If Anyone Has The Ultimate Dossier On Ladakh, It Is Parvez Dewan, After Years Of Running About India'S Northern-Most Region, Administering And Adventuring His Way Around Its Desert Plains, Passes And Lakes. Along The Way, He Discovered That Kargil And Leh Had Large Buddha Sculpture Carved Into The Mountainside, And Noticed That The `World'S Purest Aryans,' The Drokpas, Weren'T Amused By Suggestions That There Was Mass Kissing At Their Festivals And Taught Himself Polo On The Endless Kargyak Plains - The Highest Inhabited Place, In The World. Parvez Started The Ladakh Festival, Threw Open To Tourists Seven Hitherto `Forbidden' Areas (But Got Bounced Back From Siachen), Developed An Admiration For The History, Culture And People Of The Pak Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan-Hunza Region, Introduced The Suru Valley And Goshan Murad Bagh To The International Media, And Waited For Weeks To Sight The Snow Leopard. He Was Luckier With The Wild Ass, Brahmini Ducks And Black Necked Cranes, Though.
While Kashmîr And Ladakh Have Been Written About Extensively, There Has Never Been A Book On The History, Culture And Tourist Attractions Of The Vast Jammû Region. The Holy Shrine Of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Alone, Draws Sixty Lakh (Six Million) Tourists A Year. Another Three Million Visit Shahdra Sharief. Two Of The World S Highest Mountains, Brahma And Brahma S Wife, Are In Jammû, And So Several Mountain-Top Lakes. Parvéz Dewân, Who Revived The World Famous Basohli School Of Miniature Paintings, And Helped Make Shiv Khori, Jammû S Third Biggest Tourist Attraction, Has Brought In His Expertise On Jammû To Fill The Gap. In This First-Of-Its-Kind Encyclopaedic Three-Volume Set On Jammu, Kashmir And Ladakh, One On Each Region, Parvez Dewan Shares In Detail, His Interest And Excitement In The Fabled Land That Has Been The Arena Of His Adult Life: An Up-To-Date Yet Timeless Guide To The Magical Trinity Of Jammu, Kashmir And Ladakh That Crowns The Sub-Continent Of India.
While Kashmir and Ladakh have been written about extensively, there has never been a book on the history, culture and tourist attractions of the vast Jammu region. The holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji alone draws sixty lakh (six million) tourists a year. Another three million visit Shahdra Sharief. Two of the world's highest mountains, Brahma and Brahma's Wife, are in Jammu, and so are several mountaintop lakes. Parvez Dewan, who revived the world famous Basohli School of Miniature Paintings and helped make Shiv Khori Jammu's third biggest tourist attraction, has brought in his expertise on Jammu to fill the gap.
Parvez Dewan Has Spent Years Running About India'S Northern Most State, Administering & Adventuring His Way Around Its Valleys, Peaks, Rivers And Towns. Each Volume Is Comprehensive & The Book Contains Almost Everything On Kashmir, Its Art, History, Culture And Society, As Well As Trekking Routes & Tourist Places. Profusely Illustrated In Colour, And With Maps, It Has Been Designed For Everyone Looking For A Handy Reference Work Which Touches Almost All Frequently Asked Questions About This Beautiful Himalayan State Of North India. Based On Available Research As Well As The Author'S Own Fieldwork, The Book'S Richness Lies In Information About Little Known Places And Lesser Known Customs, Beliefs And Traditions.
After Reducing The Paradise On Earth , Kashmir, To A Virtual Hell, The Islamic Ter¬Rorists Have Extended Their Death And De¬Struction To Doda District Of Jammu Divi¬Sion Of The Jammu & Kashmir State. Local Press Of The Valley, With A Few Honourable Exceptions, Totally Surrendered To The Dic¬Tates Of The Terrorists. They Not Only Con-Doned But Also Defended The Heinous Crimes Like Loot, Arson, Rape And Murder Commit¬Ted By The So Called Islamic Mujahids. The Brunt Of The Fundamentalists' Senseless Fury Was Borne By The Peaceful And Defenceless Pandit Minority Of The Valley. More Than Quarter Million Members Of This Commu¬Nity Men, Women And Children Had To Flee Their Home And Hearth To Save Their Life And Honour. Un-Islamic Mujahids, Did Not Spare Even Their Muslim Co-Religionists, Who Were Killed Because They Were The Political Activists Of Major Political Parties. Even They Had To Seek Refuge, In Thou¬Sands, In Other Parts Of India.This And Many Other Aspects Of The Ter¬Rorism/Militancy In The Jammu & Kash¬Mir State Its Birth And Rise, Economic And Political Factors, Role Of Pakistan In Sustain¬Ing It, The Dithering Policy Of The Central Government, The Biased Attitude Of The So-Called Human Rights Organisations Vis-A¬Vis The Terrorists' Activities, Rigged Elec¬Tions, Controvertial Article 370, Autonomy, Burning Of Soofi Saint Sheikh Nur-Ud-Din'S Chrari Sharief Shrine And 'Azadi' Etc. Have Been Analysed In Depth In This Book By The Journalists And Scholars, Many Of Whom Have Not Only Themselves Been The Victims Of Terrorism, But Have Also Closely Watched From The Ring Side, The Jammu & Kashmir Affairs Since Its Accession To India In 1947.The Collection Of Articles In The Form Of This Book Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh: Ringside Views, Imparts It The Character Of The Reference Material. Otherwise, They Would Remain Scattered In The Newspa¬Pers, And Perhaps Out Of Reach Too.These Words From The Preface Of The Book, Succinctly, Bring Forth The Essense Of This Book: This Book Is A Collection Of Articles And Commentaries On The Trauma Of Kashmir (And Jammu) By Some Distin-' Guished Writers, Scholars, Journalists And Political Commentators.... (They) Have Been Witnesses Of The Agony Of Kashmir.... The Articles Deal Not Only With Political Issues, But Also The Emotional, Social And Psycho¬Logical Fallout Of The Turmoil That Is Gnaw¬Ing At The Roots Of Kashmir'S Ancient Ethos.
