A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
43-716: Tosa Maidan (or Toshamaidan ) is a tourist destination and a hill station in the Khag area of the Budgam district in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir . The name also marks the historic Tosa Maidan route into the Kashmir Valley from the Poonch Valley . In fact, the original name of Tosa Maidan appears to have been "Tosa Marg". Mahmud of Ghazni and
86-481: A reasonable admission charge or even for free, others may be of low quality and overprice their goods and services (such as admission, food, and souvenirs) in order to profit excessively from tourists. Such places are commonly known as tourist traps . Within cities, rides on boats and sightseeing buses are sometimes popular. Novelty attractions are oddities such as the " biggest ball of twine " in Cawker City, Kansas ,
129-541: A steep cliff called Hastivanj to the south was difficult to cross. The modern " Mughal Road " constructed between 2005 and 2009 is close to the route used by the Mughals, though it is not identical to it. To the west of Peer Ki Gali, cliffs descend steeply into a valley, which carries another mountain stream that joins the Poonch River flowing from the north. A hill village called Bahramgala (original name: Bhairavgala) marks
172-732: A supposed UFO crash site near Roswell, New Mexico and the alleged Loch Ness monster sightings in Scotland . Ethnic communities may become tourist attractions, such as Chinatowns in the United States and the black British neighborhood of Brixton in London , England. Tourists also look for special local culinary experiences such as street kitchens in Asian metropolises or the coffeehouse culture in Central Europe . In particular, cultural property and
215-662: Is a good example of a region marketed and branded as a place for tourists to visit, mainly known for its Châteaux of the Loire valley . A tropical island resort is an island or archipelago that depends on tourism as its source of revenue. The Bahamas in the Caribbean , Bali in Indonesia , Phuket in Thailand , Hawaii in the United States , Fiji in the Pacific, and Santorini and Ibiza in
258-622: Is a kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata in the northwest Uttar Pradesh . Other traditions place the Mahabharata regions in western Punjab and southern Kashmir. Scholar Dineshchandra Sircar has analysed the geography described in the Shakti‐sangama Tantra , where this is indeed the case. Scholar M. A. Stein states that the high mountain passes were always regarded as deities or were associated with deities. These customs continued after
301-651: Is also the source of the main stream feeding the Sukhnag river). This provides a gentler descent into another branch of the Loran Valley, which meets up with the first route near the village of Loran. Both the branches of Loran streams feed the Mandi River . To the north of Chinamrag Gali is another pass Jamianwali Gali, which descends into the Gagri Valley. This pass provides a longer route to Poonch. The Tosa Maidan route into
344-602: Is marketed or markets itself as a place for tourists to visit". It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps". Fátima town, for example, is a popular tourist destination in Portugal . Siem Reap town is a popular tourist destination in Cambodia , mainly owing to its proximity to the Angkor temples. The Loire valley , the third tourist destination in France ,
387-420: Is not enough to prevent destruction, robbery and looting. The founding president of Blue Shield International Karl von Habsburg summed it up with the words: “Without the local community and without the local participants, that would be completely impossible”. Pir Panjal Pass The Pir Panjal Pass , also called Peer Ki Gali (or Peer Gali ), is a mountain pass and a tourist destination located in
430-463: Is the largest pasture in its surrounding areas, 3 miles in length and 1.5 miles in width. Sky-touching deodars fence this pasture presenting a view of a green carpet in summer. During the summer, the camps of the Gujjar community and shepherds with their grazing sheep in the pastures present a riveting picture. Also, the fragrance of wild flowers refreshes the whole environment. According to M. A. Stein ,
473-634: The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota , or Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska , where old cars serve in the place of stones in a replica of Stonehenge . Novelty attractions are not limited to the American Midwest, but are part of Midwestern culture . A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is significantly dependent on revenues from tourism, or "a country, state, region, city, or town which
