Kashmir: A name that has a magical effect on everyone’s mind. A land of love and beauty surrounded by mountains and comprised of water bodies. This land of Saints, “Reshware” has greatly influenced the minds of several poets and urged them to pen-down its praise and to call it “Paradise on earth”. Nature has blessed this land with all beautiful things whether they are mountains, rivers, gardens or religious places. From the lesser Himalayas to the Outer Himalayas, each and everything of the valley refreshes the soul.
The state has three distinct geographical regions with people of different ethnic groups having various differences. The people of the state speak different languages like the people of the Jammu region speak Dogri, the people of the Ladakh region speak Ladakhi and the people of the Kashmir region speak Kashmiri.
They also enjoy different kinds of food (wazwan) and wear different dresses (Pheran, Gouncha). People celebrate different festivals and beautify their festivals with folk music (Chapter, Rouf, Surna and Daman). The people also practice different religions and the common religions of the state are Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. The state is also comprised of several religious places and these places add to the significance of the state and help in creating an atmosphere of peace and harmony as people go from one region to another to visit their holy places.
Besides all these diversities, the people have one thing in common, that is all of them are ‘people from Paradise on Earth’.