Before Kashmir became a valley it was a huge lake known as the Karewa Lake. The valley lies between the Karakoram Range and the Pir Panjal formed when the lake was drained during tectonic shift. It acquired the name of paradise on earth because of its uncanny resemblance with the garden of Eden described in religious and folk texts. The abundance in nature and natural resources make Kashmir the muse of multiple historical references in literature and memoirs.