Kashmiri nomads from the Bakarwhal tribe moving their flocks to high altitude summer pastures. Sonamarg, Kashmir. India
Bakarwals lead a lonely and tough life in the high-altitude meadows of the Himalayas and the Pir-Panjal. Every year, they take their sheep high into the mountains, above the tree-line to graze in the lush meadows. It may take them as many as sixty days to reach these meadows. During the summer, they move from one meadow to the other. They generally travel in pairs but sometimes they may go alone or in larger groups (depending on how many sheep/goats need to be taken care of). During this migration their whole family accompany with their sheep and 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.[1] It lies at an altitude of 2800 metres above sea level. The drive to Sonamarg is though yet another spectacular facet of country side in Kashmir, this time its 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.
Size: 5447px × 3531px
Location: near Sonamarg, Kasmir. India
Photo credit: © Neil Cooper / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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