History:
The history of Kashmir valley is associated with many legends. It is believed that where the Kashmir valley now stands, was once a huge lake. The lake served as home to a very detestable demon. Kashyap, Lord Brahma's grandson drained away most of the lake with the help of Goddess Parvati. The demon was crushed to death when Goddess Parvati dropped a mountain on him. A witness to the rich history of Kashmir valley, the mountain still stands in the district of Srinagar and is known as "Takht-e-Suleiman". The mountain provides a beautiful backdrop to the already picturesque city of Srinagar. Before you set yourself on the trip of Kashmir you must have some idea on the history and origin of Kashmir.
With the passage of time, the dried area of the lake came to be inhabited by the Brahmins. This settlement got the name of Kashmir. For many centuries, the Hindu community continued to be dominant in the valley. One of the religions to be introduced in this area was Buddhism. Initiated by the missionaries of Emperor Ashoka, the religion got a further boost in the 2nd Century under the rule of the Kushanas. The history of Kashmir saw many dynasties being founded and replaced by new ones. Shams-ud-Din founded the first Muslim dynasty in Kashmir after replacing Hindu king Udiana Deva in 1346. Once again, Kashmir was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1586 and became a part of the Mughal Empire.
Thereafter, the state was again conquered in 1757 by Ahmed Shah Durrani and then in 1819 by the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1846, the British overpowered the Sikhs and sold this beautiful valley under the Treaty of Amritsar to Ghulab Singh of Jammu for Rs 7.5 million. Ghulab Singh gained the status of an independent princely ruler of Kashmir from the British and went on to annex Ladakh and added it to his empire. After his death in 1857, his descendants such as Maharaja Rambir Singh, Maharaja Partab Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh ruled Kashmir.

Geography:
The State of Jammu and Kashmir is situated between 32.17 degree and 36.58-degree north latitude and 37.26 degree and 80.30-degree east longitude; the total area of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is 22,22,236 square kilometers. The geography of the Kashmir valley, stretches for about 84 miles from the northeast to the southwest and is approximately 20 to 25 miles broad. Its height above the sea level is over 5,000 feet. The topography of the state is such that, low-lying valleys surrounded by mountain ranges characterize it; the most important of them all is the Kashmir valley that lies 1700 metres above the sea level, encompassed by the mighty Himalayas. Some of these valleys are the Tawi valley, Chenab valley, Poonch valley and Sind Valley.
The mountain chains that adorn the region include the Karakoram range, Nun Kun range, the Zanskar range and Nanga Parbat. The State of Jammu and Kashmir has many Himalayan rivers flowing through it; the most significant among these are the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Due to the geography, location, climate, soil, rainfall and altitude, the vegetation in the area ranges from tropical deciduous forests to temperate and coniferous forests. The Jammu and Kashmir region has loamy soil rich in magnesia, in most parts. The other varieties of soils found in the region are clay, sandy and peats. As far as the regional flora is concerned, the area is rich in pines, conifers and medicinal herbs. Fauna in the Jammu and Kashmir region ranges from a variety of mountain birds to animals. The climate in this part of India, as any other depends upon the time of the year and location, the area in naturally cool and extremely cold depending upon the altitude and mountainous geography.

Weather:
Kashmir weather is quite erratic. However, the climate of Kashmir can be divided into four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. Read on to further explore the weather and climate of Kashmir, India:

Spring:
The spring season starts in March and lasts up to early May. The average temperature during spring season ranges from 23° C to 6° C. Brief showers, light winds and blossoming flowers characterize this season. Along with that, the whole of Kashmir stands blanketed in the hues of green.

Summer:
Starting from May, the summer season extends up to the end of August. The climatic conditions of Kashmir in summers are not quite hot. In Srinagar, you may even require to put on light woolens in summers. The average temperature in the daytime falls in the range of 25° C to 35° C. Kashmir is the most sought after hill station during summers.

Autumn:
With the onset of September, comes the time for the autumn season. The whole region gets covered in the hues of first gold, then russet and then red. The average temperature during autumn hovers around 23° C (max) to 10° C (min). The season lasts till late November, by which time the need for heavy woolens starts mounting.

Winter:
Stretching from December to early March is the winter season in Kashmir. Covered with snow throughout, Kashmir looks like a picture straight out of a fairytale.