Quick Bites of the Paradise on Earth

The word Paradise sounds to us like a place of eternal beauty and peace, a place of absolute serenity and heavenly atmosphere; It is like a longing of some unseen and yet heard in our childhood fairy tale books where the earth and sky meets. If there is any such place on earth then it is truly a heavenly destination, at least, until recent years, when we visit them like foreigners in our own country. But the gorgeous look and perpetually inherited charm attract visitors like flowers attracting bees. Such a place on earth is our northern most state- Jammu & Kashmir. Due to its geographical location and special status, it has always been in the eyes of adjoining countries and that is the main reason, tourists are searched from tip to toe while flying to Srinagar or Leh.

My journey was for a quick session of 5 days covering the summer capital- Srinagar and a few renowned destinations namely Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. I reached Srinagar on air from Delhi; just an hour and fifteen minutes flight, taking us over Peerpanjal and then lowering to the valley, landing at a picturesque airport amidst tight security of army. From there we took a taxi and reached our hotel located near the Dal lake. River Jhelum encircles round the city and connect every corner through waterways. The lake now houses ten times the number of house boats and shikaras as it had before. Srinagar at a height of 5000 ft, is famous for its shrine Sankarachariya temple and Hazratbal mosque apart from beautiful Mughal gardens which are still maintained by the authorities.

Next day, we took a bus from J&K roadways for Gulmarg valley which was quite comfortable. Gulmarg, the valley of flowers, is located at around 8,850 ft. nearly a two hours drive above the hills reaching a wide valley where one can clearly demarcate the tree line from the alpine grassland areas. JK tourism has opened cable car services to visit Khilenmarg, the mountain top from where one can see the famous Nanga Parvat peak on a clear day. 

My third day trip was for Sonamarg, a 96 km drive on Srinagar-Leh highway that passes through the Indus valley and crosses Zojila pass, Kargil and Drass village on its way to Ladakh. Sonamarg has also a beautiful scenic view with green meadow bordered by trees and surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

The valley of gold as it means is populated with people from both sides and on continuous vigil of Indian army. Nearby within 8 km hilly tract, there is a glacier called Thajiwas where tourists can experience ice-sheet spread over a large area. Recently, Sonamarg has been included as an alternative route to Amarnath cave via Baltal. 

My last stop was Pahalgam, a 90 km drive from Srinagar, to a height of around 9000 ft in beautiful Lidder valley. It is famous for its original route for Amarnath which starts from Chandanwari, a small village, merely 16 km uphill climb from the main town. Besides, there are many shooting locations in and around this beautiful place along with some new locations famous for wildlife conservation called Aru valley. 

Just five days and so much to gulp in one session is not easy for anyone, specially traveling with a kid. But when I was a kid, I traveled with my parents to the same places. The natural views have remained the same, man-made ones have changed and it was just 30 years, yet sounds pretty amazing. During our visit, people were simple, accommodating us as their own; now we are like strangers in our own land. Though visuals might be the same but maps have been altered both geographically and internally. 

There are a lot of differences between 1982 and 2012, yet I enjoyed every moment of it, thinking of my childhood memories and sharing them with my child. One day, when they will grow up, may be, they will follow the same pattern and would see many more differences than what they saw now.

The River and the Riviera

The river, mother Ganges, rising from Asia’s largest glacier Gangotri in the greater Himalayas and fed by innumerable others like Nanda devi, Nanda kot, Trishul, Satopanth and Kedarnath. During her 2500 Km odyssey to the Bay of Bengal, she feeds millions of people and supports numerous flora and fauna on both sides of her course. People have agriculture, hydel projects and many other business related to their daily needs. So also do people who love adventures come near this river, taking treks to visit its source and raft down the river. People of small income too take the privilege of the river during the fair weather season when tourists from around the globe visit places near the river. Apart from hotels, there are cottages and camps in serenity and vicinity of the Ganges.

Every year, I undertake a journey that is specific to the mother Ganges as I love to touch the water or just enjoy the atmosphere around her. Watching people coming and going through the alleys, bathing, worshiping or walking down the stairs, simply keeping my feet dipped in water. During one such journey, I stayed in a camp near Kaudiala by the river, on her one of the white sand beaches. The camps are make-shift tents, run by local business operators, in accordance to the State Forest Department. They provide dinner, breakfast and moderate arrangements within 1500-2000 INR; some of them take the visitors for rock climbing and white river rafting, the latter is a life time experience. The river has 0 to 4 grade rapids which is in ascending order with the roughness. Earlier, rafting for normal tourists were open from Shivpuri, a small drop by place 16 Km from Rishikesh, which warms up during September to May, depending on monsoon and weather. Now they have extending the service from Kaudiala itself.

