Travelogue

A trip to the heaven on Earth: Kashmir

6 years ago, I visited Kashmir, as soon as my class 8 exams got over, with my family and my close family friends.  Even after so many years, the memories from the trip to heaven on earth are still fresh on my mind and this unique experience is something that I’ll cherish forever.  

Kashmir has always been in news due to the tension at the border and the very idea of visiting the place made me nervous, but deep down, I was excited too.

All our bookings were done through a travel agency, prior to our journey, because of which our journey turned out to be hustle free. Our flight was from Trivandrum to Srinagar via Delhi and the journey seemed never-ending as I couldn’t wait to set my foot on Kashmir. It felt like ages before we finally reached the place. Our travel agency people received us at the airport and we were briefed on our stay and other arrangements.

We first left for Gulmarg. Gulmarg, also known as the ‘meadow of flowers’, is famous for its Gondola rides, one of the world’s highest operating cable cars and an amazing skiing experience. This cable car whisks visitors 4000m up to a ridge which affords fantastic views of various Himalayan peaks. Initially, I found it very difficult to walk on snow and managed to be a laughing stock as I kept slipping continuously till the point where my body felt numb because of the cold. We all enjoyed ourselves with a snow fight and I also tried making my very first snowman. The best time to visit this place is during winter when the mountains are all covered in snow.

Pahalgam is another beautiful village, 3hrs drive from Srinagar and away from the hustle bustle of the city. The scenery on the way was really pretty and the driver talked about everything we saw on the way. Our driver was a Kashmiri and spoke to us in Hindi. I found a number of cricket bat factories in the highway and we also visited one. One of the must-visit places in Palahgam is Baisaran, a beautiful valley surrounded by immensely wooded forests of pine, straight out of Yash Chopra’s movies. Looking at the stretch of snow-capped mountains on the horizon, for a moment I thought I was in another country. I felt like every mountain was trying to tell a story, a story that only a few would understand. It was later when I learned that Baisaran is also known as mini-Switzerland. The way to Baisaran is really adventurous as the ponies take you to criss-cross paths, lined by pine trees and small streams up to the valley.

The scarcity of food is well known in Kashmir, mainly because of the harsh cold winters, one of the reasons why food holds an important place in Kashmiri culture. The Kashmiri Wazwan is something that left my mouth watering. Every tourist would miss upon a lot if the wazwan isn’t tasted.   We also tasted the famous Kashmiri delicacy Qawa, saffron and spiced Kashmiri tea.

On the last day of our trip, we stayed at the boathouse in Dal Lake, Srinagar. The lake is huge, bigger than I ever imagined. We spent the morning enjoying the Shikara ride on the Dal lake and visited the famous floating market and shopped for a few interesting sweets. We took pictures of us dressed in Kashmiri clothes on the shikara. I saw a number of boats on the lake that sold goods, mostly expensive. The quality of the items was really good and we got a good deal, thanks to my mom and her bargaining skills. In the evening, the breeze started getting cold and we could see the reflection of the city on the Dal Lake. We saw the sun setting in its full glory, leaving behind a tinge in the atmosphere, as we were on our shikara rides. For all I can remember, it wasn’t just a ride, but a beautiful state of mind and for some reason, I could feel an emotional connection to the place. It got so cold at night that I had almost 4 layers of sweaters on me and it was impossible to imagine walking barefoot in our room in the houseboat.

I felt both happy and sad when it was the time to leave. The pleasant days in Kashmir have left me yearning for more. Whatever I saw, felt and experienced in the heaven on earth was truly magical and putting it into words would never do justice to the feeling.  I tried clicking pictures in my camera and capturing moments in my handy cam and even now, whenever I go through it, I get the scent of fresh snow and the memories come alive again.