Sonamarg is a town with snookered flower-laden fields, surrounded by majestic glaciers and serene lakes which casts subtle spells on the visitors.

Translating into ‘the land of gold’, Sonamarg is a picturesque town located in Kashmir valley at an elevation of around 2800 km from sea level. Bounded by natural beauty, breathtaking glaciers and serene lakes the place is a popular tourist attraction of Jammu & Kashmir. Nilagrad, a colony of the Baltics, is a picturesque location that one can always visit. Sonamarg is the home of many beautiful and serene lakes. Various mountain lakes such as Gangabal, Vishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Kishansar are situated in and around Sonamarg. Another scenic eye catching lake in Sonamarg also includes Vishansar. Krishnasar Lake, at a height of 3, 801m above sea level, is popular for fishing with beautiful species such as the trouts.

Situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sonamarg is a popular hill station in the Kashmir Valley, located at an altitude of 2740 metres. The city lies before the Zoji La pass that leads to Ladakh and is surrounded by high snowy mountains. The passage of Sindh Valley leads to Sonamarg, which is another significant feature of Kashmir. 

The name Sonamarg means ‘Meadow of Gold’. This name was given to the place as it is completely covered with a sheet of flowers during spring that appear gold in colour and also for being a decisive trading position, which makes it the main route into Central Asia. The falling sunlight on the high mountain peaks in the city also turns it golden in colour. The place has alpine weather conditions with pleasant summers and heavy snowfall in winter. 

Sonamarg is the last stop of Kashmir that leads to the driveway from Srinagar to Leh. Trekking and hiking are quite popular here due to the presence of large number of mountains. Sonamarg is the starting point that leads to major mountain treks and lakes namely Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar, and Gangabal as well as Amarnath Cave. 

Sonamarg is also popular for its walkways out of which the major attraction is the 4 km route to Thajiwas, which is a small valley at the foot of the Sonamarg Glacier, covered with pine, fir and birch trees. The Thajiwas range has a large number of camping sites and also comprises many waterfalls and the Thajiwas Glacier. 

Around the city, there are many places to visit like the trek to Gadsar Lake situated at 15 km from Sonamarg, featuring snowtrout, Satsar and alpine flowers, along with a trip to frozen Satsar Lake or Baltal. Other significant places in the city of Sonamarg include the Nilagrad, a mountain river that lies 6 km from Sonamarg which meets the Indus at the Baltic Colony. 

Another place is the Krishnasar Lake, which is known for its natural and untouched surroundings. The River stands at the Bisansar Lake at an altitude of 3801 m and is famous for trout fishing. The Sindh River that flows through is full of trout and mahseer. It takes about a day to reach the sacred cave of Amarnath from Zoji La pass, which is close to Sonamarg.

Sonamarg is a city with a significant rainfall. Even in the driest month there is a lot of rain. The average temperature in Sonmarg is 6.5 °C. About 932 mm of precipitation falls annually.

The distance from New Delhi to Sonmarg is 927 kms .

Being a hill station, Sonamarg experiences pleasant weather throughout the year making it apt for sightseeing. The weather can be characterized by a significant amount of rainfall, with rainfall even during the summer and winter months. Due to its cool and comfortable weather conditions, Sonamarg can be visited all year round, but the best time to visit is between the months of April to November.

BY LAWZ BUREAU