India has many beautiful tourist places, but Kashmir has no match. Though the natives have a different say on their lives there, a tourist would anytime want to spend the rest of their life there. Natives there mainly depend on income they earn from tourists and tearing animals. The climate is awesome and people are friendly and helpful.
In 2004, I happened to visit Kashmir for our ' Amarnath yatra'. The heavenly abode of Lord Shiva is kept open to tourist for over 3 months of the year and during the other times it lies covered in thick blanket of snow inaccessible. The pilgrimage was tough and it took us three days on horse back to reach the place to witness the sanctum where a natural Lord Shiva idol was created by drops of water that had turned into hard ice.
Damn we didn't have mobile cameras then. My cousins recently took the pilgrimage and here are some pics that they sent me directly from Kashmir.
The captivatingly beautiful Day Lake
Lined up Shikaras, waiting for tourists
From the famous Nishath Gardens