Further posts coming up pretty soon !!

Gulmarg

We started out for Gulmarg early in the morning.  The 40km road from Srinagar to Gulmarg is bestowed with nature's abundance. Just as we leave the streets of Srinagar, one is greeted by the Jhelum river which flows along the road for a few kilometres of the road. On both sides of the road, the mountain ranges crowned with their snow-capped peaks stand guard. No wonder its called 'the Valley'.

The first feel of snow can be an exhilirating experience. We were as excited as 6-year old kids getting their first bicycles. There are many spots to visit in Gulmarg. Soon, we were surrounded by guides with their ponies. After some bargaining, we agreed on what we thought was a good deal (only to find out later that we were fleeced). Not being the types of those who grew up riding horses, I found the ride on the malnourished ponies pretty bumpy. But it was fun and offered many opportunities for Orkut-able pics (maybe Facebookable nowadays). Now, it seems pretty easy in the films, but believe you me, skiing is not for the faint-hearted (or for the weak-kneed either). That's what we found out the hard way by taking a few nasty falls on the slopes of Khillanmarg. In English, it means 'a place to play'. This place used to be the summer capital of the Prince of Kashmir state. It has some pretty bungalows made of pine wood. After a few cups of hot tea, we moved further on horseback (ok...ponyback). It was a trail through the pine woods with snow laden bushes along the way. Strange as it may seem, a church lies in the middle of a vast meadow here. Renovated in 2003, it exemplifies the adage that beauty comes in small packets. One is tempted to think that there couldn't be a more peaceful on earth. Only to be reminded by our guide that right across the fence at some distance is a heavily fortified military base of the Indian Army.

As afternoon turned to evening, we knew it was time to be on our way back. By nightfall, we were back in Srinagar, which wore an even more deserted look than during daytime. Under the suspecting eyes of the military patrols, we reached our hotel. It was now time to recharcge our batteries as had been on the go for quite some time now.

Patnitop

I forgot to introduce my friends in the earlier posts. Puneet, Prathamesh and Sumeet - my school-friends.

Never had I experienced such cold in my life as that at Patnitop while rushing to the hotel entrance. I was shivering for about 5 minutes non-stop. Finally, got into a room with warm blankets. Did not realize when I fell asleep while discussing the day among ourselves. As always, Puneet woke up the first and woke all of us too. The view from the hotel was just amazing (pic). We got ready and started towards our next destination - Srinagar !!

On our way, we stopped at a beautiful, lush green meadow in Patnitop and took some photos there. Also visited a temple which our driver (also our guide - Bunty) recommended that we must visit. Our feet were still sore from the strenuous climb down the Vaishnodevi mountain. Soon, we were on our way to Srinagar on the national highway NH-1A.

NH-1A

The national highway NH-1A is the most dangerous road I have ever travelled on. It runs along a river valley for most of its length. It has some of the most treacherous sections of narrow, one lane mountain road. It is maintained by the Border security force. The scary part is that - there is no compund wall or barrier along the valley side of the road. And with the road getting narrower by the minute, it meant that one wrong manouvre by Bunty and we all would be on our way down in a free-fall towards the river with razor sharp rocks waiting for us. To add to the fear-factor, there was this constant threat of land-slides and rocks falling along the mountain slopes. At times, the valley was so much near the road, that I was able to stretch my arm outside the moving van and take a pic of the valley below - not more than two feet away from the tyres of our Omni. It was exhilarating as well somewhat scary experience at the same time.

After about 3 hours of drive and after taking some bio-breaks along the way, we soon reached Jawahar tunnel. It is one of the most heavily guarded tunnel in the world. It gains its strategic importance from the fact that it connects the Kashmir valley with the rest of India. The landscape started changing slowly after we crossed the tunnel. We could now see snow-capped peaks at a distance. The number of watch-posts were also increasing as we progressed. There was an armed guard keep a watch after almost every 2 km along this road. While we were closing in on Srinagar, we now saw bright fields of Sarson along our way. The surroundings too were getting more and more beautiful as we progressed. There are many shops along the way which sell cricket bats.

By nightfall, we reached Srinagar city and checked in to our hotel. We ventured out in the city at around 7:30 pm to look for a place to eat. Only later we were told by the hotel staff that we should not have gone out on our own. We met a chubby and cheerful autowalah called Irfan who took us to a decent veg eatery. This guy was one chatter-box. But, a nice and friendly person. We returned to our hotel and went off to sleep. Tomorrow, I was going to experience snow for the first time in my life.

