The Persian terms “” and “” are combined to form the word Gulmarg. Marg denotes a meadow, while Gul denotes flowers. So Gulmarg is a floral meadow. One of the most well-liked hill stations in India, Gulmarg’s current name was given to it by Sultan Yusuf Shah in the 16th century; it was once known as Gaurimarg (path of Goddess Gauri).
It was the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva and Parvati which was later demolished and reconstructed in the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh.
According to literature, the last Chak emperor, Yousuf Shah Chak, is credited with being the first person in history to uncover the charms and the beauty of Gulmarg. The most romantic king of Kashmir’s post-medieval era was Yousuf Shah Chak. He was naturally a pleasure-seeker, spending the majority of his time at the picnic areas in Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Achabal, and Ahrabal.
He was known for flirting with women and loved music. He fell in love with Zoon, a stunning Pampore native. Zoon, the moon’s Kashmiri name, was a poetess who sang constantly in the meadows under the trees. Zoon, later named; Queen Habba Khatoon and Yousuf’s visits to Gulmarg are famous till date.
The Mughals later took control of the region. Numerous rose species were introduced by the Mughals and grown here. Being a romanticist, the Mughal emperor Jahangir loved Gulmarg. He was so enamoured with the place and its beauty that he once brought back 21 different kinds of flowers from it for his own garden.
After Mughals, Gulmarg, as a part of India, came under Britishers who made it their summer resting destination. Along with golf course and other developments, Gulmarg slowly took a major transformation as a skiing harbor.
Post independence, as the country underwent enormous changes, so went the Gulmarg. Serenity being the only constant.
Today Gulmarg is one among those destination where nature and technology goes hand in hand creating miracles.
Soliha Shabir is an author. She can be reached at shabirsoliha@gmail.com.
