Pharkian Gali Pass – Pharkian Top, Kupwara – Kashmir

Pharkian Gali, also known as Pharkian Top, is a mountain pass at an altitude of 9840 ft. It is located at a distance of 35 kilometers from Kupwara and 120 kilometers from Srinagar. The road across the pass connects the valley of Keran with the rest of Kashmir. The pass is also spelled as Pharkiyan Gali.

Pharkian Top is one of the lesser-known passes of Kashmir. Not many people know of it and hardly any tourists go this way because until recently, this pass was off-limits for tourists. Only the local villagers and the Indian Army were allowed to travel on this route.

But in 2021, this entire route was declared open for travelers, in an effort to promote border tourism in the region. On the other side of the pass is the beautiful Keran Village, located right next to the LOC. This village is significant because it is divided between India and Pakistan with the Kishanganga river acting as a natural border.

It is a side of Kashmir that is not yet on the tourism map, due to all the unrest in the valley. But things are now slowly changing and authorities are also making an effort to promote tourism in this area. If you are planning a trip to Kashmir and want to include some offbeat locations in your itinerary, Pharkian Top and Keran Village will be two good candidates.

Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Kashmir – A Complete Travel Guide

About Pharkian Gali

Pharkian Top is a lot different than any other pass that you would have seen. While the rest of the passes are just the top of a mountain, Pharkian Gali is actually an Army base. The top of this pass, and the entire mountain for that matter, is occupied by the Indian Army.

Hence, photography and videography are not permitted at Pharkian Top. That is the reason why there are no pictures of this pass in this post except for the one posted below that I clicked during our journey to Keran Village.

How to reach Pharkian Gali Top

If you were coming from Srinagar, the route will be as mentioned is as mentioned below.

• Srinagar – Sopore – Kupwara – Kralpora – Pharkian Gali

The entire length of this road is tarred and in good condition. From Srinagar, you will take the road toward Kupwara and continue to Kralpora from there. The ascent for Pharkian Top starts near Kralpora Market from where the top of the pass is about 24 kilometers.

The total travel time will be about 6 to 7 hours to reach the pass. From Srinagar, it is ideally a 2-day trip with a night stay in either Kupwara or Chowkibal. If you wish to, you can drive down to the other side of the pass, to Keran Village, and spend the night there.

What to see at Pharkian Gali Pass

The only thing to see at Pharkian Gali is the mesmerizingly beautiful views. Standing at the top, you get a 360-degree view of the entire valley around you. It is a region that is way too close to the border and was not even open for tourism until recently. So driving on this route is actually a thrill in itself.

On the other side of the pass is Keran. It is a tiny village consisting of a couple of narrow streets, a few shops, and some houses. But what makes it special is that it is divided between the two countries. Half of the village is in India and the other half is in Pakistan.

On the Indian side, the entire valley that this village is located in is called Keran Valley or Keran Sector. The river that acts as a natural border and cuts the village and the valley into two parts is called the Kishenganga River.

On the Pakistani side though, the River is known as the Neelam River, and the valley is named after it as Neelam Valley. At a point called Cobra Post, where the river gets really narrow, the distance between the two countries is hardly about 10 meters of water in between.

Due to this, this entire region was among the foremost infiltration routes used by the militants in the early 1990s. This is also the reason why the entire Kupwara District has remained off the tourist map for so long. Even now, you need to get a permit to go either to Pharkian Gali or Keran Valley.

Mobile Network

Irrespective of which network you were on, your phone will remain connected at Pharkian Gali. We were carrying Airtel and Jio phones and had a stable connection with 4G data speed. BSNL of course works pretty much everywhere in the country and works at Pharkian Top as well. We did not have Vodafone and Idea but I am sure these two phones will work equally well.

On the other side of the pass though, as you start getting closer to Keran Village, your phone will go off the network. None of the phones work in the village but in the near future, Jio might start providing service there.

How to Plan a Trip to Pharkian Gali

The best way to plan a trip to Pharkian Gali is to include it with your Keran Village itinerary. On Day 1, start early from Srinagar, cross Pharkian Top, and arrive in Keran Village to stay there for the night.

On Day 2, start from Keran and cross the pass once again to return to Srinagar if you are short on time. Otherwise, you can continue your sightseeing and cover other places like Lolab Valley, Bangus Valley, Tangdhar, and Teetwal. This would require you to spend at least 3 to 4 days in and around Kupwara.

Conclusion

I hope the information above on visiting Pharkian Gali Pass was of help. If you have any questions, you can contact me on Instagram and I will be happy to answer. You can also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and asking a question there.