Sonamarg

Sonamarg (translation: "Meadow of Gold") is a hill station in Ganderbal district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Geography

Sonamarg gives rise to The Three Sisters (Kashmir). In its vicinity lies the great Himalayan glaciers of Kashmir Valley namely Kolhoi Glacier and Machoi Glacier with some peaks of above 5000 meters: Sirbal Peak, Kolhoi Peak, Amarnath Peak and Machoi Peak. Sonamarg an alpine valley is situated at the bank of Nallah Sindh, 87 km north-east from Srinagar, it is a popular tourist destination, nestled with in the imposing Himalayan peaks. It lies at an altitude of 2800 metres above sea level. The drive to Sonamarg is through yet another spectacular facet of country side in Kashmir, this time it is the Nallah Sindh, the largest tributary of the Jehlum River in the valley of Kashmir. It is upwards of sixty miles long valley and deep rock-girt gorge to open grassy meadow land and village-dotted slopes.

Demographics

Sonamarg has no permanent settlement and is inaccessible during winter due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. At the 2011 India census, Sonamarg had a population of 392, excluding tourists and those working in the tourism industry. Males constitute 51% and females constitute 49%. These are the permanent residents of Sonamarg though seasonally.

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir (ⁱ/ˈdʒæmuː ənd ˌkæʃˈmɪər, ˈdʒʌ-, ˈkæʃmɪər/) is a state in northern India. It is located mostly in the Himalayan mountains, and shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south. Jammu and Kashmir has an international border with China in the north and east, and the Line of Control separates it from the Pakistan-controlled territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and northwest respectively. The state has special autonomy under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

A part of the erstwhile Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, the region is the subject of a territorial conflict among China, India and Pakistan. The western districts of the former princely state known as Azad Kashmir and the northern territories known as Gilgit-Baltistan have been under Pakistani control since 1947. The Aksai Chin region in the east, bordering Tibet, has been under Chinese control since 1962.

Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu is the winter capital. The Kashmir valley is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, and Jammu's numerous shrines attract tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.

Kashmir

Kashmir (Kashmiri: كشهير kaśhīr, Urdu, Shina: کشمیر kaśmīr, कश्मीर, Hindi) is a geographical region in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range. Today, it denotes a larger area that includes the Indian administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir (which consists of Jammu, the Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh), the Pakistan administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Although Jammu is part of the disputed Kashmir region, it is not geographically part of the Kashmir valley nor the Ladakh region. The Jammu Division is inhabited by the Dogra people who are historically, culturally, linguistically, and geographically connected with the Punjab region and the Pahari regions of the former Punjab Hills States that now comprise the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (English translation: Brother Bajrangi) is a 2015 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Kabir Khan. Scripted by K. V. Vijayendra Prasad, the film was produced by Salman Khan and Rockline Venkatesh. It stars Khan and Harshaali Malhotra in the lead roles, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kareena Kapoor Khan feature in supporting roles. Khan stars as Bajrangi, an ardent devotee of a Hindu deity, Hanuman, who embarks on taking a six-year old Pakistani girl (Malhotra) separated in India from her parents, back to her hometown.

Made on a budget of ₹90 crore, the principal photography commenced in November 2014. The cinematography was done by Aseem Mishra and was edited by Rameshwar S. Bhagat. The soundtrack was composed by Pritam, who collaborated with Julius Packiam to score the background music. The film was released worldwide on 17 July 2015 and grossed approximately ₹626 crore worldwide and became the second highest grossing Indian film at the time, behind PK.

In October 2015, the film was broadcast on Star Gold and became the most watched Bollywood movie in the history of television. It had 15.5 TRP in its world television premier beating the previous record held by the film 3 Idiots. The film was nominated for Best Film in the 61st Britainia Filmfare Awards, as well as other categories, and bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Story.