 During that exciting 25 Km rafting, we had a beautiful and audacious experience to control the rapids with the paddle before they could actually held us capsized. The rafts are guided by local youths which are by far excellent and helpful in their undertaking. We stayed in The Riviera which is run by a Delhi businessman. They have eight cottages, all named after the Himalayan rivers. Their rates too vary from 3500 INR during monsoon to 5000 INR during rafting season. They provide air-conditioned rooms with TV and attached bath with dinner and breakfast. My odyssey about the Ganges does not stop here. With the river and its beautiful surroundings, I go back to the mountains each time I could make an opportunity.

Our First Meeting

My first visit to the Himalayas was in 1972 when I was 3 and a half in the month of May when my father along with his two colleagues and their family decided to visit Darjeeling.It is a famous tourist spot and known to all throughout the world.But during that time,life was much easier with little money in pocket.We didn't have a camera of our own.So my father borrowed from his elder brother who was a fond traveler,his old Yashica and bought a black and white reel for taking pictures of the Himalayas.Though I was too young to remember each and every detail but still a few memories sweet enough to bring me closer to that mighty one repeatedly,are lying there.

We took Darjeeling mail from Burdwan station in West Bengal and reached New Jalpaiguri and from there the famous toy train or narrow gauge railway to Ghoom station.As I was small I was not allowed to stand near the train door as I do now,but occasionally my father called me to see this and that.The hill slopes were so stiff and narrow that it was going too slowly.People often got down at one corner and climbed back the coach at the next.The train just passed by through houses and alleys that were close enough to touch the hands of people standing there.There were some showers too and a big rainbow came out when we reached Kurseong when my mother put me under a sweater. 

We reached Darjeeling at around afternoon and stayed in West Bengal Tourism hotel at Jala Pahad. They had good rooms with all windows opened towards the view of Kanchenjunga.They had a nice garden on the slope where my mother and other aunts with a friend of mine-all had been photographed.Next time when I visited in 1984,the tourism hotel was gone and it was Gorkha Council's office.We visited Himalayan Mountaineering Institute when Tenzing Norgay was alive both the times.Also made a visit to Tiger Hill from where this picture was taken(most probably),Tagore's house and Dr. Graham's Home,the famous missionary school at Kalimpong.

But after this early visit of the Himalayas in my life,I have traveled so many times and still feel the chill of my first visit.Things have changed over time and that's very usual for us.Nature has been exploited to the fullest to accommodate modern amenities and to attract more people but those who have visited Himalayas at least 25 to 30 years back,know just how tremendously the beauty of Himalayas has been a cause for major haphazard development as well as the destruction of the tranquility of the environment.During our visit,shooting of famous movie-Hare Rama Hare Krishna was going on in the Mall road and people were attracted to get a glimpse of the stars.Now,Indian movie stars may not be knowing about Darjeeling hills at all.Truly,time has changed us a lot.

Now,people no longer travel there by toy train;they reach Bagdogra by air and then take taxis to reach there.We book hotels that are rated in trip advisors or by our travel agents.They fix us hurricane tours and land us to shopping complexes where they can earn commissions.We take a few bites or sip a coffee at the mall and get busy ourselves with status update in Facebook or other sites,just to make others know-yes,we traveled to Darjeeling.Just like going to our work,we finish and come back and get engaged with our usual routine in no time,until another tourist spot attracts us.It's like a job done for a few bucks!

To me traveling means reading a book and applying the theory.Himalayas is a giant book of various lessons.We can find very different people of distinct origin,hard working yet very loving and always with smiling faces.It's like whatever it is,stiff uphill climb for work or home,availability of fresh air,shortage of food or other resources yet plenty of space-all giving together a sense of gross happiness.Himalayas means respecting nature,feeling humble in front of its vastness,being patient and giving sincere effort to make life positive,all being together.Life is not just reading lessons and appear for exam or achieving success in terms of a degree;it's a combination of uphill climb and rolling over downhill with ease.Each time,I pay my visit,I just relearn what I had last time;that's Himalayas-my love at first sight!