By Malvi & Bipasha
Unplanned and spontaneous trips have always been my cuppa of tea! So, one such spontaneous trip to ‘Paradise on Earth’ - Srinagar came as a breath of fresh air to my hubby and me who lead hectic 9-5 sorta lifestyles in Delhi. As opposed to serpentine traffic jams in the capital, we had a blissful flight over the snow clad mountains ranges to land in the beautiful valley of Kashmir. We got out to a very sunny morning with the temperature in its 20s.But believe me, it was much more magical (and romantic :)) than braving the smoggy cold in Delhi. So, for all u anti-winter kinds, Kashmir has a very endearing chill in the wind!
With the vast number of hotels available at Srinagar one can book at any of them depending upon your budget. We were booked at a hotel which was at the banks of river Jhelum and on the Bund Road. The Bund Road is known for the leisurely walks around the jhelum river and small tea stalls offering hot tea with double roti (bread pieces) .And though I am not big on street food, the magic in the air made me say ‘go to hell’ to all my weight management issues and hygiene concerns. We sipped chai and ate double roti with much fanfare!!!!! Of course, there are some pish-posh restaurants also in the city where they serve the traditional Kashmiri cuisines. One of the popular and old restaurants is ‘Ahdoos’ which offers exotic and mouth watering Kashmiri dishes like Gushtava, Kebabs, Kashmiri Yakhni, etc. The list is never ending with the more than 30 types of only-mutton dishes.
We were invited to a friend’s place for dinner where the food was so much that I couldn't eat all of it but whatever I tasted seemed heavenly.
After putting our stuff in the hotel, we went to the famous Dal Lake to enjoy a Shikara ride. Though the lake is not that clean as lakes in "Paradise" should be, the whole scenery of green mountains in the backdrop and the vast expanse of the water body surrounded by tall Chinar trees makes it really worthwhile.
A full hour's ride in the Dal Lake is a must to absorb the calm and quite into oneself and relax fully and prepare for this journey into the paradise. Believe me I was reminded of the famous ‘Kashmir ki kali’ song during the ride - and the experience made me feel like one too! An interesting sight is the group of four chinar trees growing serenely in the middle of the Dal lake, They are standing tall in the water itself..!!
As the Shikara moves on prodded by the Shikara driver (don't know what else to call him) with his oars (heart shaped at the end), a small city of people living on house boasts greet us. These are actually hotels/houses on water in the shape of boats but they are stationary in the water. Some are really beautiful with wooden carvings on their exterior walls and chandeliers inside. The origin of houseboats seems to have begun in the 1800s when the king of Kashmir forbade outsiders from owning land in Kashmir.
The ride took us close to the lotuses blossoming in the lake and also the side where locals grow vegetables etc on the land protruding between the lake waters.
After experiencing the effervescent romance of the evergreen Shammi Kapoor movies in the 60s when all romantic songs were shot in the valley (and more so on the Dal Lake), I thought it was time for some 21st century adventure. After the Shikara, we went for the hot air balloon ride. This is actually a helium balloon which is tethered to the ground and is lifted up 350 feet to give a panoramic view of the Dal Lake and the entire Srinagar. Though a little scary due to the basket being dangled in the air, the view was amazing but it lasted only 5-8 mins as the balloon is pulled down in that time.
For nature lovers, there are remarkable mughal gardens in Srinagar namely -- Shalimar Garden, Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi. The array of colourful flowers in the gardens is amazing. The gardens are from the Mughal times and bear the mark of Mughal architecture including the waterfalls and fountains lining the length of the gardens. For enjoying these gardens you should have some time in hand to relax in the grass and take in the pure scents of the varied flowers.
Another must to see in Srinagar is the Sankaracharya temple for which one has to climb some 250 steps. The temple has a huge "Shivling" The view from the top is awesome with the entire Srinagar being laid out in front of you. You can only click a picture of the view in your minds as cameras and mobile are not allowed at the top. Another important destination in Srinagar is the Hazaratbal Shrine,it contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, or a hair of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
So, all in all, Srinagar gave me an eclectic mix of undisturbed romance, unparalled scenic beauty, spiritual awareness and amazing hospitality. Pocketing all of this, we landed back to our home in Delhi but with a difference - the fast city life suddenly held some meaning!
