In the far north of India lies the cool green heights of the Vale of Kashmir - a large Himalayan valley. The state that encompasses this region, Jammu and Kashmir, has always been a center of conflict for independent India. At the time of indpendance, there was much controversy over whether the region would become part of Pakistan or part of India. The predominantly Muslim region was not a part of British India but rather a "princely state" and thus its ruler had to decide which way it would go.
The region is currently divided approximately two-thirds to India and one-third to Pakistan but both countries claim all of it.
During the Raj period, Kashmir's ruler didn't permit the British to own land in Kashmir. The work-around for the British was to build houseboats on Dal Lake and the Jhelum River. I stayed on the river with the family shown in this photo.
