HOLY PLACE (HAZRATBAL)

The Muslim and Hindu peoples of Kashmir have lived in relative harmony and friendliness since the 13th century when Islam first became the majority religion in Kashmir. The Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus), leading to a syncretic culture where Hindus and Muslims revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines. 

Srinagar, a quiet town in the famous Vale of Kashmir, is the capital of Jammu and Kashmir  the larger part of the original country and now attached to India. It lies along the Jhelum River, surrounded by clear lakes and formal Mogul gardens, at analtitude of one mile. Forested hillsides and lofty glacier-covered peaks of the Himalayan range surround the heavily populated central valley. The people of Kashmir, merchants , craftsmen, farmers, woodsmen and shepherds, are as handsome as the land they dwell in.

Kashmir has a population of about five million, nearly all Muslim.