Leepa Valley - A Dream Land

Location:

Deep in the heart of the valley lies Leepa village at 1921m above sea level. This is the most fascinating & loveliest valley. A metalled road branches off for Leepa from Naily, 45 kms from Muzaffarabad, climbs over the Reshian Gali (3,200 m) and then descends to 1,677 m on the other side into the Leepa Valley.

About 60 kilometers from Naily and 38 kilometers from Reshian, Leepa is a small village about at an altitude of 1921 meters. Its lush green rice fields in summer and typical wooden Kashmiri houses present a wonderful view to the people visiting the area. Walnut, Apple, Cherry and honey of Leepa are very popular.

Climate:

As autumn sets in the vale of Leepa, leaves fall off the trees, snowfall begins, the time is ripe to visit the vale for in winters the vale offers one of the most fascinating scenery in Azad Kashmir.

Its lush green river fields in summer and typical wooden Kashmiri houses present a wonderful view. Walnut, apples, cherries and honey of Leepa are very popular.

Appreciating the allure of autumn trees in narrow alleys is the best pastime in this vale of wonders – wonders that this picturesque valley showcases to the outside world.

Each year, on start of autumn in Kashmir, Leepa, which lies at a distance of about 90 KM from capital Muzaffarabad, starts to dress up in a new and richly colored attire-a mix of red, orange and yellow shades. It’s the time when apple picking season in the valley comes to an end.

Down hills, every year with coming of winter in the valley, when previous year’s snow melted on top of the mountains, soon fresh snow will be falling to interlace them all. It’s the time also when residents of this far flung vale have to brace the chilling winter which brings heavy snow and thus brings increased hardships for its 75000 residents. Due to lack of infrastructure, the valley is disconnected from the rest of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.

Description:

Most fascinating & loveliest valley in Azad Kashmir, Leepa spell bounds everyone who visits this valley. Leepa Valley offers an unending variety of scenic spectacular beauty, an everlasting memory of sights and sounds & the unforgettable hospitality of its people

Water in the valley is crystal clear and swiftly flowing streams like Nullah Qazi Nag are a major source. The scene around the Nullah is stunningly beautiful. The Nullah emerges from Indian occupied Kashmir and runs trough the whole of Leepa Valey. On other side of the LoC, lies Kupwara district of Occupied Kashmir. Singing waterfalls, lush green pastures, thick woods, the snow clad majestic Shamsa Bari, the highest mountain of the valley are an inexhaustible source of delight for any visitor who comes to this paradise like valley. The paradise like mini Kashmir in Leepa has numerous water driven flour mills, the only kind of industry in the valley.

Kazi Nag Nullah basin also hosts hundreds of poplar trees with ready to fall yellow foliage. Yellow chinar trees acquire a crimson hue as if on a fire, a unique view along the mountains, tracks and the valleys in Leepa.

The joyous chirping of birds, orchards heavy with fruits, alpine meadows dotted with grazing herds, and shepherds lilting with their music, a vivid mosaic of this place - takes shape before your wandering eye. It presents a picture of an unforgettable tapestry which is one of the most charming places in the continent.

Allover the valley, high walnut trees likewise put on attire in yellow, red and orange, which adds extra sparkle to our stay in Leepa. We also come across yellow herbs and shrubs tucked nicely into green vegetation comprising of large conifer trees, adding variety to this miracle of changing colors during autumn in the valley.

Walkways amidst jungle are filled with compost leaves signaling a momentous magnitude of autumn in the valley. The foliage from deciduous trees stays on the ground leaving a damp and decayed trail. The skyline in the whole vale transcends from ardent green to russet red, gold, orange, dark yellow and brown. Strong winds and mild storms also wreack further havoc with the delicate branches, turning them yellow and this too adds to the already damp compost like soil. A walk on these fallen decayed leaves reminds of the harsh winter ahead. Birds are also going nomadic ready to move on an arduous and long journey bracing the chilling winds on the way, to safe havens in down country areas where they can feed and breed.

Leepa is also famous for its typical Kashmiri style of architecture, mostly in the form of 3 storied wooden houses. A look at the houses here makes one believe, Leepa as a true extension of Indian occupied Kashmir into Pakistan.

Leepa Valley offers an unending variety of scenic spectacular beauty and one gains an everlasting memory of sights and sounds as well as the unforgettable hospitality of its people. The valley remains open for domestic tourists from May to November.

Culture:

The people in Leepa are highly religious and speak Kashmiri as well as Hindkoh. Urdu is nevertheless widely spoken and understood. The valley has a population of about 75000 inhabitants who generally indulge in farming, cattle rearing and tourism related services. Unemployment and poverty are rampant. Power shortages are a daily routine (there is only one power generation unit at Channian) and malnutrition is common as in rest of the country.

Agriculture:

Rice and maize fields at the time of harvest add further color and beauty to the vale of Leepa. Multistoried typical Kashmiri timber houses with thick roofs made of shining metal sheets, in a surrounding of apple, walnut, fig, pears ands plum trees are jewels in the crown of this splendid vale. And Leepa is famous for its delicious white honey as well. Rain in Leepa brings an immense wealth of vegetation, thick forests — so thick that hardly a beam of light can pass through it.

The red Kashmiri rice is grown in October by the farmers in Leepa. This is also the staple food for the people of the area. Husking of rice is done in traditional way, by first beating the rice stack with long sticks, thereafter, threshed along temporarily constructed ditches.

The highest peak is Shmasa Bari, which remains snowbound throughout the year.

