Sani

Depicting the thrilling diversity of Jammu & Kashmir adventure tourism, Sani stands as one of the prime landmarks of the valley near Kargil. Sani is famous in the travel contours of Jammu & Kashmir state as it houses a brilliant monastic edifice which was built decades back following the architectural designs of a palace.

According to the historical saga, the emergence of Sani took place at times of Kanishka. The Kanika stupa which lies inside a walled space still ratifies the existence of Kanishka's reign in the place where Sani is situated.

Another tale about the importance of Sani tells the appearance of a holy saint called Vikramsila who once came to the place and engrossed in meditation under the Kanika Stupa. In this very place, currently a room has been built which possesses a bronze idol of Vikramsila. As a mark of reverence, the veil from the idol is removed every year in the month of July and at the same time a local festival is organized in Sani for two days. The monks from the nearby monasteries like Bardan come to participate in the festival and they also take part in local dances by covering their faces with colorful masks.

One of the interesting features of Sani is the monastery which showcases a huge hall which is adorned with an array of columns, Buddhists sculptures and Drugpa which connotes to old schools of saints. There is one ancient chapel in Sani too which reflects some of the excellent stucco wall paintings.

The place of Sani can be arrived at through the Kargil-Padum road which is 240 km long. Also accommodation facilities are available in the tourists lodge of Padum.

There is no denying the fact that Sani is an inevitable choice of all those tourists who wish to unearth the exotic monastic and other historical sites of the valley of Jammu & Kashmir.