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#1732859095307516-675: The Durrani -controlled Kashmir Valley in 1814, partly via the Pir Panjal Pass. He divided the forces into two parts, one attacking via the Pir Panjal Pass under the command of Dewan Ram Dayal and the other led by himself via the Tosa Maidan . Ram Dayal forced through the Pir Panjal pass, reached Baramulla and fortified himself. Ranjit Singh could not break through the Durrani defences at Tosa Madian, and
559-726: The Partition of India , the Muslims of the western tehsils of Poonch (especially the Bagh and Sudhnoti tehsils) rebelled against the Hindu Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir . On 22 October 1947, raiders from Pakistan joined the rebels, leading to the First Kashmir War . The State Forces garrison at Poonch is said to have been besieged. The majority of the Tosa Maidan route up to
602-788: The Pir Panjal Range in Jammu and Kashmir , India. It connects the Kashmir Valley to the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu via the Mughal Road . It is the highest point on the Mughal road at 3,490 m (11,450 ft) and lies to the southwest of the Kashmir valley. The Pir Panjal Pass appears in Srivara's Rajatarangini as Panchaladeva ( IAST : Pāñcāladeva ), meaning the deity of Panchala . Panchala
645-670: The Sukhnag river . At the top of the Pir Panjal range, there are a number of passes leading to the Poonch Valley. The most often used pass is called Chinamarg Gali, once known as the Tosa Maidan pass , near the Daman Sar lake. It provides a steep descent into the Loran Valley , passing by the village of Sultanpathri. At the southwest is another pass called Pathri ki Gali, near the Pam Sar lake (which
688-818: The Kashir Valley and was well-guarded by the Loharkot fort. Al Beruni stated that brisk trade was carried out along this route. The importance of the route declined after the Mughal rule , during which the Pir Panjal Pass was developed as an Imperial Road, and the Afghan Durrani rule , during which the Jhelum Valley cart-road was developed. Even so, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire attempted two invasion Kashmir via
731-560: The Kashmir Valley was of high importance during the Lohara dynasty of Srinagar (1003–1320 CE), as is evident from its repeated mention in the last two Books of Kalhana's Rajatarangini . The ruling house of the Lohara state, based in the Loran valley, took over the reins of Kashmir after the death of its king Kshemagupta, who had married a Lohara princess. Samgramaraja was the first full-fledged ruler of
774-466: The Mediterranean are examples of popular island resorts. France , the United States , and Spain were the three most popular international destinations in 2017. The total number of international travelers arriving in those countries was about 234 million, contributing 8.9%, 7.7%, and 14.9%, respectively, to the total GDP of those countries. Although some years back, Africa was lean on tourism,
817-483: The Peer Ki Gali. Written records note a Pir called Sheikh Ahmed Karim lived and meditated in the Peer Ki Gali during the time of emperor Jahangir. He converted to Islam from Hinduism, regarded the Peer Ki Gali as a place of God and insisted all the passersby treat it with reverence. The records also state that emperor Jahangir disregarded his commandments, but Shahjahan and Aurangzeb followed them. A shrine stands in
860-582: The Pir Panjal range is likely to have come under the control of the rebels. After India sent its armed forces to defend the state following the Maharaja's accession, the Poonch garrison was maintained by air dropping supplies. Towards the end of 1948, the Indian Army's Operation Easy dispatched forces from Rajouri and Uri to link up at Poonch and establish a line of defence along Uri–Poonch-Nowshera line. After this
903-568: The Sikh monarch Ranjit Singh attempted to invade the Kashmir Valley via this route following the Battle of Shopian Bounded by dense forests, the Tosa Maidan meadow is situated about 25 km (16 mi) from Khag at the foot of the Pir Panjal range . After crossing the upper mountain reaches of Habber, Drang, Sitaharan, Zakhora and other small villages, one reaches the pasture of Tosa Maidan. Tosa Maidan
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#1732859095307946-426: The Tosa Maidan route in 1814 and 1819. The first time, his army was divided into two forces, one attacking the Pir Panjal Pass and the other the Tosa Maidan meadow. At the meadow, Ranjit Singh was blocked by the Durrani defences. He also suffered difficulty of maintaining supplies and was forced to retreat. Later in 1819, all the Sikh forces were concentrated on Tosa Maidan and conquered the Durrani forces. Soon after
989-491: The Tosa Maidan route starts from the habar Drang village (going out from the Kashmir valley). After crossing the Tosa Maidain meadow, it ascends gently to an elevation of 13,000 ft at the top of Pir Panjal range . "The ascent is so gradual and easy that... the construction of cart-roud would so far meet with little difficulty." There are several streams originating at the top of the range at this locale, all of which join to form
