Heaven On Earth: Kashmir
- Vaishnavi Pal
The fourth Mughal emperor, Jahangir , once said “If there is heaven on earth , it is here, it Is here, it is here.” And I completely agree.
Kashmir has a captivating beauty, which left me speechless. Last year, me and my family planned a journey to Kashmir by air. I could write a whole thesis about how beautiful Kashmir is , but words would not be enough to describe the glorious place. I was in Kashmir for a good three days. We mainly stayed in Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar city serves as the central point with the major attractions like, Dal lake ,Mosque , Nagin lake , Gulmarg , Pahalgam and many more. If you are a professional and you don’t have more than a week to spare, Srinagar is the pace for you.
On our first day we visited beautiful dal lake. Dal lake is know as the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir.” It is the second largest lake in the state, and visiting dal lake was the best part of the trip.
The sublime water is almost magical. The lake is surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped mountains on three sides and the stunning ‘Shikara’ loaded with fresh flowers. You can see these decorated shikara floating around lake. The dramatic houseboat equally attracts tourists. Gliding through the dal lake in Shikara Is indeed an experience of a lifetime. We spent the next day visiting the Mughal gardens. Constructing Mughal gardens was the most beloved pastime of the Mughal imperial. Mughal gardens in Srinagar are basically the gardens that were built during the reign of Mughal emperors. We visited Nishat garden which is absolutely beautiful in every way possible. It is filled with ravishing flowers. Shalimar garden is another enchanting beauty built under the eyes of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and built entirely by him.
Shalimar garden is among the finest gardens in Kashmir , which was built by Mughal dynasty. The last garden we visited was Chashma shahi built by Ali Mardan khan in 1632, during the region of Mughal emperor shah Jahan, shah Jahan had it built on the slopes of the Zabarwan mountains , around a natural spring.
And the garden still retains its spring ,even in the present form. Kashmir truly got some dazzling and radiant flowers , and what an golden opportunity it was to see such exquisite flowers.
On our last day we visited Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Gulmarg is one of the beautiful places that cannot be described in words. It can be visited in Kashmir valley. Gulmarg literally means the meadow of flowers. Gulmarg is world famous skiing spot. It is the most beautiful place in Kashmir to see. The snowy mountains and valley together create a fabulous beauty. There are various adventure sports which make it more than a hangout spot. The months from December to February are perfect for skiing and the months from April to July are pleasant to visit.
In the evening we visited Pahalgam. It is also know as the valley of shepherds, is located on the banks of river Lidden. It is located in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and a famous tourist destination. Pahalgam is pleasing to the eyes and soul both. It is surrounded with beautiful mountains, Sheshnag and Tulian lakes flowing through the mountains. Many tourists refer to it as “mini Switzerland”.
The best time to visit the valley is from March to November , when the weather remains unheated and pleasant with scanty rainfall.
The next Moring ,Sadly, the trip came to an end and we had to head home. But, what an experience it was! Seeing paradise on earth.
