Kashmir- heaven on earth

Organizer: Mango Leaf Holidays

From Bangalore to Srinagar and back: Date: 12/05/2023 to 17/05/2023(4N/5D)

Day 0:

Departure: from Bangalore by Spice jet at 7:55pm on 12th May 2023. As per the booking, the waiting time was 6.5 hours in Delhi airport. But, the onward flight from Delhi to Srinagar got delayed by 3 hours. We had to wait in Delhi airport for 9 hours. Boarded our flight in Delhi at 9:00 am.

Day 1:

Arrival to Srinagar at 11:00am. 

The taxi was waiting for us in Srinagar. We were dropped at the hotel Adlife in Srinagar. We were welcomed with their traditional drink- Kahwa. We had our lunch in the hotel and left for Mughal gardens at 1:30 pm. 

1.Cheshmashahi garden: 

Our taxi stops at the parking lot near the Tulip garden. The tulip garden is in bloom in March and April. We didn't get to see any of it. We have to hire an auto to the Cheshmashahi garden which is located at a little higher altitude, It is a well maintained garden. There are photographers who take our pictures with the kashmiri costumes. Such photographers will be seen even in other gardens. It's almost a ritual to take pictures in Kashmiri costume. Better take them here. It rained while we were here, so better keep an umbrella handy always.

There are few stalls outside this garden. We later learnt that the price of the items here is reasonable compared to other places. We bought a selfie-stick here and it did serve us well throughout our trip. 

2. Nishatbag garden: 

This garden is the biggest among the Mughal gardens in Srinagar. The flowers, the gardening and the area are all beautiful. More than anything, the location of the colorful garden with pleasant hills in the background and the wide expanse of Dal lake in the front, makes this garden appear heavenly. 

3. Shalimar garden:

  Shalimar garden is much smaller than the other two and still under renovation. We didn't spend much time here as it was already getting dark.

We returned back to the hotel, had a sumptuous dinner at the hotel and retired for the day. 

Day 2: 

We were supposed to go to Gulmarg today. Gulmarg literally means- 'road of flowers'. We could see patches of lavender and white blooms spread like carpets on the way. But in the right season, with proper sunlight, the flower carpet fills the valley. You can see it if you are lucky to be there during that time. 

The main attraction was the cable car(Gondola) ride over the mountains. But, we didn't have the tickets. Book the tickets on the day you book your flight tickets. There is a waiting period of 15-20 days for this. No manual tickets are available nowadays. It has to be booked online only. You can opt for level 1(around 8,000ft)  or level 2(around 10,000 feet). Both are at different heights. You can enjoy the ride and view from the cable car. Once you reach the other end, you will get to do some snow activities like sledding and skiing. Unfortunately, we didn't get the tickets. So we had to take an alternative which was equally good. In both the cases, we need to get warm coats and boots on rent which are available in the shops in Gulmarg.

Alternate option when you don't have a ticket: Book a taxi from Gulmarg to other valleys which will be directed by the guide there. Basically, only permitted vehicles and guides are allowed to take the tourists to those places. So, we have to book a guide who will take us around in another vehicle. We did the same. The guide with another taxi, took us onwards from there. The whole valley, the journey and the weather- are all mesmerizing. 

We were first taken to Nagin valley. We could see two peaks covered with snow at the tip. We had to go there to feel the snow. In May when the snow is at the peak only, we have to climb the hill on ponies. We can go by walk too, but better to ride on the horse. The ride is very exciting as the horses trod making their own paths. After reaching the snow, you can just play and come back. You can enjoy sledding(we had to pay for this activity. Pony ride was paid by the guide). Our guide was young and enthusiastic. He walked all the way up and took a lot of photos and videos of us. 

Just below, you will find vendors selling hot maggi and kahwa. They taste so delicious given the weather and the inherent mirth of the place. 

After an exhilarating experience in the lap of the Himalayas, we left for Bota Pathri. On the way, we can see shepherd houses painted in different colours.

At Bota Pathri, we can see the Lidder river flowing amidst the greenery. There are some small tents selling food here. 

