Sind Valley

The Sind Valley had a strategic importance on the ancient Silk Road. It worked as a bridge between India, China and Central Asia along with Srinagar-Skardu Route.{{cite book | author=Eric S. Margolis | title=War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet | url=https://archive.org/details/warattopofworlds00marg | url-access=registration | quote=zoji la pass on silk road. | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=2000 | publisher=Routledge, 2000 | isbn=978-0-415-92712-3 | page=[https://archive.org/details/warattopofworlds00marg/page/123 123]–}} First Hinduism and Buddhism{{cite book | author=S.R. Bakshi | title=Kashmir: History and People Volume 1 of Kashmir through ages | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_U1LEY1yWmagC | quote=Buddhism spread in kashmir zojila. | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=1997 | publisher=Sarup & Sons, 1997 | isbn=978-81-85431-96-3 | page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_U1LEY1yWmagC/page/n88 78]–}} and then Islam spread in Kashmir through this route. The Sind Valley still connects Ladakh with the rest of India through a National Highway NH 1D, though it remains closed during winter due to heavy snowfall at Zojila.{{cite book |author=Moonis Raza |author2=Aijazuddin Ahmad |author3=Ali Mohammad | title=The Valley of Kashmir: The land | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQ08AAAAMAAJ&q=sind+valley+connects+ladakh | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=1978 | publisher=Vikas Pub. House, 1978 | isbn=978-0-7069-0525-0 | page=31–}}

File:Domail Sonamarg5.jpg]]

File:Sonamarg 11.jpg at Sonamarg]]

File:Sind River11.jpg

The Sind Valley is situated within the jurisdiction of Kangan tehsil, of Ganderbal district. It is bordered by the Kashmir Valley in the west, Zojila in the east, Gurez Valley of the Kishanganga River in the north and the Lidder Valley in the south.{{cite book | author=Subodh Kapoor | title=The Indian Encyclopaedia: Gautami Ganga -Himmat Bahadur | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt4nbyp1VIhsC&q=sind+valley+a+himalayan+valley |access-date=18 June 2012 | year=2002 | publisher=Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd, 2002 | isbn=978-81-7755-266-9 | page=2872–}} It has a length of {{convert|65|km}} and reaches a maximum length of {{convert|9|km}} at village Preng towards the north through a stream Wangath Nala which flows down from Gangabal Lake. At some places the width is less than {{convert|500|m}} which gives only space to NH 1D, a National Highway which connects Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley. It is formed by the flow of the Sind River which flows down from east to west. The River originates from the inner Himalayas at Drass in Machoi Glacier{{cite book | author=Lulu | title=Explore Kashmiri Pandits | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zsoC6GWr47QC&dq=Sind+river+has+its+source+in+inner+himalayas&pg=PA37 | access-date=2 July 2012 | publisher=Lulu.com | isbn=978-0-9634798-6-0 | page=37–}}{{cite book | author=Kalhana | title=Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of Kasmi | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4rcwLQDFh-EC&dq=source+of+Sind+river&pg=RA1-PA12 | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=2001 | publisher=Elibron.com, 2001 | isbn=978-1-4021-7348-6 | page=12–}} and runs through green forests of pine and fir and alpine meadows of Sonamarg. The Sind Valley contributes heavily to the economy of the State, through generation of hydroelectricity, provides fresh water supply to other districts and irrigation for agriculture. The Sind River flows through the entire valley passing several natural landmarks, tourist spots including Baltal, The meadow of gold, Gagangear, Naranag and Wayil.{{cite book |author=Chris Ackerley |author2=Lawrence Jon Clipper | title=A Companion to Under the Volcano | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H6R0CSdZCH0C&q=sind+valley | access-date=18 June 2012 | year=1984 | publisher=UBC Press, 1984 | isbn=978-0-7748-0199-7 | pages=129, 130–}} The main towns in the valley are Gund, Mammer, Kangan, Wangath, Preng, Wussan and Manigam.

File:Gund village.jpg

The Sind Valley has formed over a period of several thousand years as the Sind River cuts into the Himalayan mountains. The glaciers of the valley are shrinking.{{cite book | author=Geological Society of London | title=The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London, Volume 46 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WFjzAAAAMAAJ&q=geology+of+sind+valley+sonamarg | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=1890 | publisher=The Society, 1890 | isbn=978-81-7035-489-5 | page=66–}} Today, the river continues to deposit the sheets of sand in the lower areas of Ganderbal.{{cite book | author=Sir Walter Roper Lawrence | title=The Valley of Kashmir | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqAHweWRUs0C&dq=sind+valley+the+valley+of+kashmir&pg=PA47 | access-date=18 June 2012 | year=1895 | publisher=Asian Educational Services, 1895 | isbn=978-81-206-1630-1 | page=47–}} Gradual erosive processes have washed away side forests and created a deep gorge at many places.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

The Sind Valley has many glacier fed streams, the tributaries of the Sind River are home to different types of trout among of which is the brown trout.{{cite book | author=A Kumar | title=Environmental Science: Appreciation & Perception | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nLiY1rXhBmQC&dq=trout+in+Sind+river&pg=PA133 | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=2008 | publisher=Daya Books, 2008 | isbn=978-81-7035-489-5 | page=133–}} The valley is the natural habitat of Himalayan black bear, the Himalayan brown bear, musk deer, snow leopard and hangul.{{cite book | author=Trevor Drieberg | title=Jammu and Kashmir: a tourist guide | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7QBAAAAMAAJ&q=brown+bear+at+sonamarg | access-date=18 June 2012 | year=1978 | publisher=Vikas Pub. House, 1978 | isbn=978-0-7069-0575-5 | page=115–}} Markhor and ibex are also spotted in Sonamarg of the Sind Valley.{{cite book | title=Gardeners' chronicle, horticultural trade journal, Part 2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdgKAAAAIAAJ&q=ibex+in+sind+valley+sonamarg | access-date=2 July 2012 |year=1875 | publisher=Haymarket Publishing, 1875 | page=715–}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• H. W. Bellew, [https://archive.org/details/kashmirkashgharn00bellrich/page/n3/mode/2up Kashmir and Kashghar, A Narrative of the Journey of the Embassy to Kashghar in 1873-74], Trübner & Co, 1875 p.86-99

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xunbdCc0jZY Onway to Sonmarg through Sind Valley YouTube ]

{{Kashmir Valley}}

Category:Valleys of Jammu and Kashmir

Category:River valleys of India