1032-472: The United States, owners and marketers of attractions advertise tourist attractions on billboards along the sides of highways and roadways, especially in remote areas. Tourist attractions often distribute free promotional brochures to be displayed in rest areas , information centers, fast food restaurants, and motel rooms or lobbies. While some tourist attractions provide visitors a memorable experience for
1075-421: The author's personal assessments. Sometimes it is particularly emphasized that this particular tourist attraction has not yet been in the focus of the international tourism industry. Some of the sights are internationally known or target the national or local market. Some attractions are reserved for the local population or are rarely advertised because the main traffic routes and main airports are too far away. In
1118-484: The continent is currently regarded as the second fastest growing tourism region with over 67 million tourists visits to Africa in 2018. Ethiopia , with a growth rate of 48.6% in 2018, is at the top of the list of African tourist centers. Other tourist locations in Africa include Cape Town, South Africa , Giza Necropolis , Egypt , The Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya , Victoria Falls , Zimbabwe and Zambia . From
1161-466: The destination and contribute to the overall experience of the trip. The ultimate primary purpose of attractions is to attract the customer's attention so that they can come to a specific location and explore the various attractions on vacation. In the travel and tourism industry, attractions therefore play a particularly important role as this attracts tourists from all over the world. Tourist attractions are also created to capitalize on legends such as
1204-422: The dynasty. During his rule, Mahmud of Ghazni attempted to invade Kashmir via the Tosa Maidan route, once in 1003 and another time in 1021. In both the instances, he was blocked by the Lohara fort ( Loharkot ) that guarded the route. Mahmud was unable to conquer the fort itself. In the second instance, he also suffered a disruption of communications due to a heavy snowfall. Historian Mohibbul Hasan states that this
1247-480: The end of the valley. The Sikh sources name the pass itself as Bahramgala pass , in effect marking Bahramgala as is western end. The modern Mughal Road avoids the steep descent by following the hill sides to the north. It ends at a town called Bufliaz about 10 km to the west of Bahramgala. From there the National Highway 144A connects to Poonch to the northwest and Rajouri to the south. At Peer Ki Gali,
1290-563: The event of war, many tourist attractions are a special goal in order to cause lasting damage to the enemy or to finance the war. International attempts are therefore made to protect and preserve these economic and cultural foundations of a community, city or country. There is intensive cooperation between the United Nations , UNESCO and Blue Shield International on the protection of cultural goods and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. However, cooperation between organizations and state authorities
1333-656: The individual places of the UNESCO World Heritage Site have developed into tourist attractions. If too many tourists frequent individual places, this can lead to environmental pollution and resistance from the local population, such as in Barcelona or Venice. With regard to this whole subject, there are already lists of destinations that are not recommended to tourists. There are innumerable lists and reviews of tourist attractions. Visitor statistics, cultural significance, beauty or age are used and these always reflect
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1376-917: The lease. Consequently, the lease was terminated, and the Tosa Maidan meadow has been open to visitors since 30 May 2016. Tourist destination Places of natural beauty such as beaches , tropical island resorts , national parks , mountains , deserts and forests , are examples of traditional tourist attractions which people may visit. Cultural tourist attractions can include historical places, sites of significant historic event , monuments , ancient temples , zoos , aquaria , museums and art galleries , botanical gardens , buildings and structures (such as forts , castles , libraries , former prisons , skyscrapers , bridges ), theme parks and carnivals , living history museums , public art ( sculptures , statues , murals ), ethnic enclave communities, historic trains and cultural events. Factory tours, industrial heritage, creative art and crafts workshops are
