The world has its ways. While one land burns the other snows. A conflict-ridden land that is witness to natures magnificent grandeur and its masterpiece. That is Kashmir!
In my last post, I had written about the hostile perception biases that Kashmir has experienced, and the image we all have of it in our minds. Never had we imagined that our first day in Kashmir would be one of the most violent ones in almost 30 years. Pahalgam lies in Anantnag in South Kashmir, and to reach there we had to ride through the highway that witnessed the senseless act of violence. Families lost their loved ones, men in uniform mourned for their martyred comrades and the media watched. The blast reduced the convoy bus to a twisted, charred metal piece. The land surrounding was scorched to ashes by the conflagration that ripped through. We watched the destruction and pain through the windows of our traveler bus, much similar to the marginalized opinions formed through television screens.
Kashmir has a landscape of indescribable simplicity, of bare eyes, it has the vastness of stillness, perhaps staring into its calmness could soothe an anxious heart. Pahalgam is also called as the valley of shepherds – named after its inhabitants, it is the valley surrounded by towering summits of snow.
Perched on the edge of a mountain and a 360-degree view of the snow-capped mountains, Heevan is perfectly paradise with an extra e. We stayed in Heevan for 2 days, intentionally choosing to stay away from screaming media channels and fearmongering.
Even though I have grown up in the mountains, I had never seen snow up close. While in Srinagar, I would earnestly ask strangers if it would be snowing up in the mountains as if my sincerity would change the weather conditions.
Haven’t read Alchemist but it seemed the universe did conspire and it snowed and snowed and snowed. That was the view from my room.
Hello there, is it too cold for you too? The temperature in mornings in Pahalgam dipped to -5 degrees.
That toothy grin
The first morning in Pahalgam, I found myself surrounded by nearly 6 feet of snow, a 360 degree of whiteout. Some places were rendered completely inaccessible, about 6km from Pahalgam was Mini Switzerland and the only way to reach there was by riding a pony. And on an extremely cold icy morning, I was riding a pony named “Badal”, to Mini Switzerland rode a cavalcade of 8 ponies, three out of the eight were called Badal.
It was my first ever ride on horseback, and honestly, it was scary. All I was doing was to try and balance myself and also click pictures. I was holding the reins so tightly that my fingers had started hurting, every time Badal stumbled and dipped into the snow, a very low decibel whimper escaped my lungs. I would have preferred walking than cling tightly to Badal.
Crisscrossing our way through the snow on the mountain ponies, I could spot the Lidder snaking through the valley sparkling under the balmy sun.
Some resilient shepherd boys managed to sell us Pashmina shawls too.
I had exchanged my warm shoes for plastic boots from shepherd boys for Rupees 50, they had me convinced that the plastic ones are the only boots that are apt for knee-deep snow. Not even an hour into the pony ride, my feet were already numb in the biting cold, and it also started to snow, it was the first time I witnessed fresh snowfall and a snowflake, a perfect hexagonal snowflake. Mini Switzerland is like a fishbowl, towering snow-capped Pinus trees and expansive snow peaks on all sides. Baisaran or mini Switzerland is a meadow on top of a mountain
We were still a few miles away from the warm comfort of our hotel, the gentle snowflakes had turned into a drizzle of snow. The cold seeping into my boots, I nudged “Badal” owner to head back to the hotel.
Lidder river snaking through
Valley of Shepherds
Visitor
Back at the hotel, sipping on hot kahwa, I sat near the room heater to revive my numb feet. Winters increase my appetite and the delicious Kashmiri food wasn’t really hard to resist. Coming back to the warm comfort of our hotel rooms, all I needed for the aching bones was red wine and hot plates of pakoras with the view below.
I could spot my reflection in the water drops.
The heavy snowfall had blocked the road to Aru Valley, the blizzard left behind massive heaps of snow, slush, salt, and mud.
One of our Pony all saddled up.
The profound peacefulness of this place…
I was wearing 6 layers of clothing and 2 layers of socks, and I was told even this won’t be sufficient for Gulmarg.
Wonder what Spring would bring…
Making it accessible
Consumed
Waiting for an influx of tourists for a much-needed source of income.
Unlike Srinagar, Pahalgam didn’t have a strong army presence but had the same warmth for a stranger. Not once did we feel where we were, the conflicted region that many hesitate to travel too. But its the people of the land that assures people like me to leave home for experiences.
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