitution were extended to J&K via presidential order in 1954. Article 35A was inserted then.
3) Why is Article 35A Debated?
 An NGO, We the Citizens, challenged 35A in SC in 2014 on grounds that it was not added to the
Constitution through amendment under Article 368.
 It was never presented before Parliament, and the parliamentary route of lawmaking was
bypassed.
 It argues that four representatives from Kashmir were part of the Constituent Assembly involved in
the drafting of the Constitution and J&K was never accorded any special status in the Constitution.
 Article 370 was only a ‘temporary provision’ to bring normality in Jammu and Kashmir and
strengthen democracy in the State.
 Article 35 A is against the “very spirit of oneness of India” as it creates a “class within a class of
Indian citizens”.
 Restricting citizens from other States from getting employment or buying property within Jammu
and Kashmir is a violation of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
 In another case in SC, Article 35A restrict the basic right to property if a native woman marries a
man not holding a permanent resident certificate.
 Her children are denied a permanent resident certificate, thereby considering them illegitimate
 The Supreme Court has indicated that the validity of Articles 35A and 370 may be decided by a
Constitution Bench.
4) Arguments in Support of this article
 Tinkering with Article 35A would lead to further erosion of J&K's autonomy
 Various Articles in the Constitution provide special rights to states like Nagaland (Article 371A) and
Mizoram (Article 371G) based on historical reasons Article 35 A protects the demographic status of the Jammu and Kashmir in its prescribed
constitutional form.
 The major political parties of the Kashmir Valley, NC and PDP support the safeguarding of Article
370 and Article 35A.
 In the last 70 years, demography of Kashmir Valley has remained unchanged even as Hindu majority
in Jammu and Buddhists in Ladakh have rights to buy property and settle in the Valley.
5) Consequences if Article 35A is removed
 Any adverse order against the provision, could give the separatists a chance to stoke violence in the
Valley.
 If Article 35A is scrapped, the extension of the Fundamental Rights and every other provision to J&K
through Presidential Orders will cease to apply.
 Only Article 1 and Article 370 of the Indian Constitution will then apply to J&K.
6) Article 370 and its Provisions
 The Article 370 deals with certain special powers provided to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
 It grants a ‘temporary’ autonomous status to the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
 Except for Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Communications, the Indian Government needs
the State Government’s nod to apply all other laws.
 The central government has no power to impose financial emergency in the state.
 Emergency can be imposed only on the grounds of internal disturbances and imminent danger from
a foreign enemy.
 The state government has the control on how it needs to govern the state
 Indian nationals belonging to other states cannot buy land or property in the state of J&K.
 Woman who marries a person belonging to any other state loses her right to ownership.
7) Conclusion
 There is a need to have a larger debate on Article 35A including political parties, intelligentsia and
the civil society at large
 Article 35A has not only a constitutional or legal issue, it has larger socioeconomic and political
issue.
 The Centre needs to take all political parties along for protecting the rights and privileges of the
people of the state.

01/07/2018

Pari Mahal

Pari Mahal or The Angels' Abode is a seven terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range over-looking city of Srinagar and south-west of Dal Lake.The architecture depicts an example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is five-minute drive from Cheshmashahi, Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pari Mahal was built by Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh in the mid-1600s. It served as a library and an abode for him.Dara Shikoh was said to have lived in this area in the years 1640, 1645, and 1654. It was further used as an observatory, useful for teaching astrology and astronomy.The gardens have since become the property of the Jammu and Kashmir government.

28/06/2018

Thank You Friends for following this page.
Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.

KASHMIR

28/06/2018

Ladakh

Ladakh ("land of high passes") is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that currently extends from the Kunlun mountain range to the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-A***n and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and its culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet. Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture.

Historically, the region included the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys (now mostly in Pakistan), the entire upper Indus Valley, the remote Zanskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, much of Ngari including the Rudok region and Guge in the east, Aksai Chin in the northeast (extending to the Kun Lun Mountains), and the Nubra Valley to the north over Khardong La in the Ladakh Range. Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spiti regions to the south, the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Baltiyul regions to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north.

Aksai Chin is one of the disputed border areas between China and India.[6] It is administered by China as part of Hotan County but is also claimed by India as a part of the Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1962, China and India fought a brief war over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, but in 1993 and 1996 the two countries signed agreements to respect the Line of Actual Control.

In the past Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes,[8] but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s, international trade has dwindled except for tourism. Since 1974, the Government of India has successfully encouraged tourism in Ladakh. Since Ladakh is a part of strategically important Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region.

