Information AboutGilgit |
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Gilgit (. It is also a District in the Northern Areas of Pakistan . The Gilgit District includes the Hunza Valley , the former State Of Hunza . Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs on the Northern Areas for all mountaineering expeditions of Karakoram to Himalaya peaks, the other hub being Skardu . Gilgit has an area of 14,680 Mi² (38,021 Km² ). The region is significantly mountainous, lying on the foothills of the Karakoram mountains, and has an average Altitude of 1,500 m (5,000 ft). It is drained by the Indus River , which rises in the neighbouring regions of Ladakh and Baltistan . HISTORY Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road through with Buddhism was spread from India to the rest of Asia . A large number of Buddhist Sanskrit texts, included the long version of the Heart Sutra have been unearthed in Gilgit. The Dards and Cizinas also appear in many of the old Pauranic lists of peoples with the former finding mention in Ptolemy 's accounts of the region. Two famous travellers, Fahien , and Hsuan Tsang are known to have traversed Gilgit as per their accounts. Gilgit was ruled for centuries by the local Trakane Dynasty , which came to an end in about 1810 . The area descended into internecine turmoil before being occupied by the Sikh s in 1842 . It was ceded to Jammu in 1846 . Gilgit's inhabitants drove their new rulers out in an uprising in 1852 . The Khushwakhte Dynasty of Yasin led the people of Gilgit to drive out the Dogras. After Yasin was conquered by the Katur Dynasty of Chitral the power of the Khushwakhte was crushed. The rule of Jammu was restored in 1860 but was never fully secured. Gilgit came under British rule in 1889 , when it was unified with neighboring Nagar And Hunza in the Gilgit Agency. When British rule came to an end in 1947 , the region was handed over to Kashmir but another local uprising led to its accession to Pakistan . Its status is today disputed between the India n State of Jammu & Kashmir and the Pakistani Province of Azad Kashmir , both of which claim them as part of the disputed state of Kashmir. GEOGRAPHY Only a part of the basin of the river Gilgit is included within its political boundaries. There is an intervening width of mountainous country, represented chiefly by glaciers and ice-fields, and intersected by narrow sterile valleys, measuring some ioo to 150 m. in width, to the north and north-east, which separates the province of Gilgit from the Chinese frontier beyond the Muztagh and Karakoram. ]] TOURISM AND TRANSPORT Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs for all mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan . Almost all tourists headed for treks in Karakoram or Himalaya ranges arrive at Gilgit first. Many tourists choose to travel to Gilgit by air since the road travel between Islamabad and Gilgit by Karakoram Highway takes nearly 24 hours, whereas the air travel takes a mere 45-50 minutes. Road transport Gilgit lies on the Karakoram Highway and is connected to Chilas , Dasu , Besham , Mansehra , Abbottabad and Islamabad on the South. In the North it is connected to Karimabad (Hunza) and Sust in the Northern Areas and to the Chinese cities of Tashkurgan , Upal and Kashgar . Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) offers passenger road service between Islamabad , Gilgit , Sost and Tashkurgan , and road service between Kashi and Gilgit (via Tashkurgan and Sust ) starts in summer 2006 . However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass (the highest border of the world) is open only between May 1 and October 15 of every year. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow. Even during the Monsoon season in summer, the roads are often blocked due to landslides. The best time to travel on Karakoram Highway is Spring or early Summer. F27 that flies to Northern Areas regularly]] Air transport Pakistan International Airlines flies a Fokker F27 5-7 times weekly between Gilgit Airport and Islamabad International Airport and the flight is one of the most scenic flights of the world as its route passes over Nanga Parbat and the mountain's peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. These flights, however, are subject to the clearance of weather and in winters, flights are often delayed by several days. HOSPITALS There are two major hospitals in Gilgit proper. The first is the DHQ or District Head Quarters which is the general hospital for the city. The Gilgit Eye Hospital is the other major hospital. It was started in 1995 by several foreign families. It is generally considered the best eye hospital in the entire Northern Areas. REFERENCES
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