JANET-E-KASHMIR

JANET-E-KASHMIR

On the morning of 3rd October 2022, my family and I rushed around the house trying to finish our last-minute packing before we headed out to Kempegowda International Airport t. After having some breakfast, we boarded our flight and left Bangalore to go to the place nicknamed as Heaven on Earth. After a short layover in Amritsar, we finally arrived at Srinagar International Airport. The airport was small and gloomy as the BSF and local police patrolled every corner. Our guide picked us up and we headed to have some lunch at a local restaurant. We soon left to go sightseeing in the beautiful city of Srinagar, but to our bad luck everything was closed due to the arrival of a minister but on the bright side, we were able to relax at our hotel rooms as we had an early journey the next day. We had the hotel staff prepare us some take away breakfast for our 2-hour journey to Sonmarg the following day.

We soon arrived at our destination and our first activity was a pony ride across the rough terrains to see the striking view of the Sind River set against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains. After our thrilling ride there, we left to drive up the mountain to a place called zero point. The journey was dreadful as the roads were under construction. But we were able to witness the beautiful gorges from up high. We returned back to our hotel in Srinagar for the night as we prepared for a trip to Gulmarg the next day.

After a quick breakfast we headed to Gulmarg which is known for its winter activities and its snow-covered scenic beauty but our arrival didn’t match the snow’s entrance.  Our drive up the mountains was surrounded by alluring pine and fir trees. We dropped off our luggage at our new hotel and left to explore the breath-taking hill station. Just like its name the place was in a meadow with beautiful flora encircling it. Despite the long queue we still went on the Gondola ride, the most famous attraction of the town, and that little trip was one of the highlights of our trip. The ride up was filled with jaw dropping meadows filled with native flora and fauna. I was mesmerized that such a stunning place existed in our very own country. Later in the evening we wrapped ourselves with some cozy jackets and headed out to see one of my dad's relatives who was stationed at an army camp. We were able to get a glimpse of the inside of an army base and even hear a few stories from him.  

The next day we yet again went on another jaunt to Pahalgam. As we drove across the highways lined by rudimentary stores, and apple orchards, we made some pit stops to buy a few souvenirs like saffron, almonds, pashmina blankets, etc. Our only activity in Pahalgam was a second pony ride but this one made the previous ride look like a walk in the park. The experienced ponies navigated the precipitous edges of the mountains as we held onto the reins for the heart stopping journey. We arrived at a huge meadow up in the valley of the mountains and after clicking a few pics we headed back down. The ride down was much calmer as we knew what lay ahead but This time I was really able to appreciate the nature that was around us. 

The following day we headed back to Srinagar. We paid a visit to the Shankaracharya temple, located up a mountain near the famous Dal Lake. On our walk up I learned about the story of Shankaracharya and how the temple came to be. After that we finally came to the most awaited part of our trip which was our stay at the boathouse on the dal lake and the shikara ride. The boat house was dazzling and grandiose. We touched ourselves up after our long day of traveling and went to the tiny harbour in front of our boat house to wait for our Shikara. Our evening ride on the dim lake glistening with the shadows of the vibrant light as the sun set behind the mountains was constantly interrupted by the souvenir vendors on the lake regardless the ride was an experience that felt too short. We went back to the boat house and had some dinner before we hit the hay but the night was far from over.  The silent boat was awakened by multiple gagging sounds. I felt very uneasy after dinner and was awakened at midnight with a feeling of puking. That whole night most of our party fell sick and was constantly throwing up.

The next morning was our last day before we returned home. There was a feeling at the back of our heads as to whether we could actually return as many of us were weak and ill. But thankfully my father got a ride across the lake and got some medicine for our food poisoning. We had planned to visit the iconic Mughal Garden in Srinagar that morning and We didn't want to miss it so we went ahead with our schedule but unfortunately, we were unable to have the complete experience due to the constant tiredness and worry. We headed back to the airport. where I trudged, the corridors holding a barf bag. We boarded our flight and prayed that we would get back home as soon as possible. After a short layover in Mumbai, we finally arrived back home at dawn of 9th October wrapping up our week-long adventure.