Winter capitals of India
Pre-medieval times:
Before discussing the present-day scenario of the winter capital of India which is unidentified and non-existent, but a virtual entity, let us hark back t o earlier times beginning from the Kushan Empire period when Begroom and Mathura were summer and winter capitals of India. Kannauj was the capital of India for a brief period during Harsha Vardhan’s times. Similarly, Manyakheta, Avanti, Mathura and Sagla were capital of India during the Rashtrakuta dynasty, Pratihara Empire, Sakas and Indo-Greeks respectively in the early period of Indian kingdom. The medieval period saw Delhi, Daulatabad, Musrshidabad, Pune and Munger. But let us concentrate and discuss the capital of India during British Raj.
British India:
During the British Raj, Calcutta was the capital of India until 1911 which was shifted to Delhi with the inauguration of parliament and government at New Delhi in 1931. To this was added Shimla as the winter capital of India in the mid twentieth century.
It is interesting to note that presently Jammu and Kashmir have two state capitals at Jammu and Srinagar for winter and summer seasons respectively. Punjab and Haryana states have a common capital at Chandigarh. Like the Jammu and Kashmir state, Maharashtra state has two capitals at Mumbai and Nagpur. The Indian states which have shifted the capitals from one territory to another include Assam with Dispur as capital (the former being Shillong), Gujarat with Gandhi Nagar (the former being Ahmedabad), Kerala with Thiruvanathapuram (the former being Kochi), Odisha with Bhubaneswar (the former being Cuttack) and Punjab with Chandigarh (the former being hovering between Lahore and Shimla).
Winter capitals:
Among countries of the world, South Africa stands out with three capitals at Pretoria as the administrative capital, Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the administrative capital. Malaysia has two capitals at Kuala Lumpur as the lawmaking and Putrajaya is the administrative and judicial capital of the country. A few other countries of the world do have more than one capital and as these countries are not often discussed. I prefer to close the list here.
Coming back to the Union territories of India, Port Blair, Chandigarh, Silvassa, Daman, Kavaratti and Pondicherry are the capital cities of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Punjab and Haryana, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Dieu, Lakshadweep and Puducherry respectively.
Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir as the summer capital of India:
The mountainous Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir state has Himachal Pradesh and Punjab as it boundary states. State towards the north has the People’s Republic of China as its international border and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baluchistan as its line of control. The state consists of three regions; viz. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Jammu has been defined and declared as the summer capital of Jammu And Kashmir State.
Maharaja Hari Singh ruled Jammu and Kashmir till October 1947 before its annexation with India in the midst of invasion by tribesmen and Pakistani soldiers. The two nation theory of the British rulers which were agreed to by our eminent leaders of the era created Pakistan out of India with Jammu and Kashmir remaining the bone of contention since then. There are claims and counter-claims by both the countries on the annexation of the stare, but the fact remains that while Pakistan’s claim is illusory and virtual. India is the real ruler and the state is with India in all its naked realities. It is also true that our actual occupation of the state is about 60%, 30% and 10% remaining with Pakistan and China respectively in the garb of Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin.
The paradise on earth:
The longest glacier named Siachen glacier is 73kilometres long providing year-long water to the Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab rivers. However, Jhelum River is the only major river of the Kashmir Valley. With the decline of rainfall from September onwards, Jammu region becomes hot with para rising above 30 degree centigrade. Nevertheless, Srinagar of its higher altitude remains severely cool throughout the year. All rivers of Kashmir freeze in winter are making it difficult for boating. Caste distribution wise Jammu has 65% of Hindus while Kashmir has 67% of Muslims. During the period of extreme terrorism of the valley in the 1990s, about 170000 of Hindu Kashmir pundits left the valley which reduced the Hindu dominion in some pocket areas of Kashmir Valley. While Urdu written in Persian script is the official language of Jammu and Kashmir State; Kashmiri, Dogri, Ladakhi, Pahari and Pashto languages are also in vogue.
Special status:
Article 370 of the Constitution of India gives Jammu and Kashmir a separate constitution and autonomy. Nonetheless, no autonomy of the state exists in three fields of defense, foreign policy and communication. Subsequently, jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India over Jammu And Kashmir State was extended. The state has its own constitution and flag. No Indian citizen other than that of the state can buy a patch of land there. Armed Forces Act has been in force in the state since 1990. 24 seats reserved for the Pakistan occupied Kashmir remains vacant in the Assembly for the area not being in actual possession of the State. Unlike Indian state assemblies, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has a six-year term.
Agriculture and allied activities constitute the backbone of the state. Its jungle produces and saffron are of very high quality. Cricket bats made of Kashmir wood are in great demand among the world cricket players. Kashmir fruits and flowers are loved and respected world-wide. Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, fish, oranges etc. are of very superior quality and foreign exchange-splinter. Kashmir shawls and handicrafts are very popular in India and abroad. The Doda district of Kashmir Valley produces sharp quality saffron which is very costly and rare. Poverty in the state is as low as 4% of the population which is one of the lowest in the country.
Conclusion:
Very ambitious projects by the Indian Railways are under progresses which see a jubilant and vibrant state when completed. The Kashmir tourism sector, once terribly hit due to terrorist cross-border activities has shot up lately. Vaishnodevi Temple of Jammu and Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh have been attracting tourists with the government and the public booming with income. However, still some disturbances of the Kashmir region do not equate its tourism earnings of the pre-1989 level. Ski and golf courses in Kashmir are among the best in the world which abounds in tourists’ interest.
The Dogra culture of Jammu is similar to that of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Abode of many Punjabis; Vaisakhi and Lohri are celebrated all over Jammu with remarkable zeal and fervor. The Ladakhi Festival is a tourists’ treatment. The Shikara journey in the Jhelum River and five star comforts in the Dal Lake Boat House make tourists dance with joy.
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