Neelum Valley is one of the beautiful places of Azad Kashmir, and it’s named after the river, which curves like a snake and is blue. It is also known as the “PARASIDE OF KASHMIR.” This valley was named for the beautiful stone Neelum.
Neelum Valley is located in the Kashmir Region to the North & North East of Muzaffarabad and runs parallel to the Kaghan Valley. It is different from it by snowstorm-covered mountains, which are 4000 meters higher than the ocean level. It contains about 370 large and small villages. It mainly includes hills and mountains with great valleys.
The valley has thick forests, streams, and rivers. This valley is dipped in incredible beauty and attracts many tourists from within the country and other foreign countries. The valley can be approached from two different points. One is from Kaghan Valley, and the other is from Noori Top. Besides these two, it has many minor passes as well.
The district of Neelum Valley starts 43 km from Muzaffarabad. The area is also famous for its mineral mines. Minerals are being transported from that particular locality to other cities in Pakistan.
In addition to that, there is also the Line of Control (LoC), a military control line between India and Pakistan, where only close relatives can cross the bridge and meet their relatives on the other side of the bridge twice a month. There is a tourist seventeen-century fort built by the town’s founder, a chief of the Chak tribe named Muzaffar Khan, to ward off the Mughal armies of Emperor Akbar.
This land also has many local fruits of great taste, including Apples, Apricots, Walnuts, and Plums, which are famous. A large number of tourists visit it in the summer. The whole valley gives fascinating and beautiful scenery. There is also a mountain, “SARWALI” (6326 meters), one of the highest mountains in Azad Kashmir.
The valley includes lush green forests and high-altitude lakes, making the surroundings heavenly, and it is like a dream come true for the people who visit it. The snow-capped mountains and the fast-flowing Neelum River all make us believe we are in some part of Switzerland. Many of the tourists who are interested in mountain tourism also come and enjoy here. The river is also famous for its fishing and has abundant trout fish.
Some of its famous places, like Shounter Pass, Chita Khata, Ratti Gali, Baboon, Noori Top, Sharda, Kel, Surgon, and many more, are mentioned by famous tourists like Mustansar Hussain Tarar. Tarar even wrote a travelogue after visiting there. The three rivers present in this area are Jhelum, Neelum, and Poonch.
The people of districts Kotli, Mirpur & Bhimber are simple, truthful, and deeply attached to their land. The culture of this area resembles that of the adjoining area of Punjab. People here follow a culture that quite resembles that of Punjab.
While the district of Muzaffarabad has its own distinctive culture, the people are intelligent, hard-working, and skillful. As it is the capital of AJK, it is established; people here are educated and sophisticated compared to other areas of the Neelum Valley.
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Some of the important areas of the valley include:
Kutton and Jagran
It is situated in the lower part of Neelum Valley; Jagran Nullah (stream) plays a pivotal role in forming its landscape beauty and charm, which reveals the area’s richness. For the convenience of tourists, the AJK Tourism Department has constructed a rest house here. A mega hydroelectric project is installed here that produces electricity for the state. A long, beautiful series of Himalayas mountains starts from here and goes to Kaghan, Skardu, and Chillas.
Authmuqam
This valley town is unique in its beauty compared to the other places we have yet to visit; 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, and the rest are in different fields. From here upwards emerges a typical Kashmiri living pattern with houses built of wooden logs, most of them double-storied. People and tourists trace hiking tracks for surrounding mountains.
Sharda
Sharda is one of the most beautiful places with its lush green planes and a smooth flowing river, which froze in the severe cold season and served as a passage for people on both sides of the river. This place, from the point of view of tourists, 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, which might be interesting for people doing historical research there. Also, there are signs of an ancient university, which was the center of knowledge for the people of China, East and Central Asia.
Kel
It is also one of the most attractive places in the valley of Neelum. One of the facts is that a long track goes towards Nanga Parbat. People can see the Nanga Parbat mountain from there; it is a beautiful site for everyone who visits it.
Dressing
Men of these valleys wear normal Shalwar Kameez, as do the women. The men mostly wear a weskit (waistcoat) because the weather is pleasant and relaxed in summer, and sweaters and standard jackets in winter. Women also wear the Shalwar Kameez. Women of this valley also like to Hijab (hide their faces), and mostly all of them wear a long coat like Abaya (Burka) or, if not this, cover themselves with a dupatta.
Languages
The official language spoken in this valley is Urdu because almost anyone can understand it, so that’s the sole reason for it. The local mix of people, including Kashmiris, speaks their local languages, Kashmiri, Pahari, or Hindko. The few people living there also follow Punjabi and Pashto because some Punjabi and Pathans are also doing their business in the valley.
Handicrafts
People of this valley also make good handicrafts, including Carpet, Namda, and 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 making Rugs.
Local Dishes
The area is famous for its dishes like Gushtaba. The Kashmiri people love this food. Tabak Maaz is also entirely eaten in this valley, the preparation of which is regarded as 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, and in that way, you can enjoy the beautiful places and nature as well as the local dishes and the fruits that can be found there. It can be a perfect summer outing location where one can spend one’s vacations relaxing, enjoying the wild, thick forest, and being close to nature.