Unplanned and spontaneous trips have always been my cuppa of tea! So, one such spontaneous trip to ‘Paradise on Earth’ - Srinagar came as a breath of fresh air to my hubby and me who lead hectic 9-5 sorta lifestyles in Delhi. As opposed to serpentine traffic jams in the capital, we had a blissful flight over the snow clad mountains ranges to land in the beautiful valley of Kashmir. We got out to a very sunny morning with the temperature in its 20s.But believe me, it was much more magical (and romantic :)) than braving the smoggy cold in Delhi. So, for all u anti-winter kinds, Kashmir has a very endearing chill in the wind!
With the vast number of hotels available at Srinagar one can book at any of them depending upon your budget. We were booked at a hotel which was at the banks of river Jhelum and on the Bund Road. The Bund Road is known for the leisurely walks around the jhelum river and small tea stalls offering hot tea with double roti (bread pieces) .And though I am not big on street food, the magic in the air made me say ‘go to hell’ to all my weight management issues and hygiene concerns. We sipped chai and ate double roti with much fanfare!!!!! Of course, there are some pish-posh restaurants also in the city where they serve the traditional Kashmiri cuisines. One of the popular and old restaurants is ‘Ahdoos’ which offers exotic and mouth watering Kashmiri dishes like Gushtava, Kebabs, Kashmiri Yakhni, etc. The list is never ending with the more than 30 types of only-mutton dishes.
We were invited to a friend’s place for dinner where the food was so much that I couldn't eat all of it but whatever I tasted seemed heavenly.
After putting our stuff in the hotel, we went to the famous Dal Lake to enjoy a Shikara ride. Though the lake is not that clean as lakes in "Paradise" should be, the whole scenery of green mountains in the backdrop and the vast expanse of the water body surrounded by tall Chinar trees makes it really worthwhile.
A full hour's ride in the Dal Lake is a must to absorb the calm and quite into oneself and relax fully and prepare for this journey into the paradise. Believe me I was reminded of the famous ‘Kashmir ki kali’ song during the ride - and the experience made me feel like one too! An interesting sight is the group of four chinar trees growing serenely in the middle of the Dal lake, They are standing tall in the water itself..!!
As the Shikara moves on prodded by the Shikara driver (don't know what else to call him) with his oars (heart shaped at the end), a small city of people living on house boasts greet us. These are actually hotels/houses on water in the shape of boats but they are stationary in the water. Some are really beautiful with wooden carvings on their exterior walls and chandeliers inside. The origin of houseboats seems to have begun in the 1800s when the king of Kashmir forbade outsiders from owning land in Kashmir.
The ride took us close to the lotuses blossoming in the lake and also the side where locals grow vegetables etc on the land protruding between the lake waters.
After experiencing the effervescent romance of the evergreen Shammi Kapoor movies in the 60s when all romantic songs were shot in the valley (and more so on the Dal Lake), I thought it was time for some 21st century adventure. After the Shikara, we went for the hot air balloon ride. This is actually a helium balloon which is tethered to the ground and is lifted up 350 feet to give a panoramic view of the Dal Lake and the entire Srinagar. Though a little scary due to the basket being dangled in the air, the view was amazing but it lasted only 5-8 mins as the balloon is pulled down in that time.
Another must to see in Srinagar is the Sankaracharya temple for which one has to climb some 250 steps. The temple has a huge "Shivling" The view from the top is awesome with the entire Srinagar being laid out in front of you. You can only click a picture of the view in your minds as cameras and mobile are not allowed at the top. Another important destination in Srinagar is the Hazaratbal Shrine,it contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, or a hair of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
So, all in all, Srinagar gave me an eclectic mix of undisturbed romance, unparalled scenic beauty, spiritual awareness and amazing hospitality. Pocketing all of this, we landed back to our home in Delhi but with a difference - the fast city life suddenly held some meaning!
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