Srinagar Serenity: A First Day in Paradise
As an avid traveller who loves all kinds of travel- solo, family or friends, from beaches to mountains and jungle safaris, I hadn't done any group trip. I had always wanted to do a group trip with like-minded solo travellers but only had the opportunity to do so once Kashmir came knocking on the door. While planning out destinations to visit in May, it was a tossup between Spiti Valley and Kashmir before I decided to zero down on Kashmir finally. In hindsight, what I witnessed was pure magic. And I’ll say with complete confidence that it turned out to be the right choice that I made.
I had always wanted to stay at Zostel, having heard such fantastic reviews about them from people around me. Zostel, being such a big brand in India, provided me with the perfect stay option. But when I came across that they were organizing a group trip to explore Kashmir, I just felt that it was too good an opportunity to let go of. Having booked their package and being excited to meet new people and like-minded solo travellers, I couldn't wait to board my flight to see Kashmir.
After an overnight connecting flight via New Delhi, I finally reached Srinagar. While boarding the flight, the temperature in Srinagar had seen a sudden dip to 12°C thanks to the arrival of the unannounced rains, which had also brought a cold nip in the air. The city, which was reeling under a brutal heatwave at 29°C just 4 days before my arrival had suddenly reduced its temperatures by more than half to welcome a person who came from a land whose cold temperature tolerance capacity was probably the lowest in the country. Ask any Mumbaikar and they won't disappoint you as anything well below 20°C and Mumbaikars shiver in the cold. You’ll see the tinsel town put on hoodies and sweaters when the temperatures drop below the 20 mark. Ultimately, that’s peak winter by Mumbai’s standards.
Just looking at this at Delhi Airport sent a shiver down my spine thinking of what it could be during the nighttime if it was 13 during the day in Srinagar. At that moment in Delhi, I couldn't even imagine the temperatures colder places beyond Srinagar like Pahalgam etc. But as soon as the flight took off, the views outside made me forget everything. Seeing the healing Himalayas to the right was an absolute treat to the eyes.
This flight was not just a transition between two cities but a journey that offered possibly some of the most breathtaking aerial vistas that India had to offer. As soon as the pilot announced that we would be landing at Srinagar in the next 30 minutes, a sneak peek outside gave me views of the finest flight journey that I have undertaken so far. The panoramic views of snow-capped peaks that stretched as far as my eyes could see created a serene and inviting landscape. As my plane glided lower, Srinagar’s unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage became evident. The patches of Chinar trees, the snow-capped Zabarwan Ranges, the city’s rooftops and the maze of narrow streets began to appear. My flight finally touched base at the Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, bringing an end to a journey that was as much about the destination as it was about the incredible sightings along the way.
The first thing I did upon landing at the airport was put on my snow hoodie. After landing at Srinagar, I waited for two of my Zostel mates who I was supposed to meet at the airport. When they finally arrived, we were picked up by the Zostel driver. There was a sudden increase in the rains as soon we stepped foot outside Srinagar Airport. From 40°C to 13°C, this dramatic fall in temperatures more than my age was too much to take initially. But as we slowly made our way to the city centre, the beauty outside distracted me from the chill inside. The beauty of the iconic Dal Lake was too good to be true. Dal Lake felt like a jewel set in the crown of the Valley. The calm and serene landscape of the mountains along with the floating Houseboats and Shikaras (traditional wooden boats) added a touch of romance and charm to the scene. We stopped for a while to click the photos of the majestic Dal Lake.
