Kashmir, Kehwa & Me ask me anything how I found the place?

By Shreya Shimpi

“East, West, South or North makes little difference. No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole wide world and beyond.”

-The Forty Rules of Love.

Ask me anything but how I found the place? How does one describe the swan-white mountains kissing the azure skies amidst a veil of foggy clouds? Or, how the lush-green valleys meet rivers that dance cheerfully among the boulders? It’s ineffable! Perhaps the answer lies in my pictures and memories. My eyes reflect the happiness of a thousand splendid suns. That smile depicts the happiness of everyone and everything I met on the way. As much as I loved exploring the place from the outside, it was also an inward voyage of learning and self-discovery for me.

Legend has it that a demon devoured people in the Satisar lake along the mountains. A saint called Kashyap Rishi came to their rescue and drained the water through prayers, and a valley-shaped land called ‘Kashyap-Mar’ appeared. Kashmir literally means ‘the land desiccated from water.’

Srinagar

The slow mornings unfolding cosily in a Shikara, sipping Kehwa over the Dal Lake, felt therapeutic. The majestic Zabarwan and Pir Panjal ranges paint an idyllic landscape. The Mughal Gardens and the ‘Badamvaer’ are a floral fairytale, and the Pari Mahal is Srinagar’s undiscovered treasure. The 240-step hike up the Shankaracharya temple rewarded me with a magnificent panoramic view of Srinagar.I stayed at the ‘Island Hotel’ on the Dal Lake. The picturesque view from the hotel, warm hospitality and the strategic location of the property made my stay memorable.

Pahalgam

The journey to Pahalgam itself is the destination in many ways. Pahalgham greets you with postcard views as you drive past the melodious Lidder River. The meadows and snow-capped mountain ranges captivate your attention. My stay in Pahalgam was at the ‘Pahalgam Days’ captured the essence of their tagline perfectly -‘In the lap of Luxury’. The heartfelt hospitality, stunning location and soulful food made Pahalgam even more special to me. The Aru Valley and Betaab Valley remain key attractions in this paradise as Pahalgham heals and awaits a significant revival of tourism.

Gulmarg

If Pahalgham is poetry, Gulmarg is transcendental. The winter wonderland, home to Asia’s highest gondola, is a traveller’s Alpine dream come to life. The Apharwat Peak (14,000 feet) is a pristine, snowy retreat and a haven for adventure lovers. The Matarani temple, Strawberry valley, Golf club are some picturesque places worth visiting. Through its peaks, valleys, vistas and scale, Gulmarg evokes a feeling of happiness, awe, wonder, melancholy and humility all at once.

“It’s not the place, it’s the people” .Having experienced the exemplary hospitality of Kashmir during my last visit, my heart carried no doubts while revisiting the valley. ‘I travel not to see places but to see different versions of myself in those places’-This trip was my pursuit for happiness, the quest for serenity and a test for my resilience. Did it overwhelm me? Did it scare me? No! It only made me happy to move outside my comfort zone.

“Of all the journeys she took, the most magnificent was the one she took back to herself”…and rightfully so!

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Travel Tips

Pick a Shikara ride from Gate 17 of Dal Lake for the best open lake views.
Opt for sharing electric rickshaws for commuting in Srinagar.
Pampore is the best place to get authentic saffron.
Along with the Wazhvan, the dhabas there serve some of the best parathas. Best for solo travellers.
Lal Chowk, Srinagar, is best for shopping for shawls, souvenirs, etc.
Trout fish is a delicacy. Do try it especially in Pahalgam.
Skip the tea or coffee; Kashmir is best enjoyed with their signature kehwa.
Photography- you can get some amazing pictures and reels across Kashmir starting from Rs 200, so do get them!
Dress in layers-The weather changes pretty soon!
Skip souvenirs. Take home Kashmiri apples!