The less traveled Himalayas - My Bagini diary.

तुम्हे चाहेंगे, तुम्हे पूजेंगे, तुम्हे अपना खुदा बनायेंगे

Nothing can be more unfortunate than not experiencing a walk in the Himalayas. The Himalayas are our heritage. They are our guardians. Looming large, rising to the heavens, we look up to them as our guardian angels. If we as Indians,in general and Hindus in particular, today have our own separate identity as a unique race, unspoiled and uncorrupted by the Western or Middle East influences, then we should attribute a large part of it to the Himalayas and the rivers flowing from it. These towering blocks of stone and ice have insulated us from changes that took place elsewhere during medieval times and to some extent protected us from the rampaging invaders from the North. Our history and our existence has been linked to these mountains and its rivers. Rivers are our lifelines whether it is the Ganga in North, Narmada in the west, Godavari and Krishna in the southwest and the raging Brahmaputra and Hooghly in the East. They are a ubiquitous part of every Indian’s life.

Our (I with my wife Sunita, daughter Trusha and son Triaaksh) journey this summer, a trek in these mighty mountains took us alongside one such river all the way to its origin. What follows below is daily account during this trek and my thoughts as we trudge through the unknown, this being the first trek of this season to the Bagini Glacier deep in the bosom of the Himalayas.

Day 1

Haridwar to Joshimath - 10 hour drive

A back breaking 10 hr. journey through winding roads and some places where roads existed only on paper. This road the NH58 is along the 5 confluences of the great river Alaknanda called the Panch Prayag, which finally meets the blue waters of Bhagirathi at Devprayag to form the holy Ganga. The others in a sequential order as we followed them up stream on our way to our starting point at Joshimath were Rudraprayag, the confluence of Mandakini with Alaknanda, Karanprayag where Pindar Ganga meets up, Nandprayag where the river Nandakini merges with Alaknanda and lastly Vishnuprayag, the meeting place of Dhauli Ganga and Alaknanda. The guesthouse named as the Nandadevi Expedition hostel made up for all the trouble endured during this ordeal. Clean, spacious rooms, hot water in the bathroom and a commanding view of the snow peaks greeted us. Over the next 5 days we will follow one of the headstreams of the Ganges, the Dhauli Ganga all the way upto the Bagini Glacier.

Day 2

Joshimath to Ruing - 2 hour drive, 2 hour trek

“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.” 
― Norton Juster

Our group of 12 trekkers with our Trek leader, Gopal and 2 guides Sandip and Jaman leave at 9.30 AM after breakfast.

Swinging bridge at Jumma

The 44km drive was on roads that are regularly laid only to be swept away by repeated landslides. They twisted and turned, competing with the Dhauli Ganga as it ran alongside sometimes in a gorge more than 100 feet deep. This road, which is carved into the mountainside, ends 25 km further away at Neeti, the last town on the IndoTibet border. It's on this road that we caught a glimpse of the Nandadevi peak, near Tapovan. This was the only time that I saw it during my entire trek even though this was a trek entirely in the Nandadevi National Park. 
The trek began at a village called Jumma, by crossing a swinging bridge over the Dhauli Ganga and ended within 2 hours at Ruing village located at an altitude of 8900 ft. even before I could actually get a feel of the trek. 

Setting the camp at Ruing

A flat area was located, tents pitched and we spent time lazing around. It was bright and sunny with temperature hovering around 25°C. The skies were clear, but since it had been cloudy in evenings with a drizzle or two over the previous few days, an uncertainty of how long this good weather would hold prevailed. 

Moon rising behind the Ruing

As the afternoon lazily turned into evening and dusk made an appearance a heavenly sight greeted us. Between the silhouettes of the peaks topped by pine trees, a halo of light appeared against the indigo blue sky. This light slowly took on the shape of a full moon brightening the sky and sprinkling moonlight all over the mountainside. The snow peaks sparkled, the river shone and it seemed as if the stars were glittering in the daytime. It was a spectacular moonrise! And it was one of those sights that stay on forever. 

Day 3

Ruing to Dunagiri - 6/7 hours trek

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” 

It’s 5.30 AM. Yesterday ended well. I am cushioned snugly in my sleeping bag inside my tent and my 14 yr. old son, Triaaksh curled and fast asleep next to me in his. This trek is a special one for me. We, that is, my wife Sunita, our daughter Trusha and son Triaaksh are trekking together for the first time and today will be a relatively long day, an 8 km trek with an altitude gain of nearly 2000 ft. This is going to be his first real long climb. And I am a bit apprehensive; that fear of the unknown. Also it is the first batch of the season, trekking to Bagini Glacier. No one's sure of what to expect. It has been snowing heavily up there according to the recce team and we expect a thick layer of snow. My worry though, is not the snow. It’s Acute Mountain Sickness. Since the gain is quiet rapid my worry is justified, but my trek leader reassures me saying that the trek has been planned as to minimize the risk. In the mountains, weather is the key to a treks success. It’s so fickle that no one can predict it with any certainty. A clear blue sky can turn overcast within minutes. And so we begin our 3rd day by 9.30 am with a hope that all ends well today. 

