PARADISE REVISITED
Like Jehangir, Suresh Thawani was bewitched by the beauty of the Kashmir Valley
... Gar firdous bar-ruh-e zameen ast, hamin astu, hamin astu, hamin ast....
THIS IS what Emperor Jehangir is reported to have said soulfully about Kashmir If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here. So enamoured was the mighty Mughal with Kashmir that he is said to have visited it eight times during his reign.
Following in the Emperors footsteps, we headed for Srinagar too, albeit a few centuries later! It was much easier now than it was back then a flight from Delhi , with a stopover at Jammu but it had its own problems. On landing in Srinagar, we found our luggage had been offloaded in Jammu, thanks to the wrong tags put on at Kolkata. However, the Srinagar airport staff was courtesy personified and we promptly got our princely kit allowance of Rs 250 per headand proceeded to the city!
In the news again as usual, Srinagar is perched at 1,730m. At that time, protests over the Amarnath land issue had led to large-scale cancellations so we daredevils who had stuck to our plans had the benefit of having a houseboat with six bedrooms all to ourselves!
Moored in a long ragged line along the fringes of the Dal and Nagin lakes, the houseboats are palatial or ordinary, but their basic design is the same. A poop (balcony-like structure) overhangs the large square-ended hull, and leads into a carpeted living room, a dining room, and still further, a corridor leading to spacious bedrooms. Lavish carpets and exquisitely carved walnut wood furniture adorn most houseboats and the cushioned poop is the best place to savour the changing scenery at dawn and dusk.
Then there are the itinerant shikaras that cruise by, offering not only daily necessities, but also fresh flowers, fruits and what not! The sellers have an irresistible sales pitch: Just take a look. No need to buy, but I have a special price for you!.... And from the depths of their boats they pull out shawls, silks, carpets, glowing papier mache boxes and other handicraft items.
We hired a shikara to skim softly across the bluish-silver Dal lake, to admire the beautiful scenery. When twilight descended , the lake turned into a fantasy of lights. A shikara also took us to the beautiful Nehru Park, Floating Market and Floating Garden all in the middle of Dal lake. The Floating Garden , a huge expanse of shrubbery and vegetation and is anchored with wooden poles to prevent it from being stolen !
Two Mughal-era gardens are set off by the lake and mountains. Shalimar, or an Abode of Love , built by Jehangir in 1619, is shaded by Chinar trees and has stone pavilions and gardens. Its rows of fountains and trees seem to recede towards the snow-capped mountains and the focus is the graceful Black Pavilion, meant for the royal ladies, set at the back of the highest of its three terraces. Unfortunately , the garden is in a sad shape. Even the Son Et Lumiere show which recreated the bewitching midsummer love of Jehangir and his queen Noorjehan , is no longer operational.
If Shalimar is regal, Nishat, with its flowerbeds, trees, fountains and water foaming down carved chutes, is dramatic. Its 12 terraces, representing the signs of the Zodiac, descend gradually and almost seem to merge into the lake. It was built by Noorjehans brother Asif Khan in 1636. When we visited Nishat, it was a riot of colour. Rows and rows of flowers of all hues added to its beauty. But there were hardly any tourists here, except a few from Bengal.
For a panoramic view of Srinagar, the best vantage point is the hilltop Shankaracharya temple, in the heart of the city. Though no cameras are allowed, our minds eye clicked the Jhelum river snaking its way to the horizon... On a clear day, we were told, the Pir Panjal range is visible. To the southeast, we saw the hill that marks Anantnag, where the Lidder, Bhringi and Arpat join the Jhelum.
A visit to the Hazratbal shrine on the shore of Dal lake is a must. It houses one of the holiest relics of Islam a hair of the Prophet Mohammed, shown to the public only on special days. Because of the holy relic, some even term Hazratbal a dargah, not a mosque.
VIVID VISTAS
On our third day, we headed for Pahalgam , the base for the arduous trek to the holy shrine of Amarnath. There was little traffic as it was Eid, so we covered 96 km in good time. At Pahalgam, we found not a single shop open. But we managed to get horses (at a premium) to take us to Baisaran, the alpine meadow 5 km away.
After riding for an hour over steep but scenic terrain, we suddenly came upon a sight, literally out of the blue lush green meadows surrounded by tall pine forests, with mountains as a backdrop.... It seemed we were the only living beings there. But the serenity was shortlived as suddenly, salesmen appeared as if from nowhere! We ended up buying shawls, dress material and saffron!
While returning, our driver took us to a house in a village where we were served piping hot Kahwa , the local aromatic tea, walnuts which we broke with our bare hands, and local sweets. Their warmth and spontaneity was touching.
The next day, we wanted to see that the Valley is most famous for stretches of flowery meadows called margs . The best known among them, of course, is Gulmarg or the Meadow of Flowers . Its a saucer-shaped plain 50 km from Srinagar. From Gulmarg, a ski-lift takes tourists up over pine forests, to the slopes of Khillanmarg 4 km away, where meadows, ridges and forests of dazzling beauty astound visitors . Many Bollywood movies have been shot there specially when it is snow clad.
Gulmarg had quite a few tourists for a change as it was a national holiday. But, typically, the authorities had chosen that very day for an inspection tour by French engineers! Hence, the cable cars were closed. Many tourists turned back but we hung around hoping to get on board somehow!
Finally, after two hours, we were told the cable car would not be operated at all that day so two of us decided to go to Khillanmarg on horseback. Barely 10 minutes into the ride, we suddenly saw the cable car had started moving so we immediately contacted our friends and found they were on it! So much for the official closure...
We forged ahead on the horses to catch up with the cable car at Khillanmarg. This turned out to be a good decision, because the climb, though extremely steep at places, was one of the most scenic so far, with wild flowers in abundance.
At Khillanmarg, we were informed that the second leg of the ride to the mountain top was not safe , so the cable car was offlimits to regular tourists. The VIPs, however, went ahead in them to the top. We ordinary mortals had no choice but to go back downhill in the cable car.
On a clear day, the view from the Gulmarg ridges is superb the foothills slope down to fields of rice and clusters of walnut , pear and mulberry trees. In the distance , the roofs of Srinagar glint in the sun. But the most thrilling sight is Nanga Parbat, visible on a clear day even though it is right across the Valley, 100 km away!
Almost diagonally across the Valley, 83 km from Srinagar, is Sonamarg, or the Meadow of Gold , where the Sindh river rushes headlong through a gorge. Sonamarg is a narrow, grassy flat, bejewelled with alpine flowers and the flanks of great peaks gleam with glaciers. The horseback ride to the Thajivas glacier takes about an hour, and the scenery is even more beautiful near the glacier.
Sonamar, famous for winter sports and an alternate route for Amarnath pilgrims, is among the last outposts of greenery. Less than 30 km away is Zoji-la Pass linking Kashmir to Ladakh, a completely different world. As we headed towards Leh, we regretted having to leave this Paradise on Earth. Kashmir is special as much for its people and culture as for its natural beauty. As we left the Valley, I promised myself that I would revisit this paradise, echoing Jehangirs feelings...
