Kishtwar-Chhatroo-Synthen Top- Dakshum-Anantnag Circuit is having matchless beauty, it is one of the most beautiful tourist circuits of the country.
A motor rally was also organised by the “Himalayan Motor Sports” in which 33 racers, drawn from various states of the country, passed through this beautiful circuit. It traversed through Dakshum, Synthen, Mughal Maidan, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Mansar, Surinsar, Jammu, rajouri, Poonch, Mughal Road, Shopian and back to Srinagar. The motor rally has attracted the attention of the adventure tourists of this country and the world towards this beautiful region, hither to neglected.
Kishtwar to Anantnag road trip brags about challenging and treacherous snow-carpeted passes and unending glistening streams. It’s absolutely the stuff dreams are made of.
Best time to travel is from Mid February to Mid of October. Here’s a complete guide to help you plan your road trip to Kishtwar-Chhatroo-Synthen Top- Dakshum-Anantnag Circuit (vice versa):
Start your Journey from Bhandarkoot:-
The place is situated at a distance of about 12 Kms from kishtwar town on Kishtwar-Synthen-Anantnag road. A big mela is held here on Baisakhi every year. After a dip in the ‘Sangam’, the visitors pay their obeisance to the two most revered religious places, the Astaan of ‘Shah Zain-ud-Din‘ on the left side of Chanderbhaga, an the ancient ‘Neelgangeshwar’ pond and the temples of other gods and goddesses on the right bank of the river. These two places of religious importance attract thousands of pilgrims not only on Baisakhi but for the whole year round. Cocks and Sheep are offered at the Astaan by both the main communities for taking the blessings of the great saint.
Bhandarkoot, thus, is symbolic of complete mutual brotherhood and communal harmony. A small army cantonment at the place has added to the hustle and bustle of the place. The scenery around Bhandarkoot is quite charming. This is an ideal place for rock climbing.
Mughal Maidan:-
Eight kilometers ahead of Bhandaroot comes Mughal-Maidan a scenic spot on the bank of Chatroo river. The market place and some govt. buildings and add to the beauty of this place. The place is being developed as tourist spot. Chatroo River is known for rearing ‘Trout’ fish. Therefore the fisheries Department of Jammu and Kashmir had established a ‘Fish-Hatchery’ here and constructed some buildings, Fish trade, if promoted, will raise the economic standard of the people.
Sinthan Top:-
From chingam onwards, we find an ascending road amidst Zigzag road and forest cover; we reach Synthen Maidan, 60 kilometers away from Kishtwar. The alpine pastures of this place have matchless natural beauty. The cool and salubrious climate of the place has a refreshing effect on the tourists. Here we find unending slopes and plain meadows on the foot of the Synthen-top. The place is ideal for games like Para-gliding, horse riding, rock climbing and winter games like skiing, skating, ice –hockey etc.
24 kilometers ahead of Sinthan Maidan is the Sinthan Top at an altitude of 3784 meters from sea level. On reaching the top, one feels at the top of the world, quite light and detached from the worldly worries. View of the surrounding area is very charming. A potato farm established here by the Agriculture Department yields a good potato-crop which is superior in quality and tasty to eat. From Sinthan top, the descending road leads to Daksum, a health resort of Anantnag district in the Kashmir valley.
