Pahalgam hill resort in Kashmir mesmerizes tourists

With the annual Amarnath yatra still one and half month away, this hill resort in south Kashmir is witnessing a record number of tourist arrivals much to the delight of locals.

Pahalgam is famous for its scenic beauty and is the jewel of the picturesque Liddar valley located in the high Himalayas. It provides an ideal setting for activities like hiking, trekking, and fishing. It is also the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave of Amarnath.

The hill resort has recorded four times more tourist arrivals in April compared to the same month last year.

According to official figures 105,666 tourists visited Pahalgam last month while the number was 28,721 in the same month last year. According to break-up of tourists, 925,959 were domestic tourists, 124 foreigners and 12,583 locals.

In January 21,049 tourists visited Pahalgam and 59,274 in February. An official of the Tourism department said on an average nearly 4000 tourists are visiting Pahalgam every day.

“Till June end there will be a huge rush of local and domestic tourists to Pahalgam and we expect nearly two lakh tourist footfalls in June. As the yatra is scheduled to begin on June 30, the rush of tourists is expected to come down, but pilgrim arrivals will keep the place abuzz,” he said.

The tourist rush at the hill resort after several years has delighted people associated with tourism, including cab drivers, dhaba wallas, ponny wallas and shopkeepers.

“It is after almost three years that we are doing a brisk business and hope it will increase in the coming months with the start of Amarnath yatra,” Rayees Ahmad, who runs a dhaba in Pahalgam, said.

Sonali Sharma, a tourist from Delhi said that she was mesmerised by the beauty of Pahalgam which is situated at the junction of the Aru and Sheshnag Rivers and surrounded by tall fir-covered mountains and snow-clad peaks forming a spectacular sight.

“I would love to visit this place again as there is no match to the beauty of Pahalgam. The lush green forests and the sound of gushing rivers make this place look like a paradise,” she added.