Neelum valley is one of the beautiful valleys in Pakistan. It is in North and Northeast of Muzafarabad City in Azad Kashmir and running parallel to Kaghan valley. It is named after the river Neelum which flows like a snake of blue color within the valley. Some people also think that this valley was named after a precious stone called Neelum. It has snowstorm covered mountains which are 4000 meters above sea level. It contains about 380 large and small villages. The valley has thick forests, lush green mountains, magical streams, and beautiful rivers.
This valley is fully dipped in most amazing beauty, attracting thousands of tourists from all over Pakistan and around the globe. The valley can be approached from two different points. One from the Kaghan valley and the other is from Noori Top. Besides these two it has many minor passes as well.
The district Neelum starts 43 km from Muzaffarabad. The area is also famous for its mineral and mines.
In addition to that, there is LOC (Line of Control) which borders between Pakistan and India. Relatives can cross the bridge and meet their relatives on the other side of the bridge twice a month. There is a tourist place Red Fort built by the town’s founder. It was built in the seventeenth century by a chief of the Chak tribe named Muzaffar Khan, to save his army from the Mughal armies.
The valley also has many local fruits like Apple, Apricots, Walnuts, and Plums.
A large number of tourists visit it in the summer season. There is a mountain called “SARWALI” (6326 meters) which is one of the highest mountains in Azad Kashmir.
The snowcapped mountains and the fast-flowing Neelum River make tourists believe that they are in some part of Switzerland. The river is also famous for fishing and it has the famous trout fish in abundance.
Some of its famous places are Shounter Pass, Chita Khata, Ratti Gali, Baboon, Noori top, Sharda Valley , Kel Village, Surgon and many more are mentioned in the books written by famous tourists like Mustansar Hussain Tararr. Tararr even wrote a travelogue on Neelum Valley after visiting there.
Some of the important areas of the valley include:
Kutton and Jagran
It is situated in the lower part of the Neelum valley, Jagran Nullah (stream) plays a vital role in the formation of its landscape beauty and charm which reveals the richness of the area. For the convenience of tourists, AJK tourism department has constructed a rest house here. A long and beautiful series of Himalaya Mountains starts from here.
Authmuqam
This valley town is very unique in its beauty as compared to other places we have talked about. It is also significant as it marks the beginning of the control line with Indian held Kashmir in Neelum. It is named Authmuqam because it is the 8th station from Muzaffarabad to the upper valley. Most people are government employees, rest are in different fields like tourism. From here to upwards emerge typical Kashmiri living pattern with wooden houses, most of them are double storied. Hiking tracks for surrounding mountains are traced by the local peoples and tourists.
Sharda
Sharda is one of the most beautiful places with its lush green planes, forests, a smooth flowing river that freezes in the severe cold season and serves as a passage for people of both sides of the river. This place is very famous for the tourists’ point of view. It is so attractive and they get their money’s worth when they spend a few days here. In Sharda one also finds ruins of an old place of learning. There are also ruins present here which is interesting for the people doing historical research. Also, there are signs of an old university called Sharda University which was the center of knowledge for the people of China, East, and Central Asia.
Kel (Neelum Valley)
It is also one of the attractive places of the valley. One of the facts is the there is a long track that goes towards Nanga Parbat. People can actually see this Nanga Parbat Mountain from there and it is a beautiful sight for the tourists.
Dressing
Men and women of these valleys wear normal Shalwar Kameez. Women wear colorful dresses with dupatta and men wear a waistcoat. When we talk about winters the sweaters and the normal jackets come into play. You won’t see a single lady wearing tight jeans or a t-shirt here.
Language
The official language which is spoken in the valley is Urdu because it can be understood by anyone in the valley. People of the area also speak Kashmiri, Pahari, and Hindko.
Handicrafts
People of the valley make good handicrafts which include Carpet, Namda, Gubba. They are also famous for their silk woolen clothing. People also make woolen shawls. Besides all these, they are also good at wood carving and in making Rugs
Local dishes
The area is famous for its dishes like Gushtaba. Kashmiri people love this food. People in the valley eat rice a lot. They don’t consider lunch or a meal with not having rice. Tabak Maaz is also quite eaten in this valley and the preparation of which is considered an art and a point of pride in Kashmiri culture.
The valley is no doubt a great place to visit especially with friends and family. Tourists can enjoy the beautiful places, fruits, nature as well as they can enjoy the local food. It can be a really good summer outing destination where one can spend his/her vacations to relax and enjoy the wild thick forests, springs, rivers, lush green plans being so close to nature.