2PM
At last we have reached our campsite. It's on a flat land with snow peaks all around us. A gurgling stream flows by. It’s quite hot now and the sun is burning down on us. Vegetation is sparse and there is no shade. The breeze is cool but intermittent.

Campsite at Dronagiri

The climb has been an arduous one, albeit scenic, as always in the Himalayas. There were steep ascents and descents. We were trekking by the river all the time. This, river the guide says arises from the Bagini glacier, which we will be reaching after 2 more days of walk. 

Today's path was interspersed with blooms of Rhododendron imparting a pink hue to the landscape, which are otherwise patches of green and the brown of the barren mountain slopes. The Hathi parvat was visible after a few steep ascents. The landscape changed as we ascended to a brown barren landslide zone. Our guide and the trek leader had warned us to walk carefully but not stop. An upward glance and I could see small and large boulders perched precariously and I hasten my steps, just pausing to click a few images.  Landslides happen with an alarming frequency in these parts.

Trekking in the landslide zone

The rest of the ascent is over a rocky terrain. We spot the carcass of a Yak who probably fell down from the top on the rocky terrain while searching for greener pastures and met a painful end. 
As we reach the top of the climb at around 12000ft we notice a flat land and our guide decides to pitch the tents there for the night. It took us about 4 hrs. to travel the distance of 8kms and a gain of about 2000ft.
In the distance we see the abandoned houses of Dronagiri. There's no one in the village now. The villagers migrate down to more comfortable climes during winter and are yet to return home. 

Dronagiri Village

They stay there during the summer and monsoon seasons, cultivate potatoes, cabbages, tend to their cattle and once winter sets in move down to lower altitudes and the cycle continues. To get their other provisions they have to walk miles down to Joshimath and get them on mules braving the landslides, which happen very often. They have been doing this for centuries just as their ancestors did. To the question of why they continue to brave such hostile and extreme weather there is no answer. It's a continuation of the customs and rituals laid down by their forefathers, says one of our guides who has a house here. It's our land he says, the land of my ancestors, the pride evident in his eyes. These are some aspects, which are incomprehensible to a city dweller like me.

Night at Longatuli.

There is an interesting story about Lord Hanuman taking away a part of the Dronagiri Mountain in his quest for the Sanjeevani herb, which would revive Laxman after he was fatally wounded in Lanka. And that’s why it is said that the locals detested Lord Hanuman for a long time in the ancient era.

As I retire for the night, Triaaksh tells me that he had a lot of fun. That gives me immense satisfaction. For a budding teenager to enjoy being in the company of nature with the earth as his mattress and the star filled sky as his blanket leaving behind the warmth & comfort of his bed makes me feel proud of him. 

Day 4
Dronagiri to Longatuli - 4kms, 12600 ft

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy.” 
― Sylvia Plath

5.00AM

I wake up as usual. It's bright outside even at this hour though the sun is yet to rise. The only sound I hear is of the flowing stream near our campsite and the rustling of leaves from the sparse trees by the chilly morning breeze. The moon has disappeared behind the mountains. Our tents are the only signs of civilization. The desolate village of Dronagiri looks as if it's staring at me. I am planning to trek up to it today and visualize myself staying there for 6 months. No electricity, no phones, no television, no news. Away from all the happenings in the big bad world. This will be my world. Wake up with the sunrise, sleep at sunset, drink pure mineral water, and eat organic food, things for which we pay a ransom in the city. A wide panoramic view from my window, which no wide screen TV can match. 

I am jolted out of my reverie. Its time to answer nature's call and get on with packing my rucksack, fold my sleeping bag and dismantle the tent for the day. Another destination waits us. A new route, a new campsite and a new vista!

An hours walk and we are in the village of Dronagiri where we spend some time looking at the uninhabited, dilapidated houses and marveling at the way they were built using the local materials, stone and wood. Some of the houses though have withstood the ravages of time and weather and are intact since more than a hundred years. After a couple of kms walk and we could see the Dronagiri peak.

An uphill climb of 4 kms through sparse vegetation, rocky mountains, sighting of a herd of mountain goats that scampered uphill as we approached them and an altitude gain of about 1000ft and about 4 hours later, we are at the Longatuli campsite at an altitude of 12600ft. The magnificence of the mountain hits me as soon we reached the place. I haven't seen a campsite more awe-inspiring than this. As we pitch our tents the only thing I can hear is the sound of 'WoW' from my co-trekkers. Our tent is facing the mountains and in the not so far distant I can see the peaks of Hardeval and Rishi parvat. I just have to lift up the flap of my tent and gaze out. Flowing out from the distant mountains is Dhauli Ganga just across the tents. The wide riverbed full of white and yellow stones gleaming under the overhead sun, rivulets branching out and coalescing lower down as one. A few meters up the campsite multiple ponds have formed between the stones. 


