Baramulla Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Baramulla

Parihaspora town, located at a distance of 26 km from Srinagar, is one of the popular attractions of Baramulla. This site once served as the capital of Kashmir during the rule of Raja Shankervarman. Lalityaditya Muktapid, the erstwhile King of Kashmir, found this old town in the 8th century AD.

Baramulla is especially popular among tourists for its ancient archaeological monuments, namely Pattan Bazaar and Parihaspora Pattan. Ruins of a Buddhist Stupa and monastery can be also be visited by tourists in this town.

Raj Bhawan, a few Vishnu temples and a Chaitya, Buddhist or Jain shrine, were discovered due to an excavation project that was started in Parihaspora in 1914. The structures unearthed represent the architectural style of the ancient period.

Wular Lake, located at the base of Haramuk Mountain, in the middle of the towns of Sopore and Bandipore, has been declared as one of the largest fresh water lakes in the Asian continent. Wular Lake covers an area of 200 sq km and measures 24 km in length and 10 km in breadth. This lake is known among people as an ideal sunset point. 

The Jhelum river is the prime source of water for this lake. A small island named ‘Zaina Lank’, built by King Zainul-Abi-Din sits in the middle of it. Wular Lake is considered to be the remainder of the Satisar Lake, which according to the Kashmiri epic Nilmathpurna existed during ancient times.

Sopore town was founded in 880 AD during the rule of King Avantivarman, and lies at a distance of 48 km from the district of Srinagar on the banks of the river Jhelum. It is the biggest trade centre of the North Kashmir region and is known among tourists as the ‘apple town of Asia’. The apples of Sopore are regarded as the best in the entire continent. 

Sopore, also known as the London of Kashmir, is renowned among people for its rapidly growing sectors of horticulture and agriculture. The town of Sopore is famous for the Jamia Masjid, Khan-kah Shah-i-Hamdan and several small shrines. 

Shiekh Hamza Makhdoomi Tujar, Arza Sahib Takya Khan Zainagair, Daid Mouj Mundji, Baba Shukur Din Watlab Sopore and Hathi-Shah Sahib are some of the other popular shrines located in Sopore. The site is also dotted with a few Hindu pilgrimage sites such as Kali Mandir, Shiv Mandir, Rishi peer Mandir located at Batpora and Bhairon Mandir.

Bandipore town, otherwise known as the Port of Wular, is located on the eastern bank of the Wular Lake, one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. A park constructed on a pattern resembling that of the Nishat Bagh, one of the famous Mughal gardens of Jammu & Kashmir, attracts a large number of visitors. 

This town is known for its Forest Training and Research Institute. Apart from this, the town is home to the largest Islamic religious institution of the state, the Darul-Ullom-Rehamia. The town of Bandipore is popular for activities such as, trekking, fishing and mountaineering. 

Travellers interested in undertaking mountaineering must visit Mt. Harmukh located in the eastern region of the town. While en route to Mt. Harmukh, tourists can set up camps at the Sheera Sir also known as ‘Lake of Spirits’. The Arin Nallah situated there is home to exotic fish species such as the grey trout, silver trout and rainbow trout.