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Gulmarg

Ski-resort Hill Station in Jammu and Kashmir, India

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Known as Gaurimarg (meaning "path of goddess Gauri") to the locals, it was renamed as Gulmarg by Yousuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586. The place served as a summer and recreational retreat during the Mughal rule in the 17th century, and British Raj in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Gulmarg ski club was established in 1927. After the end of the British rule in the Indian subcontinent, it became part of the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu, which later acceded to India in October 1947. It was briefly captured by Pakistan during the India–Pakistan war of 1947–1948, before being retaken by the Indian Army.

In 1948, the Indian Army established the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg. In the 1960s, the Indian government promoted it as a tourist and winter sports destination. In the 1990s, the area was affected by insurgency, which impacted tourism, before its recovery in the 21st century. Gulmarg Gondola, which was constructed in multiple phases since the late 1990s, is a multi-stage ropeway that ferries people between Gulmarg and a shoulder of the nearby Apharwat Peak. Gulmarg has hosted the National Winter Games three times.

History

Historically, the place was known to locals as Gaurimarg ("path of goddess Gauri"). Yousuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586, renamed it Gulmarg ("meadow of flowers"). During the Mughal rule, emperor Jahangir used to visit the place, and collected different varieties of wild flowering plants for his gardens. In the 19th century, during the British Raj, civil servants used the place as a summer and recreational retreat. They indulged in hunting wildlife and golfing, and three golf courses were established in Gulmarg. In 1927, the British established a ski club in Gulmarg and hosted two annual skiing events, during Christmas and Easter. Archeologist Marc Aurel Stein explored Gulmarg during the late 19th century.

After the end of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, Gulmarg became part of the independent princely state of Kashmir and Jammu, ruled by the Dogra king Hari Singh. Singh signed the instrument of accession and acceded to India in October 1947. Gulmarg was briefly captured by Pakistan during the India–Pakistan war of 1947–1948, as a part of Operation Gulmarg. The invading militia, consisting of Pathan tribesmen supported by the Pakistani army, passed through the Haji Pir pass towards Gulmarg and Srinagar. The Indian Army, led by the 1st Sikh Regiment, defended the outskirts of Srinagar. The Indian counterattacks led to the re-capture of Gulmarg and the surrounding areas. In 1948, the Indian Army established the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg. On 1 January 1949, the India-Pakistan war ended under the supervision of the United Nations, and the Line of Control (named as per the Shimla Agreement of 1972), which became the de facto boundary between India and Pakistan, was established closer to the region.

After Indian Independence, the Government of India sought to develop Gulmarg as a winter sports and tourist destination. In 1960, alpine skier Rudolph Matt, who came at the invitation of the government, determined that Gulmarg was a suitable location for winter sports. In 1968, the Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering was established in Gulmarg to train skiers. The government invested ₹30 million (US$310,000) in developing skiing facilities in Gulmarg. In the mid-1980s, heli-skiing was introduced in Gulmarg. In the 1990s, the rise of insurgency in Kashmir affected tourism in Gulmarg. The industry started to recover in late 1990s, and early 2000s. The Gulmarg Gondola was opened in various stages from 1998 to 2011. In 2014, Government of Jammu and Kashmir drafted a master plan, to be implemented by 2032, for sustainable development in Gumarg.

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