The clear stream feeding them from top, overflowing and then cascading down to another pool a bit lower. Sunita and I walk up to enticing place and find it mesmerizing, so we spend some time sitting on the rocks, our tired feet getting rejuvenated in the cold, flowing waters and gazing at the snow peaks, hearing the gurgling stream. Lunch is delayed today, but it hardly matters. The beauty of our surroundings satiates us.

Tomorrow is going to be the summit day and we will be attempting to reach the Bagini Glacier and the advance Bagini camp at an altitude of 14800 feet. We plan to start at 5AM and need to get up early. After an early dinner we all retire to our tents.

Day 5

Longatuli to Bagini - 6 kms 14800ft

“One never stops climbing, Julie, unless he wants to stop and vegetate. There’s always something just ahead.”

I get up at 4 am today as instructed by out team leader and waking up Triaaksh who refuses to get up. We are starting at 5am today to reach the Bagini glacier from where the Dhauli Ganga begins. It is biting cold and the wind isn’t making things easy. I have worn all the woolens I have and my gloves and yet I am shivering. There is a campfire burning, lit up by our Nepali porters and I stand next to it trying to soak in the warmth as I eat the Dhalia for breakfast. The sky is deep blue and the moon clearly visible between the clouds and about to set behind the mountains. The sun hasn’t risen yet. The snow peaks are glowing in the fading moonlight and the faint light of dawn.

As we proceed, towards the glacier, the trail of stones and boulders marked at places by craines, gives way to moraines. We tread over the Moraines’ carefully. A slip on these and the ankle's sure to twist. Moraine is a new terminology for me. In simple words it means ‘an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier’. 

The daylight is streaming through. The chill has subsided. The warmth is seeping into my body as I ascend slowly. The air has become rarified. My altimeter shows 13800 feet. A heavy silence hangs in the air now. The streams formed by the melting glacier ice are narrow and seem tamed. They do not rumble and roar here, perhaps out of deference to their creator. The only sound I hear is that of of my own heavy breathing. I am feeling a bit lightheaded. The Altimeter shows 14100 ft.
My breathing quickens trying to suck in as much Oxygen out of the rarefied mountain air, but I am comfortable. Trusha is walking alongside. I glance behind to see Triaaksh and Sunita following us. They both seem to be doing well. We are walking on the snow now, the feet sinking into the snow at places softened by the early morning sun.
And then we come across rows of stones placed on the flat snow filled surface and our guide declares that we have reached the Bagini base camp 1.

I look around and see the wide glaciers. It was an astounding site to see the origin of the Dhauli Ganga that we had been following so far. I was surrounded by some of the towering Himalayan peaks, some of them amongst the tallest in India. The Harideval, Rishi, Garud, Kalanka were all visible and seemed to be just at a hand shaking distance. And as many have felt it, I felt small and insignificant. Words failed me. A few of our fellow trekkers proceeded further for another 2km to the Advance Base Camp in the hope of sighting the Changbang peak. The 4 of us decided to rest and wait for them to return. I wanted to soak in as much of the view as possible, savor each moment and embed it deep in my mind.

After about an hour and half when the others returned, we had a delicious lunch of Paranthas and Alu sabzi and decided to return to Longatuli.
We were fortunate to be blessed with a good weather so far. As we made our way back descending thru the snow and the moraines, dark clouds gathered overhead. In a matter of minutes the sky had become overcast and it threatened to rain. A cold wind started blowing and a few drops of rain fell on me. I hurried down and managed to reach the campsite without taking a break, but completely exhausted. 

An hour later, the skies started clearing and far in the horizon as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the departing clouds tinted orange made a wonderful pattern. 
Even though each and every part of my lower body was stiff and crying with pain it was a satisfactory end to an amazing day. More so as Triaaksh and Trusha both had managed to complete the trek and finish strong. 

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” 
― Paulo Coelho


Acknowledgements and gratitude

Trek The Himalayas
Team Leader - Gopal Krishna
Guides - Sandip & Jaman
Co trekkers - Abhimanyu, Amit, Ashutosh, Manoj, Saurav, Seva, Tapas and Vishi who all contributed in their own way for the success of this wonderful trek.

Under the Chinar's shade - My thoughts on Kashmir.

Under the Chinar's shade.

I am sure that the poet Iqbal wrote 'Saare jahan se accha, Hindostan hamara....'  in Kashmir. For it is truly India's crown and without Kashmir, India won't be half as beautiful. 

It was with a lot of apprehension that we finalized our Kashmir trip. Worries about the flight schedules going haywire, political unrest, local strikes, terrorist attacks in Srinagar  tormented my mind till the day of our tour.Reassurances from friends and relatives who had 'been there and done that' did little to allay my fears.
Nevertheless the travel bug in me did not relent and the next few pages will outline the details of some  of the most wonderful days of our lives. A trip which proved why Kashmir is truly a 'Jannat'.

