Banihal

• Banihal is a town and a notified area committee in Ramban district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. "Banihal" means blizzard in Kashmiri language.
• It has an average elevation of 1,666 m (5,466 ft). It is located about 35 km (22 mi) away from Qazigund of Anantnag district on NH 1A highway. However, the distance between Banihal and Qazigund is only 18 km by train on the new railway line which is much shorter than the road.
• Banihal Pass at 2,832 m (9,291 ft) elevation on Pir Panjal mountain connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The Pir Panjal mountain range separates the Kashmir valley in the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains to the south. After closure of the Murree-Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road on partition of India in 1947, Banihal pass was the only passage from Jammu to Srinagar after independence until 1956 when a tunnel was bored through the mountain. The pass is accessible only in summer and remains closed rest of the year due to heavy snow.