The largest town in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil.Almost half of Ladakhis are Shia Muslims and the rest are mostly Tibetan Buddhists.Some Ladakhi activists have in recent times called for Ladakh to be constituted as a union territory because of perceived unfair treatment by Kashmir and Ladakh's cultural differences with predominantly Muslim Kashmir.

17/06/2018

28/05/2018

Burzahom Archaeological Site

The Burzahom archaeological site is located in the Kashmir Valley state of Jammu and Kashmir. Archaeological excavations have revealed four phases of cultural significance between 3000 BC and 1000 BC.Periods I and II represent the Neolithic era; Period IlI the Megalithic era (of massive stone menhirs and wheel turned red pottery); and Period IV relates to the early Historical Period (Post-megalithic period). The findings, recorded in stratified cultural deposits representing prehistoric human activity in Kashmir, are based on detailed investigations that cover all aspects of the physical evidence of the site, including the ancient flora and fauna.

The Burzahom site revealed the transition from the subterranean and ground level housing features of the Neolithic people to the mudbrick structures of the Megalithic people. The large cache of tools and implements made of bone and stone found at the site shows that the inhabitants were hunting and farming.

The unearthed Antiquities (of art, architecture, customs and rituals) indicate that the prehistoric people of the Burzahom established contact with Central Asia and South West Asia and also had links to the Gangetic plains and peninsular India. The interaction of local and foreign influences is demonstrated by the art, architecture, customs, rituals and language demonstrated by some engravings on pottery and other artifacts. Some historians have stated that the Vedic A***n culture extended into Kashmir, but archaeological investigation at Burzahom does not support the theory.

Location:

The Burzahom site is a prehistoric settlement in the village of the same name in the Srinagar District. It is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the northeast of Srinagar on the Naseem-Shalimar road. The elevation of the site is 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea-level.It is the northernmost excavated Neolithic site of India. The site is on an ancient Pleistocene lake bed.The location is in a high terrace which is part of the floodplain of the Jhelum river and has Karewa soil (clay) formation. The site has a commanding view of the Dal lake which is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. In the Kashmiri language 'Burzahom' means "birch", a tree species (that generally grows in the elevation range of 3,000 to 4,200 metres (9,800 to 13,800 ft) in the Himalayas), which is found in the excavated housing area in the form of roofing material, and thus confirming the existence of the tree even in the pre-historic Neolithic times.

History:
The first excavation at the Burzahom site was a limited exercise in 1936, carried out by the Yale–Cambridge Expedition headed by Helmut de Terra and Dr. Thomson Paterson. The Frontier Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India made detailed investigations of the site between 1960 and 1971; these were carried out by T.N. Khazanchi and his associates.

The extensive excavations done at this site, unearthing stratified cultural deposits, were the first of their type in Kashmir. In 1944, Mortimer Wheeler, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India had conducted the first stratified archaeological excavations on the lines of geological model at other sites. Based on a similar model the Burzahom site has been named as the Northern Neolithic Culture in view of its distinctive structural features with profusion of tools made of bones and stones and tools representing the ritualistic practices.

Gufkral represents another related site in the area, near the town of Tral. Also, Hariparigam, and Awantipura, in the same area, are related.

Skeletal remains of Neolithic people found at Burzahom are similar to those found in Harappa of the Indus Valley Civilization. Some historians have stated that the Vedic A***n culture extended into Kashmir, but archaeological investigation at Burzahom does not support the "A***ns in Kashmir" theory.

The management and protection of the Burzahom site, including the buffer zones, are under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Department of Archaeology conforming to the Ancient Monuments and Sites Remains Act 1958 (Amended in 2010).

This site was nominated on 15 April 2014 for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is yet to be approved.

Discovery:
The excavation at Burzahom was carried out in both vertical (depth wise) and horizontal directions; the depth provided the stratification features while the phasing of each stratification was provided by the horizontal excavations. Four periods of continuous occupational sequence at the site were documented over a period of 11 years of investigations from 1960 to 1971.These are: Periods I and II of the Neolithic (Period I is called aceramic and Period II is called ceramic) origin, particularly characterized by dwelling pits (the largest measuring 2.74 metres (9 ft 0 in) at the top to 4.75 metres (15.6 ft) at the base at a depth of 3.95 metres (13.0 ft)); Period III of the Megalithic sequence noted by the free standing large stone Menhirs installed at the site by shifting boulders manually from the hills; and Period IV of the early Modern Period.The skeletal remains of the Neolithic humans found at Burzahom are similar to those found in Harappa of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Burzahom's ceramic industry was mostly of hunting based culture and is different from the Chinese Neolithic pottery. The economy of the people was found to be based on hunting and gathering with a nascent stage of cultivation practices. Pottery made in Burzahom showed close affinity to those found in the Swat valley in Pakistan, particularly in respect of its shapes and decorations of the black ware pottery. The burial practices and type of tools recovered from the site were inferred as having close resemblance to those found in the North Chinese Neolithic culture.