After reaching Zostel, I met with other fellow travellers of my group. Each one of them had come from different parts of the country with diverse professional experience. Among them were Varsha (from Rajasthan) and Ritu(from UP) a Company Secretary and an IT engineer respectively plying their trade in the city that has the honours of being the city with the most successful IPL team- Chennai. The latter had been living in Chennai since the last decade for the job while the earlier one was born there. Both spoke broken Tamil. Next were Dr Rahul and Gautham from the neighbouring state Kerala. One was a doctor and the other was an architect from Trivandrum. Both of them were school buddies who were travelling for the first time together in a while. Next, we had one Mr. Chiranth, a crazy rich European but a Kannadiga by heart who had come from Germany to enjoy the beauty of Kashmir. He was an IT engineer who had shifted base to Germany before earning the tag of ‘Crazy Rich European’ from me. We had another IT engineer from Vizag named Akash, also an awesome photographer, who was currently working in Bengaluru. Next were the mother-daughter duo of Aishwarya (no guesses again an IT engineer) and her mom who had also joined from Bengaluru. The above paragraph might tell the readers why Bengaluru remains India’s IT hub. Two first-time solo travellers had joined from Pune and Mumbai respectively, named Pradnya and Radhika. Being from a wannabe Mumbai city, she was also an IT engineer. Radhika was based out of Bhopal and was working in India’s financial capital-Mumbai. Tej, an IT engineer, joined in from Chandigarh. He was a Bengali working in Chandigarh. These put together made up the super 12 that were to have the time of their lives in the next entire week. In hindsight, I am so glad that I met all these wonderful people with whom I could connect instantly.
Together, we had our first group lunch where we introduced ourselves and shared our past travel experiences. It was amazing to know and listen to the diverse travel experiences that people had over time. Meeting fellow travellers at hostels and listening to their stories gives you a sense of having travelled the world without ever leaving your seat. Just listening to the list of places that people had covered in India made me wonder how much there is left to explore in our country. Too many places and too little time!
Our first lunch was filled with feasting on the traditional Kashmiri cuisine- Kashmiri Pulav and Wazwaan, the traditional multi-course feast of Kashmir. It began with the Rogan Josh, tender pieces of lamb cooked in a rich, red gravy infused with saffron and aromatic spices. Accompanying it was the succulent Rista, meatballs cooked to perfection in a luscious cardamom-flavored gravy. Gushtaba featured velvety meatballs in a creamy yoghurt sauce. Tabak Maaz, the crispy fried ribs, provide a delightful crunch- a testament to the artistry involved in Kashmiri cuisine. To forget the refreshing side dishes like yoghurt and pickles that cleanse the palate would be a crime. As I write about this, the memory of each dish lingers, making me crave another opportunity to indulge in this culinary masterpiece.
After feasting on the wazwan, we left to see the historic mosque in Srinagar. The Dal Lake looked too surreal from here.
The atmosphere suddenly became grim due to the sudden onset of grey clouds which also threatened to bring down heavy downpours along the way. The temperatures fell dramatically and everyone was shivering with cold. Due to the constant threat of the downpour, we hurried our way to the Mughal Gardens.
Walking through the garden’s pathways, one can easily find quiet corners offering a perfect spot for reflection and contemplation. The surrounding mountains which were shrouded in mist and clouds provided a majestic backdrop, reinforcing the sense of Kashmir being in a paradise on Earth. This unbeatable combination of natural beauty and human artistry with the heavenly presence of the dark grey clouds made the Mughal Gardens a serene place on that evening. It was truly a sight to behold.
We had the most delicious walnut fudge at the Moon Light shop in Srinagar. We devoured and also purchased some of it to take it back home. On reaching Zostel, we went to the terrace to bid adieu to the Sun that was quietly setting down without any fuss but creating a scene of unparalleled beauty on its way. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, its fading light broke through the rain clouds, casting a warm, golden hue over the Dal Lake’s surface. The dance of the golden hour was just fantastic.
As everyone had arrived at Srinagar with overnight flights, everyone required something that they had been deprived of in the last 24 hours- sleep. It was necessary to stay fresh as the beauty of Kashmir was just about to unfold. Everyone called it a day after having dinner and playing some foosball at Zostel, eagerly awaiting what glorious Gulmarg brought to the table.