From here, we journeyed back to Gulmarg. On our way, we visited the Shiva temple. This is place where the famous Hindi song- Jai jai shiv shankar, kata lage na kankar, was shot. 

The beauty of the valley, the mountains and the flowers can not be captured in the camera. The feeling is simply indescribable. 

We had a delicious lunch of tawa roti and kashmiri dum aloo at a Vaishno restaurant, returned our warm clothes and boots and headed back to our taxi and to Srinagar. There are factory outlets for Kashmiri artwork- mainly aari work crafted on shawls, ponchos, suit sets, sarees and bedspreads. You can buy them here. Though it seems a little costly here, the shop-keepers say that the quality is good. (But I found similar stuff at a lesser price in Srinagar and Dal lake market. It depends on your choice). 

On reaching Srinagar, we wanted to taste the local kulfi. We asked our driver to stop by a Kulfi shop. He stopped at a road-side vendor. They eat kulfi differently here. The vendor scoops out the kulfi into a bowl, adds plain noodles to it and gives it with a spoon.

We headed to our room after gulping down the cold kulfi in the cold weather and called it a day. 

Day 3: 

We checked out from our hotel after breakfast and headed to Pahalgam which is 96 kms from Srinagar. En-route to Pahalgam, you pass through the district headquarters of Anantnag which is a busy place. There is a village called Pampore which is famous for saffron fields and series of shops selling saffron and dry fruits. You can buy saffron grown in the nearby fields here. Again, when you enter a big shop, the prices are not really cheap, but they promise quality. 

On the way, we find Avantipura ruins. It a Vishnu temple built in 8-9th century which was ruined by Afghan invasion. The guide there gave us ample information regarding the history of the temple. 

It was a relief to find that the temple was being renovated and the ruins were being well preserved. 

On our way, we asked our driver to stop at a local shop for kashmiri kulchas and chichurus. They have these with namkeen chai every morning. He stopped at a road-side shop. We tasted some and bought some. They are called in this part as- telgodu, bakikhani and kulcha depending on their size and shape. 

We moved on to Pahalgam, accompanied by Lidder river by our side. On reaching Pahalgam, we checked into Humdard hotel which is a simple hillside hotel. It was already 1:30 pm. The view from our room was beautiful. 

Though our destinations are few valleys here, I feel that the journey to the valleys is in itself breathtaking. Here again, we have two options-

1. We can hire ponies and go to certain valleys. The rates are displayed in the hotel. Once you decide, the hotel manager will make the arrangement. 

2. We can hire a taxi from the many choices of vehicles displayed. The price is based on the time we spend in each valley. 

We opted for a taxi as we wanted to concentrate more on the scenery than on the footsteps of the horse we were riding. Those who are used to horse-rides may opt for ponies. 

First we went to Chandanwari, which has some snow. Since we had our share of activities in snow the previous day, we didn't go for it. We just spent some time, ate masala bhel and took few pictures. I must stress again that the rhythm of the river by our side, the soothing climate and the mesmerizing mountains are seen everywhere around. The beauty just makes us speechless.

 We next went to Betaab valley. You can get down into the valley to take some memorable pictures. We preferred to photograph the valley from the road. The hindi movie- Betaab has some scenes shot at this place. 

We then were taken to Aaru valley which is equally beautiful. We bought some souvenirs here. 

Our driver had volunteered to show three more places, but it was getting dark. However, we had asked him to stop at few spots which we had glimpsed on our journey. 

We couldn't visit any more places as it was already 7:00 pm. We returned back to the hotel. 

You need not have to name the destinations in pahalgam. The whole area appears as if it has come alive out of a painting. 

Day 4: 

After breakfast, we checked out from our hotel in Pahalgam. On our way to Srinagar, we stopped for river rafting 10kms from Pahalgam. Rafting amidst the beautiful mountains in the pristine water of Lidder has it's own fun. The water is very cold which adds to the excitement. If you are planning for rafting, wear comfortable pajamas so that you can easily change after the activity. 

After enjoying it thoroughly, we continued our journey to Srinagar. On our way, we visited Martand temple at Mattan which has a pond filled with fish. You can feed the fish with food that is sold here. 

