I'm trying to put Kashmir, the paradise on earth on the global map.
Doodpathri, literally translated as the Valley of Milk is a bowl shaped Valley located in the district of Budgam, Kashmir. Doodpathri is a part of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayan Mountains, so naturally it is situated at an altitude of about 8,957 feet above the sea level. Doodpathri is about 42 kilometres away from the city of Srinagar and it takes around 2 hours to reach there.
Continue reading “Camping in Doodpathri, Kashmir.”
Botapathri is a little known dreamland in the lap of Nagin Valley, Gulmarg. It remained closed for tourism from 1990 as it was just 5 kilometres away from the line of control but was reopened for tourism in May 2012. Botapathri is just 10 kilometres away from the famous tourist destination, Gulmarg.
Continue reading “Botapathri – Gulmarg, Kashmir.”
“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, hameen ast-o, hameen ast-o, hameen ast. “A famous couplet by one of the best Sufi poets of the time, Hazrat Amir Khusrau translated as “If there is a paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, it is this” sums up the beauty & serenity of the valley of Kashmir. From it’s towering mountains to it’s flowing rivers, from it’s crystal clear lakes to it’s dense forests, Kashmir perfectly exemplifies the definition of paradise on earth. What magnifies the spectrum of this paradise are the mesmerizing sunsets of the place.
Continue reading “5 best sunset spots in Srinagar, Kashmir.”
Watlab, a place known for it’s untamed beauty & a mesmerizing view of the Wular lake is also home to the shrine of Baba Shakur-Ud-Din Wali (RA). Born in the village of Arith Pargana, Machhama of district Budgam in the year 790 Hijri, Baba Shakur-Ud-Din Wali (RA) was a Sufi saint who was known to provide religious path to the locals as well as perform miracles. As his fame grew, people from all sects & religions came to Baba Shakur-Ud-Din Wali (RA) for his blessings & spiritual guidance.
Continue reading “Baba Shakur-Ud-Din Wali (RA) – Sopore, Kashmir.”
Dal lake, world famous for it’s sheer beauty & scenic location is home to one of it’s kind “Floating vegetable market”. The floating vegetable market is a wholesale market & is located at Kand mohalla, abikar pora in the heart of the Dal lake. This market is the only floating vegetable market in India & only the second in the world which is around 100 to 150 years old.
Continue reading “Floating Vegetable Market, Dal Lake.”
Shahi Masjid or more commonly known as Pathar Masjid is a Mosque located in the old city of Srinagar Kashmir, near new Zaina Kadal. The Mosque sits on the banks of Jehlum river, opposite to the Shrine of Khanqah-e-Moula. This Mosque was built by Empress Noor Jahan in 1033 A.H (1623 A.D) which means the Mosque was built almost 350 to 400 years ago. What sets this Mosque apart from the rest of the historical Mosques in the valley of Kashmir is that this Mosque is entirely made out of stones, ergo the name Pathar Masjid (The stone Mosque).
Continue reading “Pathar Masjid, Kashmir”
Mamnet, a heavenly meadow in the lap of the Zabarwan range of mountains in Kashmir remains a fairly unexplored gem situated just a few kilometers away from the heart of srinagar city. The trek starts from Scholar’s School dhara, harwan. So, when I started this trek with some of my friends, this region of the Zabarwan range was quite unfamiliar to me & considering we decided to have this trek amidst winter made the task much more challenging. We started at around 7 in the morning. The cold chilly breeze of a winter morning welcomed us as we got off our car. We had never experienced a snow trek before so there was both a rush of excitement & a bit of fear of the unknown. One of the locals even went on to say that at this time of the year in the early morning, the bears descend to the lower reaches so it’s very unsafe but because we had proper gear with us, we decided to go ahead with the trek.
Continue reading “Mamnet, Srinagar – Kashmir”
Dal lake, situated in the heart of the city of srinagar, Kashmir cradled by the snow clad zabarwan range is one of the main tourist attractions of the beautiful kashmir Valley. What sets this lake apart though is the famous shikara ride. For all those not familiar with what a shikara is, it is a boat with a canopy which is painted with bright attractive colors.
The shikara ride often stands out for both the people of kashmir & tourists for a number of reasons as the first thing a person notices as he starts the ride is the serenity of the beautiful lake. It’s quite, composed waters waving their way back & forth takes a person into a state of trance.