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Things You Should Know About Tosa Maidan – The Unexplored Meadow Of Kashmir

Kashmir valley is like a basket full of flowers; colorful and beautiful and Tosa Maidan is one such flower we pick today. When you are in Kashmir, you surely are away from all worldly occupations and are surrounded by nature in its purest form. Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg and Mughal Gardens are one aspect of Kashmir; the aspect known to all. But there is another aspect of Kashmiri beauty; the unexplored one. This includes places that are yet unknown to most people and are visited only by the local population. Tosa Maidan is one such place.

The beautiful lush green meadows of Tosa Maidan                                          The beautiful lush green meadows of Tosa Maidan – Hilal Ahmad

Things you should know about Tosa Maidan

  • Tosa Maidan is a valley full of meadows surrounded by Pir Panchal ranges. 3 miles in length and 1.5 miles in breadth, it is 53 km distant from Srinagar. Coordinates:   33°55’4″N   74°29’57″E

Tosa maidan sheep meadows

Photo Credits: Hilal Ahmad

  • Tosa Maidan is known as the king of meadows.
tosa maidan meadow
Tosa Maida – Khan Asif
  • Tosa Maidan remains covered with snow from November till April.

foothills tosa maidanFoothills of Tosa Maidan Source

  • Tosa Maidan shows growth of multiple types of trees of which Pine is the most dominant one. The place is free from any contamination; it is nature in its purest form.  Sky-touching deodars fence this pasture presenting a view of a green carpet in summer.
Tosa maidan in Shade and sunlight.
Tosa maidan in Shade and sunlight. Sajad Arif
  • You can view lush green grass as far away as your sight can reach. Small hills part the land into different zones. Springs and waterfalls nourish the place.

tosa maidan spring

  • Tosa Maidan” is a major trekking route to -Yusmarg-Badgam and is a large meadow used for cattle grasing by nomads
Flocks of sheep grazing on the lush green meadows of Tosa Maidan
Flocks of sheep grazing on the lush green meadows of Tosa Maidan – Hilal Ahmad

 

  • Tosa Maidan is a perfect spot for campers. You can camp at the base called Dam Dam. There are two possible ways you can move about in the place; you can either foot it or you can ride a horse. Horse riding is a potential adventure when you are in Tosa Maidan because of its vastness.

tosa maidan sameer

Photo Credits: Sameer Bhat

  • Tosa Maidan is not only a great choice for trekkers or travelers; biologists can find a lot of things to suit their interests. The place is rich in diverse flora and fauna. There are a number of medicinal plants that grow here. Some of them are used by the local villagers as home remedies for a number of diseases.

tosa maidan trees

Brief History Of Occupation

Once labelled as ‘death meadow’. Tosa Maidan was leased to the army in 1964 for setting up an artillery firing range for 50 years. The lease ended on April 14 2014. The place has now been cleared and declared safe.

How To Reach Tosa Maidan

Tosa Maidan falls in district Budgam of Central Kashmir. One has to travel 45 km from Srinagar to Drung (tehsil Khag). This distance can be traversed by vehicle. From Drung afterwards, the path to Tosa Maidan is trekked on foot or on a horse. It is a distance of 10 to 15 Kms.

 

reach tosa

Source

Things To Do In Tosa Maidan

You set up a base camp at Dam Dam. Places to trek  include Chinamarg, Khilanmarg and Bandsar. Tosa Maidan is surrounded by various other meadows like Watadar, Hafwas, Kadlibal, Nagnibal, Duriyaan etc. The trek will take 10 to 12 hours and you can return to base in the evening if you leave early morning. Towards the west is Bandsar- source of river Sokhnag.

Best Time To Visit Tosa Maidan

Best time to visit Tosa Maidan is from May to September because of the pleasant weather during this time.

Video

“As soon as you reach Tosa Maidan, it is as if you are standing in front of a beautifully made painting”, describes one of my friends who happened to visit Tosa Maidan once. “The land reaches out to meet the sky at the horizons”, he added.

So wish you the best of journey on your visit to Tosa Maidan.

Author : Misbah Haqani

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