Heaven on Earth – Kashmir
The chance long weekend during festivals in 2014 were the
primary motivators and facilitators for most of our trips this year.We were
just back from Mussoorie trip , fully rejuvenated and were eagerly watching out
for the next chance. We found that, in the coming long weekend of Id holiday in
July.And Vaishno Devi and Kashmir it was , an instant decision.While planning
our itinerary etc. , we figured out the main places to – Jammu
, Katra , Bhawan , Srinagar
, Gulmarg , Pahalgam , Yousmarg.
Vaishno Devi darshan
We were a family of 6 . We had taken a train to Jammu from New
Delhi. Although the direct train from New Delhi to Katra had
been flagged off recently , but we could not find any reservation in it . Seems
the train was fully booked as soon as the services were open for public.It was
a comfortable overnight journey from New Delhi
to Jammu. We
had made our booking for stay in Jammu
through the matavaishnodevi portal at Vaishnavi Dham and we reached the place.
It was great to see Govt. premises quite upto the mark and maintained. The
place was bustling with people even that early around 7 AM. As our schedule was
co-inciding with the time for Amarnath yatra , there was all the more hustle
bustle all around with chants blurting from speakers. The spiritual sojourn had
begun. However, there was a little problem. The check-in at Vaishnavi Dham was
at 10 AM and they did not allow an early check-in. We needed to start for Katra
as early as possible as we had booked helicopter service from Katra to
Sanchichat at 11:50 AM. It was 7 AM , and there was no way , we could lose
time. So, we checked into a nearby hotel (We anyway had managed booking for
only 1 room at Vaishnavi Dham , we needed 2 more rooms) . The hotel reception inquired of our itenary
and offered us of their travel services
too. We booked a taxi which would take us to Katra .We all got ready and we
started for Katra. Our driver – Sunil was a cheerful and talkative person. He
told us everything about the things we will be encountering during our darshan
, which route to take , which not , where to buy Prasad from etc. He also
discussed the political situation , tourism of J&K and offered us to take
to Srinagar by
road. Since we had our flight from Jammu to Srinagar , he then offered us a contact for a local taxi in Srinagar to which we agreed. On our way to
Katra , we had breakfast in a local dhaba , we saw the Jammu university and natural beauty all along
the way. We reached Katra well in time for our helicopter.However , upon
reaching there we found that the helicopter service was suspended due to bad
weather. We were in a fix what to do.We could start on foot but that would take
time to and fro. In fact , time crunch itself had made us book the helicopter
service. We had a flight next morning from Jammu
to Srinagar.
However , coming this far , there was no way we wanted to return without the
darshan. Also , the saying kept flickering in our minds – that only those souls
are able to get a darshan of Matavaishnodevi who the Devi desires and calls.
My husband declared he would be climbing on foot and would return down in time for the
taxi which was waiting to take us back to Jammu.
The rest of us including my parents took ponies readily available at Rs 1400
for a roundtrip. And our journey started thereof . I was amazed to see so many
people around of all ages.I saw even a group of foreigners treading along on
ponies. The entire stretch had a lively atmosphere. There were shops on both
sides , eating joints and numerous shops selling paraphernalia. It probably
took us 4 hours to reach the top with minor stops for the ponies to drink
water.It was my first long ride on a pony. Initially , I liked it , but later
on it was a little uncomfortable. But anyway , you need to do some penace
before you can seek blessings from God. And it was nothing when compared to the
awesome and beautiful sights that befolded before our eyes one by one , turn by
turn . Every turn presented a new picture , a new scene.Perhaps , divinity it
was , in true sense. The pony dropped us to the last point it was allowed to
and from there we had to walk inside. We bought our Prasad packets for offering
and lined up in our queue. There was policing around and thorough checking at
multiple points.They assign token nos. for 1 group of darshanarthis and our
token no. was 163. Meanwhile , my husband who had started on foot was swift
enough and had reached too.
We went inside the cave like structure. It was well lit by
artificial lights. Inside the main cave , we could finally behold the sight of
the 3 holy pindlis. We offered our prayer and the queue moved on. Then there
was a place where a gush of water was flowing inside the wall of the cave .We
were told this was holy water from Baanganga.After this we came outside , collected
our Prasad and walked towards the exit. There were numerous people sitting here
and there , at various view points. The scene was amazing . We had some food
there and started our downward journey. Coming back was a bit faster , I felt .
