Sonamarg

Gulmarg left us asking for more of snow fun. Puneet as always had the entire plan chalked out. Now, Sonamarg can be thought of as a lesser famous cousin of Gulmarg - untouched, secluded and serene. We started out early, with the town still sleepy and shops just about opening for business. The placid Dal lake on the left side of the road reflected the purple mountains in its calm water. After filling our tummies with some heavy parathas at one of the Vaishnav dhabas, we were on the road again.

The placid Dal lake reflecting the snow-capped peaks

There is something surreal about this place. As if a master craftsman has worked on it with all his skill and passion (rather than delegating the job to his apprentice). We could now get glimpses of snow along the roadside. The snow cover got thicker by the minute as we moved towards Sonamarg. A small rivulet ran along the road and with snow melting along its banks. We couldn't resist the temptation to dip our feet in this rivulet. And man was it cold or what !!  We literally got 'cold feet' from freshly melted snow water. From here, the road ahead turned corners around some rock cliffs, which gave the appearance as if they were they cut by a giant hacksaw, their jagged edges jutting out of the surface. This glacier becomes inaccessible during the winter months. Luckily for us, it was April.

The Jhelum river

The rivulet which ran along the road

Snow melting into the rivulet !!

This is the Sonamarg glacier !!

From a point onwards, we could move ahead only on horseback. We bargained a deal with one of the local guides chasing us and soon were mounted on our steeds. It was a climb towards the glacier along a 4 feet wide mountain path. For once I wished I weighed a little less for the sake of the poor horsey !! The winding path took us towards a place which I can easily describe as the most beautiful place I have experienced till now. Snow covered mountains on all four sides, dark green pine trees and the clear blue sky above. The glacier is like a river of snow, but it flows a speed which is not detectable. It was time to leave the horses for a climb towards the glacier. Our guide led us from the front and we struggled behind him in the thick snow. We reached a point along the bank of the glacier and our guide would not let us go any further. He warned us that the snow ahead could be deep enough at places to pull you inside the white blanket. One needs dark goggles in the snow to prevent getting dazed from the light reflecting from the pure white snow all around. It was time for photos against some mesmerizing backdrops. Along the way, our guide showed us the bark of a tree which ancient scholars used as paper to write their scrolls upon.

After experiencing heavenly peace, it was time to descend down to earth. We had tea at a small makeshift stall and mounted our horses to make our way back to the road where all cars were parked. It was here while having lunch we learnt that this is one of the points where the Amarnath Yatris gather to proceed towards their destination. It was now past 3 pm in the afternoon and time to return to Srinagar before nightfall. We left the place our hearts full of admiration for the amazing beauty of nature which we had just experienced. The city had an eerie silence in the evening and last few shops were winding up for the day. Back in our hotel room, it was time to transfer the pics to Prathamesh's laptop. Irfan the autowallah took us to a local eatery where we had some good food. Another marvellous day had come to an end. Tomorrow was the day to leave this heaven on earth for the next stop on our journey !!!