Every year on the onset of the spring season in Kashmir valley, the tourist season starts with the opening of Badamwari and Tulip Gardens in Srinagar city giving an open invitation to all kinds of tourists and visitors of our country and abroad to come to Kashmir to spend vacations with your family and friends to enjoy the real scenic beauty, culture, heritage and enriched known Kashmiri hospitality are the famous elites of Kashmir Valley.
Srinagar is clearly the heart of Kashmir Valley. With the Himalayan Mountain Range forming a picturesque backdrop, the sparkling Dal Lake and the rows of colourful houseboats and shikaras on it, Srinagar offers its visitors a visual treat. Some of the top popular tourist attractions & things to do in Srinagar are Mughal Gardens, Hari Parbat, Chashme Shahi Garden and Pari Mahal.
The early bloom of flowers on Almond trees in the sprawling historic Badamwari garden in Srinagar has become a source of attraction for nature lovers and tourists. Situated on foothills of Koh-e-Maran, the 300 Kanals garden is dotted with trees, flowers, and cascades providing a soothing experience to the visitors in Kashmir valley.
Believed to be existing before the 14th century ruler, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, this comparatively lesser-known garden in Srinagar boasts streams and fountains that enhance the beauty of this 300 kanals park that is ideal for family picnics or enjoying the beauty of nature. There is also a dome-shaped structure that is named after Warris Shah, an Afghan Ruler.
In the ancient days, the people of Kashmir celebrated the harvest festival in the spring months. The Badamwari Garden is in full bloom during the spring season. The aura of the garden has fragrant airs and beautiful white flowers.
One can spend a wonderful time at the Badamwari garden and can stroll along the walkways and watch the beautiful flowers. An evening at the garden is really refreshing and one can feel awesome enjoying the scenic beauty of the garden. Flocks of tourists can be seen at the garden that comes to watch the splendid garden.
Spring in Kashmir is beautiful beyond words. It enthralls the visitors and locals alike and heralds the end of the harsh bitter winter. For many decades, the appearance of the almond blossoms in Badamwari meant that the spring was finally there in Kashmir and the sighting was celebrated with much joy. Delicately beautiful, an almond flower with its pale pink petals, resembles a painted umbrella when fully bloomed and it is symbolically connected with Kashmir’s social celebrations.
A fully flowering almond tree is a sight to behold too and the old residents of the Kashmir Valley recollect their prettiness with misty eyes. It is because a blooming almond tree meant the beginning of Navreh in Kashmir and in olden times, the Kashmiri Pandits celebrated it as their New Year festival. Those used to be the days when peace, prosperity, and communal harmony existed in the valley and people irrespective of their religion, visited the garden to enjoy the blooming almond trees on Navreh. In 2008, Jammu and Kashmir Bank took the initiative to revive Badamwari and restored popular garden and was re-opened for the public in 2008.
According to historians, families of Kashmiri Pandits celebrating Navreh used to gather at Badamwari after visiting the Hari Parbhat shrine to seek goddess Sharika’s blessings and people carried delicious wazwan items (traditional Kashmiri food) in their picnic hampers. Folk singers wandered about singing songs of spring to people who gathered under the blooming almond trees to enjoy the end of winter. Hot kahwa (Kashmiri tea) gurgled from traditional samovars and opened willow baskets emanated the aroma of nader-monja (lotus stem fritters) and Parathas (deep-fried flatbread).
Though its history remains obscure, the older generation of Kashmiris finds it impossible to forget the Badamwari festival in spring. A beautiful forgotten event of the ‘good old days’, the appearance of almond blossoms at Badamwari was inextricably linked with the happiness of the people of Srinagar, especially those living in the Shehr-e-Khas area. Since Srinagar during those days had only one picnic spot, every year the spring festival used to be held at Badamwari. The festival used to be a mega cultural event in which many renowned singers performed for the public and Badamwari’s gorgeous venue added to the charm of the celebrations.
For centuries the Badam Wari was the first to reverberate with life with the onset of the spring season in Jammu and Kashmir. Till 1970, the people of Srinagar would assemble there to announce the arrival of the spring season – after braving the vagaries of a harsh winter – with music and mirth.
As per the officials of Floriculture department of Kashmir division, the garden will be in its full glory in a week’s time and will witness full bloom and the tourists have already started thronging the place and are hopeful of having fully occupied spring season in Badamwari this year.
(The author is a regular columnist and can be mailed at [email protected])
