Gulmarg, situated at an altitude of 2730 m in the Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir, was discovered by the British in the year 1927. The literal meaning of Gulmarg is “meadow of flowers”. Gulmarg was originally known as Gaurimarg after Goddess Gauri, wife of the Hindu god of destruction, Shiva. Its present name was given to it by King Yousuf Shah Chak, the last indigenous king of Kashmir, who was mesmerised by the beauty of the place, its grass slopes and its peaceful environment.
Known for its scenic beauty, Gulmarg has also been a popular destination for shooting of various Bollywood films. Among one of the top honeymoon locations, Gulmarg boasts of being a beautiful town without the crowd like Manali and Shimla. Gulmarg has also been developed as an adventure hub as Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering is located here. A lot of courses on trekking, mountaineering, skiing, etc. are offered by IISM at great prices here. However, if you are planning to do a course, it is advisable to book your course well in advance. There are a lot of other private tour operators in Gulmarg as well which provide similar courses and facilities for skiing, snowboarding and trekking. The cable car here is also one of the prime attractions here and is the 2nd highest cable car in the world.