1419-562: The name Peer Ki Gali , and a historical way station called Aliabad Sarai at its eastern end. A stream referred to as Pir Panjal stream runs through the valley, flowing east, which becomes the Rambi Ara River in the Shopian district. Scholar Mohibbul Hassan states that the old route through the pass kept to the southern side of the stream, but the Moghuls switched it to the northern side because
1462-404: The night temperatures often drop below -15°C in winters. It is the highest point on Mughal Road. Peer Ki Gali is 40 km away from Shopian, 80 km from Poonch. Historian Mohibbul Hasan states that the Pir Panjal Pass was one of the main passes into the Kashmir Valley and exercised a great influence on its history. A route linking Hirapur (modern Hirpora) in the Kashmir Valley with Rajauri via
1505-461: The object of cultural niches like industrial tourism and creative tourism. Many tourist attractions are also landmarks . But sports events such as a soccer game, Formula 1 race or sailing regatta can also attract tourists. Tourists' expectations when visiting a particular place are related to several features of the chosen destination: culture, architecture, gastronomy, infrastructure, landscape, events, shopping, etc. These features attract people to
1548-423: The pass is known to have been used from ancient times. During the period of the sultans it seems to have been extended up to Bhimber . After conquering the Kashmir Valley, the emperor Akbar strengthened the route into an 'Imperial Road' stretching from Lahore to Kashmir. In modern times, the route has been referred to as the 'Mughal Road'. The Sikh emperor, Maharaja Ranjit Singh , launched an invasion of
1591-516: The primary motivations for a region to promote itself as a tourism destination is the expected economic benefit. According to the World Tourism Organization , 698 million people travelled to a foreign country in 2000, spending more than US$ 478 billion. International tourism receipts combined with passenger transport currently total more than US$ 575 billion – making tourism the world's number one export earner. Tourist attractions can: In
1634-566: The region was Islamised by substituting the concept of Pir , Muslim saint, for deity. The Pir Panjal Pass name is tied to the entire mountain range ( Pir Panjal Range ). In recent times, the term "Panjal" has become restricted to the mountain range, and the pass came to be called simply Peer Ki Gali (the Pir's pass). It is associated with the saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani as well as another saint Sheikh Ahmed Karim. The Pir Panjal Pass can be taken to travel between its western entrance, which goes by
1677-401: The tourism industry supply perspective, a destination is usually defined by a geo-political boundary, and destination marketing is most commonly funded by governments. From the traveler perspective, a destination might be perceived quite differently. Tourism generates substantial economic benefits for both host countries and tourists' home countries. Especially in developing countries, one of
1720-458: Was accomplished, the State Forces from the garrison fanned out in the area east of the line, clearing it of hostile forces. The Tosa Maidan route was thus secured by India. In 1964, the Tosa Maidan meadow was leased to the Indian Army on a 50-year lease for use as an artillery firing range. Before the lease came up for renewal on 18 April 2014, the local residents protested against an extension of
1763-544: Was forced to retreat. In a second invasion in 1819, all the forces were sent via the Tosa Maidan, and conquered the Durrani forces. The Aliabad Sarai is a rest house in the Pir Panjal Pass, said to have been constructed by the Emperor Jahangir towards the end of the 16th century. It was one of the 14 halting stations constructed between Lahore and Srinagar along the Moghal Road. An Iranian engineer called Ali Mardan Khan
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1806-483: Was in charge of the construction, aided by the local chieftains. The safe keeping of the heritage building has been neglected by the government, and it has been used in recent times by local shepherds as a shed for cattle. The original Moghal Road passed in front of the Aliabad Sarai rest house. The current one runs behind it, at a higher elevation. The local tradition associates Saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani with
1849-577: Was the first serious reverse suffered by Mahmud in India. M. A. Stein states that, even before the time of Lohara dynasty, the route must have been quite important. It provided the shortest route between Srinagar and Poonch as well as access to the western Punjab areas between the Jhelum and Indus rivers, which were under the control of Kashmir until medieval times. The route was also the "easiest and safest route in that direction", since it provided easy ascent from
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