Thursday, 10th May 2012,  Mumbai to Srinagar ( 4 hours by flight ex Delhi)

We land smoothly in Srinagar 5 minutes before schedule, my 1st worry about about the flight disruptions done away with. We walk out of the airport and there is Shabbir, pronounced 'Shibbir' waiting with a placard announcing my name. 
Shibbir turns out to a chatter box, eager to please and describe his cordial relations with all the guests he has been with for the past few years. As we drive to our hotel in Srinagar he hands me a dairy of all reviews his guests have about him, needless to say raving ones. It helps soothe my anxious nerves and all my remaining fears vanish.

We reach Srinagar in about 40mins.,check in our hotel, the Lalit Grand, a heritage property spread over 15 acres of lush green lawns, flower beds and the  Chinars. In fact this was the start of my loving relationship with these majestic trees.
After freshening up and lunch, we were to visit the Moghul Gardens, the Nishat gardens being the first. But wandering in  the lawns here, we felt no desire to visit the famed gardens.
We had an excellent lunch of Mutton Kheema, Butter chicken, Rotis, Rice and Dal fry at a local restaurant, Sunset Meadows. Highly recommended for the taste and quantity, but a tad bit expensive.

Nishat Bagh entrance

The Dal lake forms the epicenter of  Srinagar. Most of the stay for tourists in Srinagar will be centered around activities in the lake. The houseboats, Shikara rides and the Moghul gardens which are in the vicinity of the lake. But there is much more to Srinagar than these and I wanted to visit Lal Chowk, the scene of many a protests and old Srinagar, I wanted to see the old Mosques and Dargahs.
We reach Nishat Bagh, the 2nd largest of the Moghul gardens, the Shalimar being the largest and Chasme Shahi the smallest. It is full of tourists arriving in hoardes, posing with the flowers for the cameras. We spot many locals too especially school picnics from the nearby towns. Nishat Bagh, built in 1633 AD by Asif Khan, Nur Jahan's brother means 'The Garden of Joy or Gladness'. Seeing such a never ending panorama of greenery,huge trees and flowers of varying hues dotting the place surely must be gladdening many a heart. An hour passed by effortlessly. 
Shikara ride in the evening on Dal lake was next on the agenda. But since we were to spend the last 2 days again in Srinagar, we deffered the Shikara ride for another day.

We sat on the banks of the Dal lake watching the Shikaras drift by as fishermen cast their baits and waited patiently, the sun playing hide and seek with the rain clouds - it had rained heaving in the morning, gave us our unforgettable moments of joy. The Boulevard Road in Srinagar must be one of the most beautiful city roads in the world, flanked by Poplar tress on one side and the lake on the other, looking more beautiful as the setting sun cast various shades of red and pink in the evening sky.

We spent the rest of the evening in the lawns of our hotel lounging under the giant Chinars.

Friday 11th May, Srinagar (City sightseeing)

We woke up in the morning surpised, to see that the drizzling rain had formed small puddles in the lawn outside. The grass and trees were shimmering as the slanting early morning sun bathed them in its golden light. We had our breakfast and then  explored the vast lawns of the hotel as we  waited  for our car. 

Shankaracharya temple was the our first agenda for the day. I have always been impressed by Adi Shankarcharya.  He was a child prodigy who left his home at the age of 7 years in 805 AD  searching for a Guru, mastered the Vedas at 8, reestablished Hinduism, established the 4 'Mathas' at Shringeri in the South, Dwarka in the West, Joshimath in the North and Puri in the East, before attaining samadhi at a young  age of 32. It was a coincidence and only fitting that we started our tour  by first visiting a temple dedicated to this great man. It is a steep 250 steps climb to the temple and visitors are well advised not to carry any mobile or cameras as photography is strictly not allowed. The view from the top is simply breattaking. We had a bird's eye view of entire Srinagar and the Dal lake with its numerous House boats jostling for space even as the  tin roofs of the houses glistened in the afternoon sun.

Being a Friday, lunch got postponed by an hour as most of the restaurants were closed for Namaz. 

Our driver was reluctant  to take us to Lal Chowk, citing the unpredictable situation there especially after the Friday prayers.
Finally post lunch, we embarked on a tour of the old city excluding Lal Chowk, starting with the Hazratbal dargah. The place was teeming with people who had come to offer prayers here. Bus loads of people were leaving the place, some on rooftops back to theirs homes or work after the prayers. We drove through the narrow bylanes of the old city, lined with old houses. 
Kashmiri architecture is unique in its own way. Houses are made of stone and wood with beautiful arched windows and sloping multi leveled roofs. We saw some abandoned temples and houses belonging to Kashmiri pandits who had fled Srinagar during the height of insurgency. The once upon a time probably elegant mansions looked gloomy with broken window panes and doors falling apart. According to our driver these houses are not encroached upon and some are being reoccupied by the original owners who are returning back. 
Our next stop was the Jama masjid or Jamia Masjid as the locals pronounce it. A very impressive structure, this 17th century Mosque, built first in 1400AD was burnt down 3 times due to its wooden interiors. Even now it is supported by370 wooden pillars almost 58 ft tall made of single trunks of Deodhar  trees. It is a very fine example of Islamic architecture and is unique in the sense that its roof is pagoda like unlike the dome of other mosques.  The place was completely empty as the faithfuls had left after their prayers. The light through the large windows falling on the unbelievably tall pillars of deodhar wood made for an excellent photo op. We spent almost an hour in the quite garden in the mosque as the locals stared at us in amusement as few tourists venture here and fewer still laze around in its gardens.