Also , the ambience of the crowd had changed . There were more people climbing
up at that time of evening , when we were going down. People who take the steps
prefer to climb in the evening/night , this is what the ponywallas told us.
However the atmosphere was brighter and all sorts of people could be seen now.
People in shorts and shoes , people carrying small babies in their lap
,even people taking babies in prams ,
young students , couples , old men and women . There was a festive
environment.Even golgappa wallas could be seen there ! We reached down by late
evening . Our taxi was waiting for us.We started for Jammu. We reached Jammu by night , checked in to the hotel and
Vaishnavi Dham. By this time the backache and leg cramps had started.A good
night’s rest would probably be relieving. We were dead asleep. The next morning
, the muscles and joints were in a better condition. We reached the airport ,
boarded the flight to reach Srinagar.
It was a short flight and as we descended the lush greenery and the typical tall
alpine trees , which we had previously seen only in TV presented themselves
before us in full glory. The sight of the lush green valley from the aeroplane
was mesmerizing. On reaching Srinagar , we
took a pre-paid taxi to our houseboat at
Dal Lake,Gate No. 9. The taxi driver again
was a very cheerful man and guided us about the various places we could see
during our stay.
Day 1 - Srinagar
On reaching Gate No. 9 , we got down from the car to see the
most spectacular sight. Bright colored shikaras all decked up , lined up near
the banks of the lake and far in the skyline the most distinct feature of Kashmir – the houseboats , steered proudly , each
displaying its name.Our houseboat owner had come to receive us at the bank. We
all got into 2 shikaras while our luggage was carried in a separate smaller
service boat.
And.. I was overwhelmed – by the sheer experience , by the
beauty , by the cool air flowing around , by the waterline on one side and the
overwhelming Zabarwan mountains on the other atop which stood the much
acclaimed Shankaracharya temple.
Yes, the shutterbugs had begun.There was no way , we could
keep the cameras in our bags anymore.It was an instant reaction to get them to
work.We reached our houseboat – Trambak group of houseboats.It was centrally
located,straight across Gate no. 9 , overlooking the Zabarwan mountains.The
location was just perfect.One by one we got off the shikara onto the houseboat.It
was much more than I had expected. It had a drawing room done in traditional
kashmiri style .Next was a dining room with a beautiful glass chandelier and
glass cabinets where the cutlery was displayed. Beyond that was a flight of
stairs to take to the roof of the houseboat. Beyond that there was a small
pantry and then 3 bedrooms in a line. In essence , we had the whole houseboat
booked for ourselves for 5 days !!! We enetered our rooms . All the rooms were
well maintained and carpeted with attached bathrooms.There was 24 hrs. hot and
cold water supply in the bathrooms. All the bathrooms had bathtubs . We relaxed
a little. As it was lunch time , we got some food ordered. The food was served
to us by the staff in the dining room. We had
ordered Kashmiri non vegetarian cuisine – Gushtaba and Rista . It had great
flavour . The kashmiri Biryani was yum , even the rajma which is called there
as “rajmash”.
After having a sumptuous meal , we all retired to our rooms
for a little rest.
In the evening we crossed the lake in the service boat to
Gate no. 9 and strolled a little by the lake . We then went for a visit to the
Mughal gardens. We went to Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi. The drive to these
places was nice all the time with the lake on our left side. On way the driver
pointed out the “Char Chinar” to us. It’s an island in the middle of the Dal Lake
where stand 4 tall Chinar Trees. They are now symbolic of the Dal Lake.
The gardens as expected were grand and beautiful. We saw tourists and locals
relaxing with family there.There were numerous photographers present with
traditional kashmiri dresses offering to click a photo in the attire. After
having hearts full of fresh air , scenic beauty , ancient architecture views ,
we bought some flower seeds from these gardens and came back home(yeah ! it
felt like home )
As we reached the lake at Gate 9 , we saw a spectacular
sight yet again – of a lighted Dal
Lake by the night . All
the houseboats had turned on their lights as it was now dark and their
reflection in the water was a sight to
behold. An idea conjured up. Shikara ride by the night at the Dal ! Yes , so we
hired a Shikara for Rs 500 per hour and started our sail. He sailed us through
the famed floating market of the Dal and the vegetable market and took us to
the backlane of the houseboats and back to the front. We saw shops decorated
with their items – clothes , dry fruits , carpets , vegetables etc. there were
numerous shops. The Dal lake even has stretches islands in between. So
occasional land mass though very small is also there. It seemed a world of its
own and looked like a self sustainable little economy. People who stay there
get their things of daily needs within the lake ! Be it grocery ,stationery ,
medicine , vegetable , clothes-everything is available inside the lake itself!We
reached the backside of our houseboat to find an entire colony of houseboats.