We moved on to Srinagar and visited the Shankaracharya temple which is on the top of a hill. Our vehicles go up to certain point. After that, we have to climb nearly 250 steps to the temple. It is a place where Sri Shankaracharya had meditated. Entire Srinagar with spiral Jhelum river on one side and picturesque Dal lake on the other can be seen from this height. 

We descended down and headed for lunch as we were very hungry by now. We stopped at Nathu's sweet shop at Srinagar. We had lunch and bough some sweets. 

We then were taken to Dal lake Ghat 17 to be picked up by boats to House-boat where we were supposed to stay for that night. It was already 4:30 pm. 

By the time we reached our house boat, it was already 5:00pm. We were very tired after the climb to Shankaracharya temple, but still enthusiastic to go on the Shikhara ride. But our house-boat manager informed us that Shikara rides were all booked for that day and we had our slot the next morning. It was a relief in one way as we needed some rest, but disappointment in another as the Shikhara rides are best in the evening. We decided to sit on the deck of the houseboat and enjoy the view for the evening. The  house-boat was beautiful, well maintained, gave a royal feeling, decorated with antique traditional artwork. Since no one else checked in, we had the house boat all for ourselves. 

There was a house-garden just beside the boat which had only rose plants. Each plant bore hundreds of flowers. 

The land is so fertile and happy that it grows only beauty and joy. The entire evening, we spent gazing at the serene lake lined by the calm mountains, intercepted here and there by city lights and passing shikharas. The weather was perfect and the sight in front of our eyes more than perfect. 

Our dinner was served in the house boat. We retired to the royal chambers filled with the magical scent of Kashmiri wood. 

Day 5: 

Our hearts were already heavy as this was our last day in the heavenly land. After breakfast, we went for the Shikhara ride. 

We couldn't enjoy much because we were already getting late for the flight. The Shikara rower took us to some floating shops which had pretty good stuff. Many vendors kept coming beside our boats to sell jewels, souvenirs and other small items. As we had to leave for the airport, we hurried through the ride, picked up our luggage from the houseboat and left for the airport. Thus ended our memorable trip in the land of God.

(All throughout, I was just contemplating on how to define Beauty. I came up with the answer- "Anything that replaces our worries with happiness, even momentarily is beautiful". It can be a butterfly, a full blown rose, a child's smile, a pleasant face, snow covered mountains or the lighted landscapes. The sceneries of Kashmir are so captivating that you stop thinking everything else and just admire the beauty with awe).

Shopping: 

1. Dress materials, curtains, shawls and ponchos with Aari art

2. Saffron, some berries

3. Rajmah- For rajmah lovers as it cooks very soft

4. Papermachi art- key-chains, jewellery boxes, pen stands, etc. The items are made from paper and colorfully painted

5. Wooden craft with walnut. It is available in our hometown too, but with teak wood. 

6. Stones in jewelry, you need to check the authenticity. 

7. Pure Pashmina shawls are made from the wool of Pashmina goats. The price starts from Rs 12,000/-. None of the others sold on the streets are Pashmina. 

Interesting facts that I observed in Kashmir: 

• The people of Kashmir may seem defensive at the start, but once you open up and talk to them, they are very friendly and jovial.
• Be ready to give tips because everyone expects just as in any other tourist place. 
• Their native language- Kashmiri is very difficult to understand. 
• Insist for an evening Shikhara ride. 
• Best time for the trip- March, April. May month will do as we enjoyed in May too. You will see more of greenery in these months. You can also see tulip blooms in March-April. January and February are fine if you want to see snow covered mountains and enjoy the winter. November and December are a strict no for tourists as the roads are completely covered in snow. September and October is only for people who want to visit apple orchards. 
• Only post-paid sim works there. The coverage is good with Jio and BSNL as of now. 
• You need to carry umbrella(small one is fine) and warm clothes in whichever season you go. 
• Even the street dogs have long hair. 
• The crows are big. They caw very harshly as if they are having sore-throat!!!

Our drivers and guides:

For the entire trip: Ajaaz

In Gulmarg: Ishfaaq

In Pahalgam: Wasim

All were very friendly and good-natured.