Photo session in Pari Mahal

Kashmiri Wazwaan

A surprise awaited me when we came out of this place. Food was being cooked in makeshift tent for a marriage function and seeing our enthusiasm and curiosity our driver volunteered to take me in and make me get acquainted with Kashmiri cuisine or Wazwan as it is called locally. He introduced me to the chief chef an elderly gentleman who overlooked the entire preparation. I was shown the art of preparing Goshtaba, Rishta, Rogan Josh, Kashmiri Kebabs, Kheema etc. All the cooking was made on wood stoked fire fuelled by oil from the preparations themselves and the animal fat that it contained. Unfortunately I could wait for them to finish the cooking and taste it due to constraints of time. We had to reach Pari Mahal, our last stop of the day before sun down.

Saturday, 12th May, Srinagar to Pahalgam. ( 90kms approx. 2 1/2 hours drive)

We left for Pahalgam at 11 AM as there was a drizzle throughout the morning and by then the skies had cleared up.

16km from Srinagar, is the town of Pampore, known for its Saffron cultivation. Apparently besides Iran, Greece and Spain,  this is another place in the world which produces Saffron or Zaffran as it is known locally. It is basically the stigma of small purple colored flowers, about 5 lakhs of which produce 1 Kg of the aromatic Saffron. In October, the fields stretching for acres on either side of the road are colored purple because of these flowers in full bloom.

Further down 12 Kms is Avantipore, where lies the ruins of Avantiswami, a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu built by King Avantivarman in the 9th century. This temple along with many others witnessed wide spread destruction in the medieval times by the Moghul invaders.

The town of Sangam, about 40 kms away from Srinagar is well know for Cricket bats made from Kashmir Willows. Shops selling all sorts of cricket bats line the roads. We went to a bat factory and how cricket bats were manufactured. The price of the bats ranged from Rs.400 to Rs. 2000. My son's joy knew no bounds when I bought a bat for him funnily labelled "Kookaburra".

En route Pahalgam

A brief stop for lunch at a local Dhaba and we set for for the final leg of our journey to Pahalgam. either We had an option of either going straight ahead on this road and enter Pahalgam via Anantnag or take a left turn at Bijbehara. We opted for the latter and this de tour which is about 4-5 kms longer,  took us through picturesque villages flanked on either side by Walnut trees and apple orchards, the trees waiting to flower and bear the sweet Kashmiri apples. It was 3.30pm by the time we reached Pahalgam and checked in at our hotel. It was a pleasant surprise to find the Lidder, the river along which Pahalgam has developed, just a few meters walk from the hotel. We had a day to spare at Pahalgam and decided to spare our sightseeing tour for the next day.

Most of the shops were selling touristy stuff in the market and since our hotel was located  nearby we decided to remaining day strolling in the market and getting a feel of the place. The moment we came out of the hotel, ponywallahs pounced on us like on any other tourists and started pestered us to ride the ponies. We had a hard time shrugging them off. It was then the turn of the roadside shawl and dress vendors to force their stuff on us by their unique marketing ways again which we had to evade using ingenious techniques.

As compared to Srinagar, Pahalgam is relatively cheaper for buying dresses, shawls and souveniers, but bargaining is a must.

Tomorrow will be another hectic day. We have planned a drive in the morning and pony ride later in the afternoon.
  

Sunday 13th May, Pahalgam (Sightseeing)

We left at 10 in the morning, a half an hour's delay and drove to Aaru, about an hour's drive from the market. 

Aru

The breathtaking Panorama

After getting down from the car, we were told to walk back and take a left turn.  As soon as we had done that, a breathtaking view of the Aaru valley unfolded in front of our eyes. We felt as if a curtain was drawn aside exposing nature in all her glory. It was pure fairy tale stuff, snow clad mountains behind the green Pine and Deodhar covered hills,  the clear blue skies with floating fluffy white clouds, vast expanse of a green meadow with a rivulet running through it.  it was Kashmir at its best!! We could visualise Heidi walking with us, a basket in hand, a lamb following her. A few meters walk and after crossing a small stream even the lambs became a reality. Herds of sheep were in front of us, grazing in the open grassland. 