Apple is grown in the valley in its different varieties, most popular being Golden, Delicious and Kala Kullo King. These varieties have a unique, highly tempting flavor and taste comparable to none. Walnut is another fruit grown in the valley. It too ripens in early autumn when it is collected, deseeded and then sent to down country markets. Though poor in infrastructure and no industry worth its name, excepting the water mills, nature has provided spectacular beauty to this valley that can surpass even developed areas of the plains if only its tourism potentials were exploited to the full.

Visiting the Valley:

A narrow metalled road along the right bank of River Jhelum leads to Reshian and pass along the way, through Garhi Dupatta, Dhanni Baqalan, Hattian Bala, Neili and Saien Bagh. The changing hues of a serpentine and rushing Jhelum, with suspension bridges built over, present an enchanting panorama all along the route. Lofty mountains looking over a swaying gold colored rice crop are worth to make one stop and gaze at the wonderful scene.

From Reshian, the gateway to enter the valley, there are three different routes which take to Leepa. The zigzagging Defence Road meets the valley at Hanjna, via Barthwar Gali and Bali Camp. Locals mention 72 u-turns on the way, putting nerves of the toughest one to test. Forest and military vehicles are a common sight in the area. Nealy 400 jeeps ply daily from Reshian to Leepa and back. Jeeps are the only mode of transport in the valley though motor bikes are now also seen in ever increasing numbers on the bumpy jumpy road.

To visit the valley proper one has to cover a distance of 15 KM over a stony path (more aplly a footpath) via Panjal Gali which is approximately 10,000 ft high. This route is a shortcut to Leepa’s most important commercial centre the Kappa Gali. The third route passes through Dao Khan, Sher Gali and enters the vale at Muji, where Indian military personnel stand eyeball to eyeball. All three passages are blocked in winter due to heavy snow and inhabitants must store eatables and other items of daily usage in large quantities to consume throughout winter.

Starting from Channian which is at a height of 3600 m above sea level, Leepa consists of 25 villages dotted on steep slopes of lush green hills like Nokot, Lubgran, Yadoor, Munda Kali, Kali Mandal, Margala, Noor-Kot, Gai-kot, Khairwarha, Kaiser-kot, Hanjna, Leepa, Saidpura, Talwari, Khairati Bagh, Kappa Gali, Kuntarian, Ghat Kari, Chakmuqam, Bajil Dhar, Batlian and Ghaipura etc. Like Reshian, all these villages, the tiny small hamlets, equally contribute to a wonderful mosaic of patterns mother nature has so ornately and intricately woven here in this part of Kashmir.

Ghaipura with a population of 2000 is the largest. Situated just in the range of Indian military posts of Vanjal and Siri, it’s the most vulnerable and gets worst hit in case the Indians open fire, which they mostly do and that too on civilian population.

Visitors can find two pleasantly situated and comfortable rest houses, one at Dao Khan and the other at Channian and a reasonable well maintained Awami Chinar Hotel. Accommodation, however, is insufficient to cater the needs of a growing number of tourists,

Places to See:

Leepa:

Leepa is a small village about 60 kilometers from Naily and 38 kilometers from Reshian, at an altitude of 1921 meters. Its lush green rice fields in summer and typical wooden Kashmiri houses present a wonderful view to the people visiting the area. Walnut, Apple, Cherry and honey of Leepa are very popular and in great demand.

Chananian:

Chananian, 62 kilometers from Naily & 36 kilometers from Reshian, is situated opposite to Leepa, near the Line of Control (LOC), at an altitude of 2226 meters. Surrounded by thick pine forests and nullah Qazi Naag flowing near by it, Chananian is also a worth seeing place in Leepa Valley. From Reshian onwards, one has to hire jeeps for journey to Leepa and other places.

Dao Khan:

Dao Khan is well recognised for its natural beauty and renowned for its calm and peaceful atomsphere. Dao Khan is situated some 75 kilometers from Muzaffarabad. An unpaved but well maintained road branches off from Reshian to Dao- Khan (4 kilometers from Reshian), which is now well recognized due to its high altitude (2490 meters), calm & peaceful atmosphere, excellent scenic beauty and panoramic views.

Bungus Valley:

One of the relatively unknown areas of Kashmir, lies at an altitude of 10,000 ft above the sea leaval. Bungus is surrounded by Shams barri Range, Leepa Valley. This place falls very close to LOC between India and Pakistan. this part of valley is in Indian Controll. As it is near to the LOC, due to which it is not accessable for the tourists. only locals or Bakarwals are allowed to reach this place.

Burthwar Gali:

When one reaches Burthwar Gali he encounters nearly 300 chinar trees again with their yellow, orange and red mix of colous, shades and hues adding further fire to the panorama of winter in the valley. Local elders said, these trees were planted during the period of emperor Shah Jahan, the builder king of the famed Mughal empire – to provide shade and protection to travelers who used to journey between Srinagar and Punjab either on horses or even on foot. Nature had laid down a carpet of innumerable crimson colored trees, when viewed while passing through Burthwar Gali Pass.

Some more places:
Karnah Valley

Shams Bari Range Hills

Sad Pura

Reshian

Nokot

Last Words:

Daily strolls along the fabulous terraced fields devoid of any crop at this time of the year offers you chance of a life time to enjoy nature’s beauty at its best. No words are able to describe the true beauty and incomparable sight of this touristic paradise in Kashmir.

Where to Stay:

Accommodation facilities through Tourist Rest House and Forest Rest House are available. Owing to flow of visitors! Tourists in the summer season, AJK Tourism Dept. also provide tent service for accommodation.

How to Reach:

A metalled road branches off for Leepa from Naily, 45 kilometers from Muzaffarabad, climbs over the Reshian Gali 3200 meters high and then descends to 1677 meters on the other side into the Leepa Valley.