Looked like a society of houseboats instead of apartments ! all glittering like
Diwali lights. I asked the shikarawala how many houseboats are there in total
here and he answered 1500. I was amazed. Dal lake has 2 kinds of location for houseboat.First
is where we were staying- front row , overlooking the road.It’s easily
accessible to the lake bank. This is called the mountain view .The other is
backside where there is a fleet of houseboats , so that you find one on your
left , right and front with water indeed in between.This is called the lake
view.This is comparatively farther from the lake bank and is a little difficult
if you have to goto the other side ie. Roads/city multiple times in a day.
After having a refreshing shikara ride , we came back and
had our dinner. The next day , we had to visit
Gulmarg. So we retired to our rooms.
Day 2 – Gulmarg
The morning drive was enthralling. As we left the city
behind , more and more views welcomed us. Best part was – Gumarg was mostly a straight
drive , no hairpin bends and the like. It was utmost comfortable journey.Our
vehicle was a Tavera.The driver had warned us that as soon as we would reach
Gulmarg parking , a host of ponywallas will circle around us and he won’t be
able to intervene. None of us wanted a pony ride , after the one in Katra. And
so , they came in hoardes , jostling with each other. We looked a good bait to
them -6 people ! However , we stood stern that we did not want a pony and will
walk down to the gondola ticket counter. They followed us for sometime but left
later. It was a 2 km walk from the car parking to the cable car ride ticket
counter.They took only cash.No card was accepted. We took the tickets upto the
maximum point to the top stage. It was for Rs 1400 per person for a round trip.
A modern facility is under construction at the cable car station and we could
see the work in progress. Indeed the tourist influx was just too much and such
facilities were indeed welcome. We got into a cable car upon our turn . The group
of 6 proved lucky yet again – we again had the entire cable car for our own
like a private cable car. And lo! It started.We gradually ascended , crossing
even the tallest of those Chinar trees one by one . The scene just felt like
reels of a movie unfolding a new scene one by one. It was just amazing and at
that moment the clouds came. We were like floating in cloud . We could see the
other cable cars coming back on their return journey. I don’t know how long it
was , but it was like a dream . We soon reached our 1st station. We
got down .There was a crowd around of tourists clicking pics , enjoying tea/maggi
etc. We strolled a little and then came back for our further journey to the 2nd
and the topmost station .We again got into a cable car this time leaving yet
another set of tall trees and lush greenery. Very soon we saw ice covered
layers and natural glacial tracks on the slopes. The 360 degree view was
amazing.Anywhere , we looked , it was pristine beauty at its best. After a
delightful ascent , we reached station 2 and got down here. From here we had to
walk to reach the top of the snow covered mountain . There were skiing
equipment and clothes on rent , ponywallas again to take you to the top ,
guides etc. We slowly moved up , but all of us did not goto the extreme top.We
rested at small hillocks on the way . The air was cool , the view was
enigmatic. My brother took a guide and went to the top. He said on the other
side there was view of Pakistan
. We spent sometime there enjoying ourselves. After that I started the trek
down with Mom as she would take a little more time. We then spent some time at
the cable car station before making our descent. The descent down was equally
amazing. There had been a light drizzle perhaps. The trees were all bathed in fresh
water. Indeed – it was like Heaven – the place where Gods dwelled.Compared to
this ,our life back on the plains , pollution , city,apartment – how
contrasting ! We had some light refreshments – chips and local tea – “Kashmiri
Kahwa” It’s a tasty liquor tea with saffron and other herbs. I liked it.We
started our trek back to the car park. On the way we had maggi. We then started
back for Srinagar
and our favourite place these days – our houseboat at Dal !
It was dusk when we reached Dalgate. We got down at Gate no.
9 . The lively evening had begun. We just sat at the banks. There is concrete
structure all along the lake for sitting and viewing. What next? Few of us
wanted to go to the local market for exploring /shopping , few wanted a yet another shikara ride – to see the famed
sunset at Dal. I was in for the 2nd option. And so we hired a
shikara to take us around . The setting or rather the timing was perfect. The
sun was just about to set. We took some amazing shots and videos of the sunset.