Any comparison to Switzerland is unfair to Kashmir. While Switzerland is beautiful in its own way, Kashmir's beauty is unparalleled. She has the attraction of a raw, ravishing and mysterious beauty, which makes Switzerland rather tame in comparision.  My kids started following the sheep,  lost in their own world, while we sat watching the snow peaks in the distance as the stream gurgled past us. We felt we were truly in Paradise. 

" Hari hari vasundhara pe neela neela yeh gagan, Ye kaun Chitrakar hai, yeh kaun chitrakar!" echoed in my ears as we walked lazily along the stream.

A few tourists took the pony ride  to the far end, but we found walking a better way to get a feel of the place. And walking bare feet feeling the grass under my feet and the cool air caressing my face was worth much more than the pony ride. It was past 12.30 pm and we reluctantly left the place as two more places had to be covered.

Chandanbari, the next stop was a bit of let down after Aru. It's a snow covered slope which is full of tourists and snow cover not being too thick was hard, slippery and mixed with the soil giving a white and brown patchy look to the whole place. Using a stick to climb up, my son Triaaksh and me went up the slope slipping occasionally on the snow to see another stream flowing from the base of the hills.
Betaab Valley, another stop on the way, so called after the Sunny Deol starrer,  Betaab was shot here is well laid out landscaped large garden with the Lidder flowing in its midst.
It was 2.30 pm by then. After clicking a few pictures here and sitting by the river for some time we headed back to Pahalgam for lunch. There are a lot of eating places in Pahalgam and Dana Pani which we had noticed the previous evening was one of them. We reached to find it choc a bloc with loud, noisy tourists and could secure a place only after about 20 minutes of wait. The Thali was oily but nevertheless tasty.

We had originally planned to spend the 2nd half of the day taking the pony ride to other places which didn't have accessibility by road and leave for Gulmarg the next day, about 160 kms and a good 4 hours drive away. But the watch showed half past 4 by time we finished our lunch, and so we decided to defer the pony ride for the next day before leaving for Gulmarg.

Evening by the riverside

Our hotel in Pahalgam was located by the riverside. We sat next to the river watching the waters of the Lidder hurtle past us, hearing its roar, the flow getting more torrential by the hour as the melting snow added to the gushing waters, it's grayish green colour borrowing a tinge of pink from the setting sun. 

As I  lay on my bed waiting for sleep to arrive, I again visualized the lofty snow peaks and the lambs grazing. The sound of the water flowing reverberated in my ears and it wasn't  long before sleep took me into a deep slumber, a satisfied one.

Monday 14th May, Pahalgam to Gulmarg  ( 160 kms approx, 4 hours drive)

The first thing I did in the morning was to catch hold of the Ponywallahs, which as I mentioned before was the easiest task of the day.  The difficult part was the bargaining. After using all the possible tricks of the trade and mutual agreement on the price we mounted our designated steeds and trotted off feeling like warriors. Sitting on horse can be a bit unsettling for the first 15 - 20 mins. I always wonder how these horses with their thin legs mange to carry such heavy loads uphill over slippery moss covered rocks. And this is precisely what they did. They seemed to be well trained, moving ahead in the right direction with hardly any cajoling or coaxing from their minders. After about half an hours ride through rocky terrain, mushy soil and crossing a rivulet or two we reached Baisaran.

I couldn't help but hum, " Yeh haseen waadiyaan ye khula aasmaan, aa gaye hum kahan aye mere saajna "

A vast meadow on the foothills of snow covered mountains, The air was cool and pleasant. Fortunately for us, the skies were clear, the sun shining in its full glory neutralizing the chill of the mountain air. Baisaran has been the site of many a film shootings. The omnipresent salesmen rushed towards us as we alighted from our horses and we had to again shrug them off . it had become habit by now and we could do so effortlessly.The locals  brought rabbits and lamb for the children to play with and pose for photographs, all of course for a price.  

We then saw the other 'points' as the ponywallahs call them- the Dabiyan, Waterfall , Kashmir valley view and Kanimarg in sucession which is  a valley full of big stones fallen from the surrounding hills. 'Kani' means stone in Kashmiri and 'marg' is a meadow.

All these took about 2 1/2 hours. Sunita and I got down from our horses after Dabiyan and walked alongside the horses till Kanimarg. Walking always gives you a sense and feel of the place which cannot be experienced in a drive or on the horse back.

We had to now hurry up for lunch and proceed to Gulmarg, which was good 4 - 41/2 hours drive. Our aim was to reach there before sunset as it could be quiet chilly at night, being at about 9500 ft ASL.
Gulmarg is all about snow and Gondola ride. Also it is a place dominated by Gujjars. It was very surprising to see our driver being very cautious of them. Apparently they are notorious and hold the whip in Gulmarg. All them them are pony owners and do not allow tourist vehicles to ply in Gulmarg except to drop visitors at their respective hotels. From the hotel, tourists have to  either take a Pony or walk down to nearby areas of interest. These are anyway not too far off and well within walking distances if you are fit to. These Gujjars do not trouble the tourists except pester them for the pony rides, about which we were well experienced by then.
We had a brief halt at Tangmarg, about 10 kms before Gulmarg to pick up snow shoes on rent  for the next day to walk in the snow. We realized  that this was a very wise thing did  as surprisingly there were hardly any  shops renting it out in Gulmarg.
Since it was late in the evening by the time we arrived at our hotel in Gulmarg we decided to have an early dinner and retire for the night. 