Towards Jammu

Even though we had a long day in Amritsar, our enthusiasm was still high. We decided to travel overnight to Katra in Jammu to visit Vaishnodevi shrine.

11th April, 2008

Reached Katra at dawn. The mountain where the shrine is situated looked beautiful against the light-blue backdrop.
We freshened up at a government Yatri Niwas and after having some tasty Aloo parathas we were set on our way to visit the shrine. The journey uphill being a tasking one, we took up the the helicopter ride. It was the first time I rode in a copter and it was worth every rupee spent. From the Helipad, we had to walk for about an hour till the shrine.

The pathway along which we travelled provided a divine view of the surroundings.The shrine is located inside a cave in the mountain. After the darshan, we headed to Bhairon Ghati which is still higher from the shrine. The legend says that the yatra isn't complete unless one visits this place after visiting the shrine. After a strenous climb, we reached this place. The viewing gallery here provided some of the most beautiful scenery of the area with the clouds
descending on the mountains and the mist in the air.



The Climb down
This was an unforgettable part of the journey. We started climbing down to the Katra village. The winding path with steps intertwined seemed to be never ending. It took us 4 hours to reach the base after taking some breaks in between. Our legs were hurting and all we could take were baby-steps by the time we reached the base.

An unplanned destination
At Katra, while discussing with a travel agent, we had the idea of visiting Srinagar. This was not in our plans. We were soon on our way to Srinagar.

For the night we stopped at Patnitop hill station. This is a small hill station nestled in the hills of Jammu on the way to Srinagar. It was raining and temperatures dropped drastically. Luckily we could find a hotel to spend the night.

The Wagah Border

Next on our agenda was the Wagah Border. Amritsar must the only big city closest to the India-Pakistan border. It took us about an hour to reach the Wagah border. We reached at around 5 pm in the evening. The crowds had started gathering at the entrance. From the entrance the we had to walk up to the gate which is about a kilometre away. From here, we could see the 'other' side. I tried to figure out the difference between the two sides. They both looked the same. The colour of the soil, the green fields, the seasonal flower blooms - they all looked similar on both sides. The only difference that I could make out was man-made. Soon we were up in the stands near the gate. There was a patriotic enthusiasm in the air as the BSF played desh-bhakti songs and an energetic host from the troops got the crowds going with slogans of 'Vande-Mataram' and 'Hindustan Zindaabad.' The jawans of the BSF with their elegantly royal uniforms got the applause of crowds as they marched towards the gate. This ceremony is called as 'Lowering the flag.' The gates opened and Jawans from both the sides marched and saluted each other in a highly aggressive manner. The crowd was at the pinnacle of excitement at this moment. The pride in one's own country and hostility towards the other was there to be seen. It was a really awe-inspiring experience.

A dark day in history

From the Golden Temple, the Jalianwaala Baugh is quite nearby. This place looks like any other place from the outside. But the moment you enter the narrow alley leading to the garden, you are suddenly pulled into a moment in history. A moment which saw the most brutal and ruthless killing of innocent people; elderly, women, children - there was no consideration. Only cold blooded killing. The walls of the baugh still bear testimony to this gruesome act of a mindless British officer. The bullet marks are still clear. People running away from the incessant fire found no place to run. Some climbed the wall. Others jumped in a well only to find death waiting there. This well is named as the 'Shaheedi Kua' or the 'Martyr's well' in memory of the people who lost their lives while they were protesting peacefully against the 'Raj'. A memorial flame called 'Amar Jyoti' reminds the visitors that its because of these people and their sacrifice that we enjoy freedom today.
Places like these are witness to some of the darkest days in history of the 'civilized' (??) mankind.

Laccha Paratha

After the enjoying the grandeur of Golden Temple, it was time to enjoy some authentic Punjabi food. We had a local friend with us who took us to a restaurant where we one of the most makkhan-rich meals of our lives. The Lacchha parathas were really awesome. But they are so much stuffed that we couldn't eat more than one. We finished the meal with a glass of thick Lassi...yum !!! The cuisine of Punjab is really rich, tasty and heavy too.