“A picture says a thousand words , but memories that are
etched for a lifetime speak much more”
It had started drizzling. We had not expected this welcome
thing and we were enjoying our shikara ride at the Dal in the drizzle ! However
, the winds also started and we were a little afraid. Although we enjoyed every
bit of it , we were drenched a little by the time our shikara moored at our
houseboat. There was something about the houseboat.It was always welcoming and
we felt home.We left our drenched footwear outside in the open lobby area.
Day 3- Yousmarg
Next day was Id festival. The driver had asked us if he
could be a bit late. We were ok with it , afterall it was a festival day.
Meanwhile it was amusing enough.never ever had I imagined that one day I’ll be
in Kashmir on the eve of Id.
Anyway next day we awoke with morning chants coming from mosques nearby.
Strangely , they had a similar tone and tune like our hindu chants.Anyway , God
is one and today was a day of prayers and celebration. We wished Id Mubarak to
our staff and his family.He had a little daughter of 4 - Sans was her name , whom we liked very
much.Every morning he used to teach her on the houseboat deck.She had a duck as
her pet and had given it a name too !
We had our breakfast of upma and maggi and started for
Yousmarg today.Lore is that Jesus Christ had come to India during the much
famed “Secret years of Jesus – a time of Jesus’s life where his whereabouts are
not known” and had leant Yoga here.Apart from that- nature , beauty and “Dudhganga” were the other
prime attractions. The drive again was a beautiful one. One thing distinct
about Kashmir is that all the drives are very
scenic and picturesque so you do not feel bored or wait to reach the
destination. You enjoy all along and in no time you are at your destination.
Time passes like rolls of a movie.We drove on beautiful roads along
countryside.We stopped at one place to buy saffron.We passed saffron fields ,
apple orchards and yes the driver also took us to an orchard and we actually
plucked apples from the trees and ate! Today the road had bends. But it was so
picturesque that none of us bothered. We were just soaking in the sights.We
drove upto the tourist centre of Yousmarg. There was a restaurant there. We got
in for some tea. As it was noon we also ordered lunch.The ponywallas were here
too waiting for us to complete our lunch.The main issue with the ponywallas in
Kashmir is that tourism is their bread and butter.It is their source of
income.That’s why they are extremely eager to get customers.We came out and
they presented us with various itenaries,view points , places etc. 4 of us took
ponies and 2 of us chose to walk. We had asked for 2 point sightseeing by
pony.The ponies started their trek. The walking track was separate, so got divided
into 2 groups here. The ponies here were different. They were actual horses ,
strong , tall and had good quality saddle and the best part – the knew their
way! They somehow knew where they had to go. In fact one of the horses was unescorted.
Its owner told us it knows its way- horses are intelligent. Mine however had an
escort.It was a she horse and her 15 day old baby horse also towed along with
us. My horse was kept in the last in the line as it would start neighing if
some other horse came in between her child. She had a mother’s instinct ! We
moved along in a line on a very narrow hill slope which looked extremely
dangerous. One slip of the horse and we would be thrown feets down among the
hills. However, nothing of that sort happened. We reached our 1st
viewpoint. It was a place overlooking the river amongst the trees. We started
for our next viewpoint as it was here that we would meet my father and husband
who had chosen the nature walk.It was a difficult and steep terrain. However ,
the views that we witnessed were simply out of this world.It indeed was like a
fairytale , riding on a horse , going deeps inside unknown meadows. I felt like
–Alice in
Wonderland! But I was very sad to see the level of deforestation deep inside
the forest. Everywhere there were just 1 feet of tree bark that was left after
cutting. Yes, those trees were a marvel for any wooden articraft /furniture
etc. but they did not deserved to be cut !I asked the ponywalla why are so many
trees cut? He lied to me that these are dead trees.Of course he wouldn’t speak
out the truth to a random tourist.But the kind of cut –it was not natural
uprooting , and the magnitude of uprooting told all the tale.We finally reached
our destination – it was a river called Doodhganga. Many people could be seen
playing and enjoying in the water. We sat there for sometime. The crowd had
swelled by that time. It looked that as it was a holiday most people had come
out with their families for picnic.We returned after sometime to the parking
area and began our road journey again back to Srinagar this time bidding
goodbye to all the scenery.Today, the driver dropped us at Shalimar bagh , once
we reached Srinagar. We went inside the beautiful garden amongst fountains and
felt extremely relaxed. We also got our pics clicked in traditional Kashmiri
dresses.Today there was a lot of hustle bustle. Outside the gate it was a mela
kind of atmosphere- the kind we have during durga pooja in eastern India. All the
men , women dressed in colorful new attires seemed to be flocking up the
city.However, we had allowed our driver to leave for his home after dropping us
at Shalimar as it was a festival and thought we would manage by public
transport , but there was none in
sight.The ones we found were asking exhorbitant rates. We all 6 were standing
around a corner in the crowd not knowing what to do when a Kashmiri man came
and asked where we had to go. We told we had to goto Dal Gate .He told us the
normal fare by public transport and asked us to stand at the other side of the
road where Tata Sumo cars would pass and charge Rs 15 per person for Dal Gate.