Tuesday 15th May, Gulmarg and the Gondola ride.

Getting a ticket for the Gondola was a difficult proposition as the queue for the tickets start at 7 in the morning. The window opens at 10 Am. The idea of waiting in the queue for 3 hours when on a vacation was appalling. Shibbir had provided me with a contact number of a 'guide' in Gulmarg who would be arranging for the tickets and our 'sightseeing' in Gulmarg.  I have inserted inverted commas for sightseeing as on retrospection we did realized that we could have easily done without one. Tickets for the Gondolas are available online at www.gulmarggondola.com.  The 'guide' turned out to be a tout in disguise.
Anyway to cut a long story short, we paid him for the tickets, Rs. 300 each  for the 1st level, Rs. 800 each for the 2nd level. If securing the tickets was difficult, getting inside the Gondola seemed impossible. There was a long chaotic queue of desperate tourists pushing and jostling each other to get inside the enclosure where the Gondolas have to be boarded. It was worse the getting inside a 2nd class compartment of a Virar local at Dadar during peak hours and the Mumbai crowd seemed more disciplined compared to the hoardes of tourists here.
My experience of boarding the Mumbai locals helped and I managed to get all the 4 of us into the Gondola safe and secure. There isn't much to see or do on level I, so we didn't waste our time there and went straight ahead for the 2nd Gondola ride to level II. 
A white sheet of snow struck us with its dazzling brightness as we got out of the Gondola. We were in the clouds and in heaven. I could almost see the pearly gates with St Peter standing and welcoming me to this heavenly abode. All the irritability at the chaos and disarray we had been through on our way up vanished as we made our way slowly through the snow, our legs sinking knee deep in some places.  This  place Arawaat is about 13500 ft ASL and full of snow. The LOC between Pakistan and India can be seen at at distance and the army outpost as small specks of black on the snow peaks.
If it was the Ponywallahs who pestered us down, it was now the turn of sledge operators and ski wallahs. I would not suggest either. Its better to walk slowly and carefully around here and enjoy the view. Altitude sickness can strike here and hence one has to be a bit careful. 
The skies were blue and clear with clouds floating along. We spent about an hour here and after we were sufficiently content of the place, boarded the Gondola back to the 1st level for lunch. As we were tucking into the delicious and hot Kashmiri Pulao,  the weather suddenly changed. Dark clouds gather overhead ominously at an unbelievable pace. A strong wind started hollering and we could hear the thunder and the mountain tops became invisible as if they never existed. We could hear announcements asking people to vacate the 2nd Level. The authorities stopped issuing tickets to that level. Soon it started raining, first water drops and then hail. We were enjoying the best of both the types of weather and at the same time empathizing with those tourists who could not make it.

" Bambai ka fashion aur Kashmir ka Mausam, kabhi bhi badal sakte hai " ( Bombay's fashion and Kashmir's weather can change anytime)  is an old Kashmiri saying which was proving true itself to be true now.

Later in the evening after spending some time in the hotel room, we went for a walk to a quaint little Shiva temple, the Mohineshwar Temple established by Maharani Mohini, King Hari Singh's wife almost a century ago in the middle of the meadow near the market. It's an enjoyable walk and we got some good views from there. There seemed to be more horses or ponies than people in Gulmarg. 

Wednesday 16th May, Gulmarg to Srinagar.

The day as predicted turned out to be bright and sunny with clear skies. In fact we were feeling uncomfortably hot in the car during the drive back.

Since our check in time was at 2 PM, and we were early in Srinagar, we decide to visit the Govt. Arts Emporium at Heritage road in Srinagar. Drivers were reluctant to take us there pleading ignorance of the place. Whether it was feigned innocence or genuine I would never know, but we reached the place after asking for directions from the pedestrians. It was worth a visit if only to see the magnificent Heritage building in which it is located, and also a wide variety of exquisitively carved Walnut wood  handicrafts ranging from jewelery boxes to beds to 8 seater dining tables and hand woven rugs.

We were to spend the rest of the day and the next 2 nights in a house boat. No stay in Kashmir can be complete with out a day's or two stay in one.And after reaching our house boat on the banks Nagin lake we waited till evening to venture out. On such days it bright till late evening so days are longer. We visited Chasme Shahi. It was too crowded for comfort, so we canceled our plan of visiting Shalimar garden and opted for a Shikara ride on Nagin lake instead. It turned out to be a good idea and the 1 hour ride through the lotus leaves, water lillies and floating gardens, as we watched the sun set behind the mountains inspired us to see the floating market next morning.

Thursday 17th May, Nageen lake, Srinagar, Sonmarg  and back.

