A trip to 'Paradise on Earth'

'Kashmira yatra (trip)' by Nayani Krishna Kumari was a text book lesson in my high school. It has created an ever lasting picture of Kashmir in my mind. It was one of the items in my bucket list since then. Owing to many reasons, we couldn't go till now. A friend's family took the initiative and planned everything, but we were in dilemma until last minute.. I've prepared myself to give a pause to the much awaited Dandiya celebrations and finally joined them for the trip. With last minute shopping & packing,  we finally managed to board the 3 hour flight from Hyderabad to Srinagar.

 

We landed there @ 5:00pm and our destination is Pahelgham which is around 2 hours drive from Srinagar. Mixed feelings as I came to know that photography is banned in Srinagar Airport & CRPF troops all along the way. We hired a mini-bus to accommodate 3 families and it was a nice journey with some chit-chat, the views of Jhelum river all along the way, tasted Kashmiri Kahva on the way, conversations with the driver  about the local food & everything... Had a sumptuous dinner in Pahelgham's home-stay.

 

 Day-1: Next day, I woke up to full blooms of cosmos of different colours in the guest house. Couldn't control my excitement to see the beautiful flowers and the mountains. Accompanied by 2 more friend's families who've already reached Pahelgham, all the five families have set out to explore the surroundings of Pahelgham on horse. A horse for each one of us. As this is the first time for most of us & the horses prefer to walk on the extreme left of the road (one step to the left and you'll be in a valley), it was an adventure. As the horses move along the steep hills and valleys, we've to bend forward or backward so that we don't fall off. 

 The fear inside was dominated by the panoramic views of  Pahelgham valley, International golf-course, Kashmiri valley, Water falls.  

Our first stop is Baisarang, also known as mini-switzerland.This is a hilltop green meadow dotted with dense pine forests and surrounded by mountains. We dressed ourselves in traditional Kashmiri attire. Resumed our adventure to Dabyan valley and a hidden water fall amidst the hills. We had to move to another home stay (as we joined late in the trip, this one could accommodate us only for a day)

Day-2: Next day, I woke up to the mesmerizing sound of Lidder river flow, which is right infront of our stay. Water is chilling cold, fresh & pure and is originated from the melted snow of the mountains.

 This home-stay surprised me with colorful Dahlias. The plan for the day is to explore near by places, but in a vehicle. First one is Chandanwari, which is the commencement point of the annual Amarnath yatra. As it is almost 2.9kms above sea level, it is chilling cold. It's picturesque beauty, with the Lidder River flowing close by is a treat to eyes. 

Next one is Betaab valley (which is named after the bollywood film, Betaab) which has lush green meadows,  mountains and covered with dense vegetation. It lies between the two Himalayan Ranges – Pir Panjal and Zanskar. The crystal clear & chilly water of the stream bubbling down from the snowy hills is a delight.

The third gift for the day is Aru valley. It is on the other side of Pahelgham. We weret unsure if the road is open for visitors. But, we set out to try our luck and we seem to be lucky to experience the gorgeous views, lush meadows, pristine lakes & mountains of the Aru valley.

Finished the day with a campfire.

Day-3: Next day, I got up early and went out to explore the nearby places and was lucky to capture this view. 

 We've decided to have a leisure day. Spent some time in the magical flow of Lidder river.

 Today's gift from Kashmir is daisies. My joy knew no bounds to see and hold these flowers. 

 

 After lunch in a local restaurant (Volga), we decided to go to nearby Apple orchids. The visit is worth the drive & trek. Got to taste freshly plucked apples. I've never tasted such fresh apples in my life. 

 

After some apple picking activity there, we were invited by a local Kashmiri family for chai. Got to explore the rural Kashmir, received their hospitality. 

Day-4: It's time to bid farewell to Pahelgham. 

 

 On the way back to Srinagar (the summer capital of J&K), we took a short break in an apple valley and had freshly squeezed apple juice, bought apple pickle, jam. After a while, we stopped to have a quick tour of a manufacturing uniof cricket bats made from Kashmiri willow wood. 

Reached our home stay in Srinagar, had lunch in a nearby restaurant and then went to visit Dal lake, also known as Srinagar's jewel. It is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels. It was a 2 hour relaxing ride in the lake amidst the scenic views. 

 

After which, we went on a ride in the city - the famous Lal chouk, kashmiri silk saree shopping..Savouring the local street food - paratha + Halwa, lotus stem fry (locally, called as Nadru). On the way back, we got yet again another chance to see the beauty of Dal lake in the night. 

Day-5: Plan next day is to visit Gulmarg. But, we weren't sure if the roads will be open as the central home minister is visiting Srinagar. We've started early in the day and finally made it to Gulmarg - the meadow of flowers. It is in Baramulla district (referred in 'Uri- The surgical strike'). Gulmarg is heartland of winter sports in India. Apart from being a popular skiing destination, it has the highest green golf course in the world (2650 m). Gulmarg hosts Gandola ride. We took the first stage of the ride from Gulmarg to Kongdoori (3,080 m). We couldn't get tickets for all of us for the second stage which plights from Kongdoori to Apharwat Peak (4,200 m). 4 people from our group got an opportunity to see LOC from the highest peak. While they return, we relaxed in the meadows of Kongdoori. Some kashmiri products shopping on the way back to Srinagar.

Day-6: Back home with loads of memories. Though we didn't get time to visit the rest of tourist spots in Srinagar, we took it as a chance to visit Kashmir again. Apart from the scenic views, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of Kashmiris. Though we checked the item 'Kashmir visit' in our bucket list, we've added one more entry 'Kashmir visit in winter'.