The resort’s waterfall and peaceful grounds captivate visitors.
Kulgam’s Aharbal is a popular tourist destination because to its proximity to the city and its rushing waterfall. It is nestled in the verdant woods of Pir Panchal.
Tourists and locals alike go to the picturesque site 30 miles outside of Kulgam town.
According to Greater Kashmir, Aharbal Development Authority CEO Ghalib Shah said, “Approximately 17, 200 domestic and six foreign tourists have visited Aharbal this year so far.”
He further said that one hundred thousand residents from all across Kashmir had descended onto the site.
We’ve been to Kashmir several times, but this was our first trip to Aharbal. A family from Maharashtra stated, “We must say that is something which visitors travelling to Kashmir must not miss.
They found it so peaceful that they want to spend the whole vacation here.
Veshaw River, a significant tributary of Jhelum teeming with trout fish, flows through a steep ravine, entrancing travellers with its reverberations.
The roaring of Aharbal Waterfall is mesmerising. Water from the autumn cascades down a rocky valley approximately seven metres wide from a height of around 25 metres, creating a glittering scene due to the sheer amount of water in the gorge.
A traveller from New Delhi named Amit Kumar said, “We had only heard about Niagara falls, but after seeing this waterfall it seems we are there.”
Though he just spent one day here, he stated he planned to spend at least two the next time he came.
Hikers will adore the areas beyond Aharbal, including Kousarnag, Mahinag, Indrasar, Cheranbal, and other alpine lakes. Recently, Kulgam has been heavily promoted by the district government and the department of tourism.
This year, the town hosted a festival celebrating winter tourism. This year also saw the rollout of Aharbal’s rural tourism initiative in the hamlet of Tangmarg.
Together with the Rural Development Department and Panchayat Raj Kulgam, the scheme was created with the intention of emphasising the village home stay idea.
Two years of intensive advertising through summer, autumn, and winter carnivals, sporting events, and social media by the district administration of Kulgam, the Tourism Department of Kashmir, the Aharbal Development Authority, and the Forest division of Kulgam are being credited with the tremendous influx of visitors.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Kulgam, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat, has taken particular efforts for the promotion of Aharbal by organising festivals, which have doubled the tourist footfall from previous year. He predicted a trebling this year.
The official went on to say that the key to the success of all these projects was the inclusion of local kids in the process of creating new jobs for themselves.
The tourism agency has taken on a number of projects to advertise Aharbal as a unique vacation spot, according to Rehmat Maqbool, assistant director of the Kulgam Tourist Information Centre.
“Adventure sports were held in Aharbal, as well as summer, autumn, and winter carnivals, and promotional campaigns through other channels, such as social media, calendars, and booklets issued by district Administration Kulgam, are bearing fruit,” she added.
This year, there was also a Sufi festival.
Four JKTDC huts, a Tourist Bungalow, and a few huts from the Tourism department, as well as T-20 budgeted accommodation from the ADA, are also available to visitors.
However, the locals tend to favour the installation of greener buildings. One Zahoor Ahmed suggested that the government approve the construction of a few high-quality guest rooms so that the area may serve as more than just a day-trip picnic spot.
He remarked that government housing is not up to par and should be upgraded. The CEO of ADA has said that improvements are being made to the facilities already in place.
“For the time being, we are concentrating on fostering the idea of home stays in the village,” he said.
