The hustle and bustle of the city exhausts us, and we long for a place of peace and tranquillity where we can spend a few days. When we think of such a place, what comes to your mind?
In my mind, its paradise, yes, Kashmir, which I had only heard of in stories, tales, books, and news. I thought, why not visit the valleys of Kashmir this time, to see whether the real Kashmir is like the one depicted in stories, books, or news? So, I packed my bags and set off from Delhi towards Kashmir.
Journey from Delhi to Kashmir
The journey was on the Vande Bharat train, my first journey on this train. Looking at the train, memories of the 1980 film ‘The Burning Train’ by B.R Chopra kept coming back to me (don’t know why). Anyway, upon reaching Jammu City, I felt a sense of chaos due to poor management. Why I said this, you’ll know when you visit Jammu city yourself.
To travel from Jammu to Srinagar, one can take either private or government buses. After a short wait, I found a bus and the journey continued. You could opt for a flight, but you miss out on a lot of experiences on a flight, so I always prefer mingling with people on local transportation.
The road to Srinagar is NH4. Work is ongoing to improve connectivity. There were about 3 or 4 tunnels on the way, but I was too tired to remember them well. Although it usually takes about 5-6 hours from Jammu to Srinagar, some areas had rough terrain, so it took longer.
I arrived in Srinagar around 11 PM, and the real story begins here…
At 11 PM, a lone girl at the TRC stand, feeling scared of what might happen, but the local auto-taxi drivers didn’t try to take advantage of her like the taxi drivers there would do of foreigners.
First morning in Srinagar
I reached the guesthouse around 11:30 PM, which belonged to the ex-commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir, and had many stories within itself. I couldn’t see much at night, but when I woke up, it felt like I was truly in paradise.
It was Ramadan, with the morning call to prayer, cool breeze, snow-capped mountains in the distance, and a cup of ‘noon chai’ in my hand (you can google what Kashmiri noon chai is). This morning was one of the best mornings of my life.
Hazratbal Dargah
When you come here and breathe in the air, you’ll feel the uniqueness of this place. After a while, we headed towards Hazratbal Dargah. Chinar and apple trees along the way brought to life the pictures in books, the same pictures I had seen in my childhood textbooks, and today, I am a part of that picture.
At Hazratbal Dargah, a strand of Prophet Muhammad’s hair is preserved, and many visitors come from a far to pay their respects.
Floating on the water Shikhara
We took local transport and reached Dal Lake to witness the beauty of the setting sun. The serene lake, shikaras gliding on it, the setting sun reflecting on the water, and the call to prayer.
In the ambience of this place, I wondered how the people here are, influenced by what they read in newspapers and watched on TV for years. But believe me, the real Kashmir is not what newspapers and TV channels portray.
What is Kashmiriyat
We can’t even estimate how accommodating the people living here would be, and if you want to know what hospitality means, spend some time in Kashmir.
During my visit to Kashmir, there were times when it got too late at night and transportation was unavailable. Nights are already intimidating in unfamiliar places, but someone always ensured we reached home safely, whether it was an auto-cab driver, a policeman, or even a watchman, whose primary concern was ensuring women safely reached their homes. A young lad with a battery-operated auto came to drop us home, though the battery was low, his confidence was high. He said, “Even if we have to walk back, we’ll make sure you reach home safely.” The respect and protection given to women here astonished me.
I saw almost all the famous places there, from the top of Hari Parbat Fort to the chilling winds, the entire city was visible. I built a snowman in Sonmarg and Pahalgam. I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t elaborate much on the food there, but whatever the locals served was delicious, especially ‘Nadru’ (you can google it).
If you haven’t seen this, you haven’t seen anything
The entire Kashmir is worth seeing, but my favorite place was ‘Astanmarg.’ It’s a paragliding site on a distant mountain. When paragliding isn’t happening, just sitting there offers a panoramic view of the entire city. Solitude lovers like me would adore this place.
Hindus in Kashmir
You might be wondering why I haven’t talked about Kashmiri Hindu families yet. It can’t be denied that the homes of displaced Hindu families are deserted there, but it’s also true that the temples still have lit lamps, prayers are performed, and the sound of bells is heard. If politics is removed between Hindus and Muslims, only brotherhood remains. A Muslim brother invited us for breakfast, and there we met an elderly Punjabi man whom he warmly embraced. Later, we found out that they used to work together 30 years ago, and the love they shared for their Muslim brothers brought them back to Srinagar often.
Buddhist traces here too
You may have heard the names of famous places in Kashmir, but there are many hidden stories in remote locations. If you go there this time, make sure to visit a Buddhist monastery. It may require a bit of hiking, but what you’ll find there is unparalleled.
I also came here for vacation, planning to take some great photos in the snow, ride shikaras, and do some shopping, but beyond all this, I encountered an experience that cannot be expressed in words.
The people here are innocent, spiritual, and hospitable, completely different from the rest of the world. Their innocence persists so that anyone who visits here would say that Emperor Jahangir was right when he said, “If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”
(Author is journalist based in Noida and can be reached at [email protected])
Appreciate