We thanked him for the information and crossed the road. However , not a single
Sumo passed by. We were again stranded and thought what next to do as we were a
little uncomfortable standing there amongst the crowd , when the same man again
appeared. Luckily at that time only a Sumo came and that man was generous
enough to ask the driver to drop us near Dal gate. The driver however charged a
little more which we were ready to pay. The good Samaritan told us that he
would have dropped us in his car , if we could not find any conveyance. We were
thankful for the great gesture shown. We reached Dal gate and starightaway went
to a nearby restaurant. By this time we had chosen our favourite place to eat
and we usually ate there. We called our houseboat owner to send the service
boat to pick us up and reached home (houseboat).
Day 4 – Pahalgam
This day was reserved for the farthest of place from Srinagar and we left
early this morning. Today the road had many bends and turns but the Tavera and
the driver both were used to it. We enjoyed the music played in the car.We
reached Pahalgam and entered the park by the Lidder river. It was a very
beautiful garden with the Lidder river flowing by. One wanted to go no further
and just doze off by the river. We went inside the shallow river immersing our
feet.The water was cold .It was water coming from Jhelum
river that merged in Lidder river and the river was long enough until our
sights would go. In fact the whole way , today , our car was passing by the
Lidder river today.It was a beautiful sight .We also saw some camping huts on
way and were thrilled by the idea. We saw a foreigner family- parents 60+ , their children – 30’s on cycles.We were amazed
by their enthusiasm. They all had mountain bikes and gear and were cycling
along the road ! We then moved on to go further .Our taxi was not allowed
further and we hired another taxi to go beyond.We reached the much acclaimed
–Betaab Valley and saw it from the top. Perhaps there was too much crowd or
what , at that time the police did not allow us the descent to the valley. We
however were at a vantage point , at the topmost point and could have a clear
and spectacular view of the area where many shootings for movies take place.
Our driver informed us of another place of pure natural beauty among glaciers.
We all were interested and we reached Chandanbari – a glacial body perhaps the
start of some river. We went ahead to see spectacular natural ice and snow
structures.It was a bit dangerous too because of the ice but there were guards
who would tell us not to meander beyond a point. It was just too much of
bewilderment as we watched a snow clad glacier descending from up above among
the trees on the hills to the place where we were standing now in the snow and
taking a turn and moving ahead and below finally turning to ice and then water
flowing into what flows the entire stretch of Pahalgam – the Lidder river.
Amazing the sight was and so was the time . I wished the time stood still for a
while. We took numerous pics as the nature’s beauty continued to astonish us
more and more. The more we saw , the more we sought ! After sometime , we
started returning to our car parked at some distance. Chandanwari also happens
to be the starting point for Amarnath Yatra. We unknowingly had reached a holy
place too and saw a long queue of devoted pilgrims moving towards Amarnath
shrine. We had Maggi at a roadside stall and got into the car. After this we
went to one more scenic place where we spent sometime and had snacks. Now , we
began the return journey to Pahalgam and then onward to Srinagar.This was our
last night at the houseboat.We sat at the deck after dinner watching the
glittering lights on the lake and the moon and the stars.
Day 5- Srinagar
local
We got up today , packed our bags and had breakfast . Today
we went for some adventure water sports. We went for water skiing on the Dal
Lake.We first went to Nehru
Park in a shikara and
that was the staring point for water skiing and motor boating. We did both and
enjoyed a lot.Water indeed is refreshing ! After that we came back to the
houseboat , got our things , presented a small gift to the little Kashmiri girl
– Sana , and bade adieu to our abode of 5 days
.The taxi dropped us to Srinagar
airport. We boarded our flight and reached New Delhi by evening . It all floated like a
movie in front of my eyes. The trip had ended but had created numerous memories
for a lifetime !!