28/05/2018

Dal Lake

Dal is a lake in Srinagar (Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in Kashmiri means lake), the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The urban lake, which is the second largest in the state, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel".The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

The shore line of the lake, is about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi), is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and from houseboats cruising along the lake in the colourful shikaras During the winter season, the temperature sometimes reaches −11 °C (12 °F), freezing the lake.

The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) and is part of a natural wetland which covers 21.1 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi), including its floating gardens. The floating gardens, known as "Rad" in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August. The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered as an independent lake). Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.

At present, the Dal and its Mughal gardens, Shalimar Bagh and the Nishat Bagh on its periphery are undergoing intensive restoration measures to fully address the serious eutrophication problems experienced by the lake. Massive investments of approximately US$275 million (11 billion) are being made by the Government of India to restore the lake to its original splendour.

18/05/2018

Dastgeer Sahib

Dastgeer Sahib is a Sufi shrine located in Khaniyar, Srinagar, Jammu and kashmir.Dastgeer Sahib is a 200-year-old shrine situated in khaniyar. Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jelani never stayed there. It has the old Quran written by Hazrat Abu Bakr Sidiqqi, Hazrat Ali, and the Mouia Pak, a piece of hair from Gous E Azam. It was constructed in 1806 and expanded in 1877 by Khwaja Sanaullah Shawl.

It is the center of the activity hub of the Khaniyar and is surrounded by a large market. On the Urs of the Gous E Azam thousands of people from all over Kashmir go there to pray to Allah and watch the ziyarat.

There are five Graves Situated inside it. It is said that it is of the one of the members of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jelani.

The shrine was badly damaged in a fire on 25 June 2012. The relics of the saint that were located inside a fireproof vault were not damaged. The shrine has been restored to its original state.

17/05/2018

Hamza Makhdoom (Makhdoom Sahib)

Hamza Makhdoom Kashmiri, popularly known as Makhdoom Sahib (c. 1494 – c. 1576), was a Sufi mystic, scholar and spiritual teacher living in Kashmir.He is sometimes referred to as Mehboob-ul-Alam (literally, "loved by all") and Sultan-ul-Arifeen (literally, "king of those who know God").

life
Hamza Makhdoom was born in the village of Tujjar near Sopore in Baramulla district. His father was called Baba Usman and came from a Chandravanshi Rajput family. According to tradition, teenage Hamza Makhdoom studied in the Shamsi Chak monastery for a year, and later studied jurisprudence, tradition, philosophy, logics, ethics and mysticism in a madrasa founded by Ismail Kubrawi.


A prolific scholar and spiritual preacher, Hamza Makhdoom adhered to the tradition of Jalaluddin Bukhari. He directed his teachings specifically to the followers of Islam, and under his influence a part of Kashmir's population trully followed the Hanafi


He died at an age of 82 in year 1576 in Srinagar. His shrine is, located on the southern slope of Hari Parbat Hill and popularly called Makhdoom Sahib or Hazrat Sultan-ul-Arifeen, is an important pilgrimage centre in Kashmir.

17/05/2018

Gurudwara Patshahi Chevin, Rainawari, Srinagar.

Gurdwara Chatti Patshahi,Kathi Darwaja,Rainwari, Srinagar.

This Historical Gurdwara is included in the tourist placas of Srinagar city of Kashmir valley.During the visit of Kashmir valley, 6th Nanak Guru Hargobind Saheb Stayed at this place. A big Gurdwara building has been constructed recently. Langar (Free community kitchen) and accomodation is availble here round the clock.To mark the holy visit, there is a public holiday by Govt. Of J&K on every year on the Parkash Utsav of Guru Hargobind Sahib. Outside Punjab, J&K is the only state where there is a Gazetted Govt. holiday on Parkash Utsav of 6th Nanak Guru Hargobind Sahib.