Mt Harmukh is a mountain in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

of Jammu and Kashmir in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Harmukh has a peak elevation of , and is located in Ganderbal district, between the Sind River to the south and Kishanganga River to the north, rising above Gangabal Lake in the vicinity of

Kashmir valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

. It is mostly climbed from the northwestern side of Arin, via Kudara, Bandipore. Harmukh is considered sacred in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

Etymology

Harmukh derives from Haramukuta, meaning "the diadem of Hara (Shiva)". The entire region of Harmukh is also known as ''Ramaradhan'', as it is believed that

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...

had meditated near lakes on this mountain range.

Religious beliefs

Harmukh, with Gangbal Lake at its foot, is considered a sacred mountain by

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

. It is also known as 'Kailash of Kashmir'. According to the legend of "Hurmukhuk Gosoni",Some Marvels of Kashmir
/ref> once a hermit tried to reach the summit of Harmukh to see Shiva face to face. For twelve long years, he tried to scale the summit but failed until one day he saw a Gujar descending the summit. When the Gujar approached him, the hermit enquired as to what he had seen there. The Gujar said he had been searching for a stray goat, and that while searching he saw a couple milking a cow and drinking the milk from a human skull. The couple had offered him some milk, which he refused to drink; when they departed they rubbed a little of the milk on his forehead. When the Gujar indicated the spot where the milk was rubbed, the hermit was extremely joyful and rushed to lick his forehead.

Harmukh Gangbal Yatra

This pilgrimage takes place every year on the eve of Ganga Ashtami. The yatris begin their yatra from Naranag.

Geographical setting

Photo taken from cable car in Gulmarg showing Haramukh towering above the Great Himalayan range in the distance Harmukh lies in the northwestern Himalayan Range. The Kashmir Valley lies to its south. Water from melting glaciers form Gangabal Lake which lies at its foot to the north east side and contribute significantly to the regional fresh-water supply, supporting irrigation through Sind River. It is notable for its local relief as it is a consistently steep pyramid, dropping sharply to the east and south, with the eastern slope the steepest.

Climbing history

The Harmukh mountain massif has several summits, the Station Peak being the lowest with a peak elevation of was first climbed by members of the

Great Trigonometric Survey The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India was a project that aimed to carry out a wikt:Special:Search/survey, survey across the Indian subcontinent with scientific precision. It was begun in 1802 by the British infantry officer William Lambton ...

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led by Thomas Montgomerie in 1856. Montgomerie made the first survey of the

Karakoram The Karakoram () is a mountain range in the Kashmir region spanning the border of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwestern extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range is withi ...

range which lies some to the north from here and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labeling them K1 (also called Masherbrum) and K2, which is the world's second-highest mountain. The highest eastern peak was summited by Dr Ernest Neve and Geoffrey Millais in 1899. The mountain has since become popular among climbers and mountaineers.

Climbing routes

The easiest route among the different routes of Harmukh is via Erin, Bandipore, motorable road from

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

to Erin and of high altitude alpine trek leads to the base of Harmukh. Another trek leads from Naranag to the base of Harmukh at Gangabal Lake, but it is a steep climb at some places.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Mountains of Jammu and Kashmir Geography of Ganderbal district Five-thousanders of the Himalayas Tourist attractions in Ganderbal district