It is quite hot in Delhi during the summer season. May and June are the hottest months. Heat waves lash the people and even claim a few lives. People prefer to remain indoors lest they should suffer a heat stroke. Generally, schools and colleges are closed down and the students are given a summer vacation. Students welcome the summer vacation. It enables them to make a trip out of Delhi.
When the heat becomes unbearable in Delhi, people think of spending a month or two at some hill-station or the other. There is no dearth of hill stations in India. We have Darjeeling in the east, Oottacamund in the south, Mount Abu in the west and Kashmir and Himachal in the north. The most popular hill- stations which are not far from Delhi are Simla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Dalhousie, Kulu, Manali, Srinagar, etc.
Last year, we planned a visit to Kashmir during the summer vacation. As there is unprecedented rush of people going to the hill-stations, we got our seats reserved in advance in the Jammu Tawi express in a sleeper class compartment. We boarded the train at the Delhi Junction and reached Jammu the next morning. The rail journey was quite comfortable. We slept well.
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From Jammu we boarded a bus bound for Srinagar. The journey from Jammu to Srinagar is very pleasant because one can see beautiful scenery and hills on both sides of the road. It is, however, tiring to travel by bus because the road in a mountainous region is not smooth. The driver has to be an expert because he has to negotiate sharp turns every now and then. One gets bumps and jerks all the way.
Fortunately, there was no mishap during our journey. We reached Srinagar safely by the fall of night. We stayed in Hotel Banjara. It has an excellent location. It is just on the banks of Dal Lake.
The next day, when we woke up, we had a bird’s eye view of the Kashmir Valley. We were spellbound by its natural beauty, snow-covered mountain peaks, meandering rivulets, lush green parks, lakes, gardens, etc. One is face to face with nature in its pristine glory.
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We were convinced at the very outset, that Kashmir is a “Heaven on Earth”. That is why this place attracts thousands of tourists every year not only from India but also from other parts of the world.
First of all we went to the Dal Lake. It is worth seeing. We hired a “Shikara”. It is like a boat, but it is tastefully designed and decorated. It has few seats, but they have cushions. We were served with light refreshment in the boat itself. The water of the lake is crystal clear.
The next day, we visited the two famous gardens of Srinagar; the Shalimar and Nishat Gardens. Our tourist guide told us that these gardens were designed by the Mughal Emperors of India. They had a passion for gardens and wanted to spend as much time as possible in the lap of nature. The lawns of these gardens have been maintained well. There were flowers of rare varieties. The trees were full of fruits. These gardens have fountains of water which keep the atmosphere cool.
Kashmir is known for its natural springs. The best springs of water are Chashma Shahi, Verinag and Anant Nag. The water of these springs is cool, fresh and clear. We were told that the water of these springs, if taken regularly, can help in improving the health. We not only tasted the water of these springs but also brought some in our flasks.
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We went to Pahalgam by bus and stayed in a tourist cottage there for a week. Pahalgam is a nice camping ground for tourists. We made it a point to spend our evenings by the riverside. But in the morning, we used to go on a stroll on foot or ride a pony.
Next we visited Gulmarg. It has a beautiful landscape and is surrounded by high mountain peaks covered with snow. Gulmarg has been developed into a centre of winter sports to attract foreign tourists even in winter. I also joined a 7-days course in skating on snow. I picked up this game very well.
We took a number of snaps of the beautiful places, the snow-covered mountains, Dal Lake, etc. These snaps will remind us about the nice time spent by us in the valley of Kashmir and its beautiful scenery.
We also did some shopping in Kashmir. We bought honey, saffron, fruit and a few woollen shawls. We returned to Delhi after spending one month in Kashmir. Though the visit was only for one month, yet it improved my health a lot. I will never forget this visit to the beautiful valley of Kashmir. I wish I could go to this hill-station every year.