Lalit Gupta
lalitguptajammu@gmail.com
Gandoh (Doda District): The Land of Nagas
The tehsil headquarters in Bhalesa, Gandoh, is a hill village of the Doda district. It is situated some 29 kilometres north of Tehsil Bhales on the bank of Nala Kal Geyi. Gandoh was once a stronghold of the Naga race. According to folklore, Mahel Nag, a Naga king, ruled here and built a palace named Mahelwaal. The lights of which were seen from Chhamb. It is said that the Mahelnag had cut the palm of the invading Gojar army commander of Delhi. The place where the incident happened today is named Hathiyali. Raja’s memorial is in the village of Manodarwali.
Gool (Ramban District): Ancient Valley of Forts, Springs, and Stone Memorials
The picturesque valley of Gool is located 210 kilometres from Jammu and 55 kilometres from Ramban. It is also accessible via Reasi towards Mahore and then to Gool. Locally called Geul, the etymology of the word Gool owes to the circular topography of the valley.
In the mid-12th-century Kashmir chronicle Rajatarangini, Pandit Kalhana refers to Gool as the capital of ‘Vartula’, the ancient region south of the Pir Panjal range. During the reign of Kashmiri King Sussala (r. 1112-1127 CE) of the Lohara dynasty, Gool’s stature was elevated with his marriage to Bijjala, daughter of Vartula Chief Sahajpal. The Loharas, who hailed from Loharkotta-Poonch, ruled Kashmir between the 10th to 14th centuries, thus linking Gool firmly to Jammu and Kashmir’s medieval history.
According to local folklore, Gool’s first settlers were the Thakurs who traced their ancestry to Ayodhya. A Thakur called Cheri Pal is believed to have cleared the dense forest at Dacha to begin cultivation. His descendants-Jai Pal, Tej Pal and Ding Pal-formed an early ruling lineage in the area and built three forts or kots: Ding Kot, Karlog, and Dharam Shed. These forts became nuclei for three villages. By Akbar’s time, descendants of the Thakurs controlled key villages including Dheeda, Ind, Seripura, Sangaldan, Chachwa, and more. The last known local ruler was Raja Mor Singh.
Toponymy and Cultural Continuity
The place names of Gool and its adjoining areas, such as Ramkund, Narsingha, Kalimasta, and Mahakund, still carry echoes of Sanskrit roots. The toponyms reflect the valley’s integration into the broader Indic cultural and religious practices, especially in forms of sacred springs, ruined devasthans, and military settlements.
An Archaeological Treasure Trove
Gool’s unique historical wealth lies in stone memorials scattered throughout the region. Ghora Gali, also known as Ding Battal/Kot, is an archaeologist’s delight. It stands out for its open-air assemblage of warrior memorials-stone slabs depicting heroes clad in full armour riding beautifully caparisoned horses, sometimes in groups of two or three. Similar memorials are also found at Kalyari Mata, Seita Baggi, Bisha Gali, Bajoni, Kalimasta, Jabbad, Dheeda and Ind.
In addition, sites like Naman Stream, Moila, Sundar Stream, Billi Partmulla, Nar Stream Duttar, Dev Sar and Gharat Nalla contain carvings on large boulders, featuring artistic designs.
Sacred Springs
In keeping with the pan-Indian ancient tradition of revering water bodies, Gool boasts of numerous freshwater springs mostly encased with stone walls engraved with religious and cultural motifs.
Islamic Influence and Sufi Legacy
Islam reached Jammu by the 11th century and Kashmir Valley in the 14th century, but Gool’s adaptation came through a local transformation. Raja Lakshman Rai, Vartula’s chief, was so moved by the visit of Sufi saint Baba Farid-ud-din that he converted to Islam and gave his daughter in marriage to the saint.
By the 16th Century, Gool had come under the rule of Kishtwar and its chiefs were known as ‘Rai’. The region was later named as Ding Battal, though some scholars argue that the historical town centre may have been Sangaldaan, Cchaccharu or Thatharaka.
The area of Gool also famous for hot springs like the one at Sangaldan called Tatta-pani. It attracts many people suffering from joint and other ailments.
Preserving Gool’s Heritage
Today, while Gool remains a quiet, often overlooked settlement, its layered past, warrior culture, Sufi saints, and stone craftsmanship make it a prime candidate for heritage conservation and archaeological exploration.
Gulabgarh, Padar (Kishtwar District): Once a battlefield, now unites regions through history and faith
Nestled deep in the remote mountainous terrain, 60 kilometres from Kishtwar, lies Gulabgarh, a town of Paddar with a tumultuous history. Today, it serves as a crucial link to Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
Originally founded in 1650 as Sheetal Garh by Sheetal Singh, the Rana of Leondi, the settlement was later conquered by Raja Chatur Singh of Chamba, earning it the name Chaturgarh. It was only in the early 19th century, under the rule of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu, that the town’s strategic importance came into full focus.
In 1835, Maharaja Gulab dispatched his legendary general Zorawar Singh to subdue Ladakh. After a successful campaign, Wazir Lakhpat, leading a contingent of Dogra soldiers, annexed Zanskar and crossed over Umi La Pass via Padar, stationing behind troops at Chaturgarh before proceeding back to Jammu. However, their presence was short-lived.
Wazir Ratnu Palsar, a local administrator under Chamba Raja, arrested the Dogra soldiers and took them to Chamba. In a shrewd diplomatic move, the Chamba Raja disowned Ratnu’s actions and returned the soldiers to Jammu. Outraged by the affront, Gulab Singh ordered Zorawar Singh to retaliate. Putting a brutal end to the uprising, Ratnu was captured, Chaturgarh was set ablaze, and a new fort was erected atop its ruins. It was renamed Gulabgarh, marking the region’s strategic role as a gateway to Ladakh via the Zanskar ranges.
Today, Gulabgarh, along with Atholi-situated at the confluence of the Chenab and Bhotna rivers, serves as the administrative and commercial heart of the Padar region. Gulabgarh is not only a strategic corridor between Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal-but also a spiritual hub, functioning as the base camp for the annual Machail Devi pilgriamge, which draws thousands of pilgrims every year. The Buddhist Gompa at Gulabgarh serves as a big attraction for the Buddhists inhabitants of the many highland villages of Padar.
Echoing its history, Gulabgarh stands as a reminder of a once contested land that now unites regions through history, faith and commerce.
Gurnal, Billawar (Kathua District): A Site of Pilgrimage and Ritual
Across the Naaj River from the histric town of Billawar, the small hamlet of Gurnal is a place where spirituality, memory, and nature intertwine. Overlooking Billawar from the opposite bank, Gurnal once served as a religious retreat, adorned with 108 natural springs, ancient temples, and a quiet, forested landscape.
The area hosts remains of temples dating back to the 10th-12th century, and a modest Shiva temple built between the 17th and 18th century. These ruins suggest that Gurnal was a site of pilgrimage and ritual, particularly for ancestor worship, where families would place mohras-memorial stones-by the sacred springs.
Part of the principality founded by Raja Bhog Pal in the 8th century CE, Gurnal likely functioned as a halting station for travellers before entering the capital town of Billawar. While Billawar’s 11th-century Hari-Hara temple commands architectural majesty, Gurnal offers quiet reverence-its waters and stones preserving centuries of faith.
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