We got up at 4 am to leave by 4.30 am. It was pitch dark when we boarded the Shikara. We could hear the Azaan (call for the morning prayers to the Muslims) all around us interspered with the chirping of birds. We entered the Dal Lake through a narrow passage and negotiated our way through the fields of turnips, cauliflowers cabbages,  raddish, tomatoes and spinach. It was astonishing to see such fertile land in the midst of the lake. 

As the sun peeped from behind the mountains, we reached the place where the locals get their fresh produce in wooden boats and sell it to the highest bidders. We saw as boats which were full of vegetables were emptied out into other boats which bid the highest. Money and bunches of vegetables changed hands. 
We sailed gently along the placid back waters of the Dal lake forming canals through old Srinagar and saw a different view of the city from the water. There were shops selling usual groceries to touristy stuff opening on the water front and the locals on boats buying daily goods from them. Shikaras drifted listlessly outside their homes as their owners were getting ready for another busy day.
We reached our house boat by 7.30 AM, had breakfast and then got ready to leave for Sonmarg. This was our penultimate day and we wanted to make the best of it. It was cloudy as we left for the 2 1/2 hours drive. A cloudy day was forecast. It had been a perfect tour for us so far and I was praying for the clouds to clear during the long drive.
Sonmarg is on the way to Leh. So there is lot of traffic, especially heavy vehicles and army convoys on this road, but as they say, sometimes the drive is more beautiful than the destination and as  we reached Sonmarg after enjoying the beautiful drive along the Indus, the cummulonimbus which had gathered overhead were intent on proving themselves and it started pouring. As if this wasn't enough, a cold wind started blowing and it was wet, cold and breezy. No way we could enjoy Sonmarg, about which we had heard so much!! We took refuge in a restaurant and to pass time had an early lunch. 
As the rains showed no signs of abating nor the clouds of clearing, we realized that we had pushed our luck too far. Nothing can be ever perfect and  can be more unpredictable than the mountain weather, we surmised. We went back to our car for the drive to Srinagar into the cosy confines of our houseboat, when on the way a few kms down the road, we saw beautiful cafe by the riverside and decided to have some hot coffee. The rains had subsided by then, but the cloud cover had not. The Gods must have deliberated amongst themselves for just as we finished our coffee, lo and behold the sun was out from nowhere and it was bright and sunny all over. There wasn't a trace of the dark clouds as if the sun had won a battle and vanquished them all and was now ruling unchallenged over the skies. 
This place was so picturesque that we decided against going back and rather spent time sitting next to the Indus as it roared past us. It was 2.30 PM before we realized. We had spent close to 2 hours here doing nothing, but watching the river, the snow peaks and the tall trees around. It was as if we wanted to  pemanantly engrave this image of Kashmir in our minds, never to be forgotten in our lifetime.


Friday, 18th May Srinagar to Mumbai
Time to pack up and leave . We spent the last few hours in Srinagar (since we had to leave for the airport by 11AM) strolling in the garden above our house boat and seeing a bird's eye view of the Nageen lake, which is so called since it curves like a serpent. It is an offshoot of the Dal, but much more quiet. Those wishing for solitude should opt for a house boat on this lake as Dal lake is very crowded and bustling with activity.

Most of the hotels had large glass windows offering a Panaromic view of the valley. I will miss sitting by the window, seeing the morning sun peeping thru the pines trees, warming me with its gentle early morning sunrays while I enjoyed my morning sip of 'Kashmiri  Kaawa'.

My blog may seem emotional at times, but Kashmir has it in her to bring out emotions. It's a pity that the environment here is that of uncertainty, insecurity and mistrust. Under the apparently normal situation, there is a simmering discontent, fear and like the weather in the mountains, one can never be certain about when the situation may take a turn for the worse.

Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat.
I have traveled across the length and breadth of India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Mumbai to Meghalaya. I have met the locals, interacted with them, but nowhere have I found them as pleasant, as cultured, eager to please and well mannered as Kashmiris. I had heard that they were shrewd and cunning, but then who isn't. To survive you have to be. After my limited interactions with the locals, I find hard to believe that these people can create so much unrest and violence in the Valley. And if they have,  there must be reasons for doing so. They are proud of their different socio-cultural, lingual and physical identity - their Kashmiriyat and rightly so. 
The people of Kashmir crave for Independence. We saw a few graffitis on the walls near the Dargah university which said " We want freedom".  They don't want to be a part of either India or Pakistan. They maybe justified and while we can empathize with them, we cannot agree. 
An independent Kashmir is synonymous with a weak India. The strategic location of Kashmir makes it necessary for it to be a part of our country or we will be sitting ducks for our untrustworthy neighbours. The center has to play a more important role and consider including the aspirations of Kashmiris in their policies. Their Kashmiriyat has to be retained and respected.  
The Kashmiris and Kashmir should remain - an ever integral part of India, voluntarily, not by military pressure. 

The Chinar should not be uprooted!!