Lolab Valley

The Lolab Valley is located in the Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an oval shaped valley. It is 24 kilometres long and 3.2 kilometres wide. The Lahwal river flows through the valley.

What is the Geography of Lolab Valley?

The Lolab valley is located in Kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir. In the north it is bordered by Neelum valley and in the south, it is bordered by Kashmir valley. The valley is home to more than nine springs. It is covered with dense forests of fir and pine.

Why is Lolab Valley called, the Fruit Bowl of Jammu and Kashmir?

The valley is called the “Fruit Bowl of Jammu and Kashmir” because it is rich in fruit trees such as walnut, apricot, peach, cherry and apple.

What are the impacts of India – Pakistan disputes over Lolab valley?

The Lolab valley is separated by Line of Control. It has seen several armed conflicts. These disputes have led to the displacement of several wild animals. The valley is rich in snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, hangul, ibex and markhor.

What are the major tourist attractions in Lolab valle?

The valley is the resting place of Saint Kashyap reshi. The Lavang spring of the valley is three feet deep and is famous for its crystal-clear water. The Gauri spring is yet another major tourist attraction in the valley. However, the valley has very poor flow of tourists due to lack of intervention of the government. The potential of tourism in Lolab valley still remains unexplored.

What measures were done to develop tourism in Lolab valley?

In November 2021, the Tourism Department organised the first Lolab festival to improve tourism in the region. The main objective of festival was to promote the hidden and less known destinations of Lolab valley. It is one of the 75 tourist potential places that were identified across Jammu and Kashmir. These places are with huge tourism potential, but have not yet been explored.