Tosa Maidan Travel Guide
Kashmir is a place of endless wonders of wild nature. Exceptional beauty lies in the most wild forms. The Kashmir Valley, particularly Tosa Maidan, the best-kept secret, is a suitable example of unbelievable beauty that makes one recite the world-famous verse of the Afghan Governor, Amir Khusrau: “If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”
Talking about the tourism of Kashmir, there are many locations in Kashmir with immense footfall of tourists. These spots include Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg hill stations. The large amount of tourist footfall makes the environment noisy and stagnates the serenity of the places.
This leaves some lesser-known places in Kashmir, which are perfect for a crowdless and peaceful time in nature. Today we will learn about a place that fits this description, an untapped heaven, the Tosamaidan meadow. This Tosa Maidan travel guide will go through every detail that is important for you to plan a proper trip to the location.
Tosa Maidan: The King-Size Meadow
Tosa Maidan, actually ‘Tushah maidan’ means ‘the king-size meadow’ in literary terms. Taking into account, its large size, it counts in the largest meadows in Kashmir. The Tosa Maidan, among the lesser-known places in Kashmir, presents serene and charming views of heavenly pastures, dense forests, mirrory lakes, pure streams and small hamlets of the tribal people of Kashmir.
Geography
Tosa Maidan is a vast plateau situated in the Budgam district’s Khag area. It is a treat of the Pir Panjal mountains which separate Kashmir from the Jammu region and areas of Azad Kashmir. Tosa Maidan is nestled at 3100 metres. This area has a rich flora and fauna which is the reason for a few sanctuaries in the area. The Tosamaidan Pass is the main spotlight of the area which is described below in this Tosa Maidan travel guide.
Tosamaidan Pass
The Tosamaidan area has few passes that lead to the Poonch Valley, in the Jammu region. Among these few passes is the most used and historic pass of Chinamarg Gali. The historians, M.A. Stein and Al-Beruni mentioned it as important in terms of transportation and trade in the past. No doubt, among the oldest passes in Asia, Tosamaidan pass has witnessed several events of Mahmud Ghazini and Ranjeet Singh, trying to besiege the Kashmir Valley unsuccessfully.
Artillery Base at Tosamaidan
After the first Kashmir war, in 1964, the area of Tosa Maidan was converted into an artillery base which was used to test various weapons. In 2016, it was converted into a tourist spot, ending the destruction caused to the ecosystem of the area. Read below in this Tosa Maidan travel guide on how to reach this awesome location.
How to reach this beauty?
The Tosamaidan meadow is some 50 kilometres from Srinagar city. You can take a cab which may take around 3 hours to reach the destination. The upper portions of the road are unpaved which is the most time-consuming part. There are trekking routes as well which are a good option to reach the destination. Taking the scenic views into consideration, Tosa Maidan trekking is famous in its own category.
Activities To Do
You can do ample stuff besides relaxing and mesmerizing yourself in the Tosamaidan meadow. You can engage in the thrilling sport of Tosa Maidan trekking, camp under the starry sky, participate in the Tosamaidan festival (this festival is an amalgam of adventure, music, and other amazing activities, hosted once a year), swim in the clear waters and much more.
Are there any stays?
There is no hotel or lodge in the area but you can set camps for a cosy and adventurous stay. Besides camping, you also have the option of staying within the hutments of the tribal people while exploring their way of life. They may charge a small amount for staying.
Food and Drink
You may be thinking there is no food at this untapped location, but you will be amazed by the local and pure cuisine, prepared by some tribal people in the kitchens of their mud houses. It means you can stay in the same place where you will get delicious food. Many of the lesser-known places in Kashmir don’t have an option like this.
Best Time To Visit
The most suitable time to visit the place is in the Summer, which means from June to August. This time is best because the road is clear and it is much easier to do every activity, which becomes exhaustive in the snow season.
Accompany Yourself!
I hope you liked this Tosa Maidan travel guide from the travel partner, Kashmir Online. We present blogs that have the required information and no-nonsense so that you don’t waste any time. We put strenuous efforts into our blogs and packages so that you make a magical vacation with our Kashmir Tour packages. You can check our premium and affordable packages here.
