Gradually as the plant of Indo-Pak thaw will grow into a tree of peace and trust, Kashmir would start revealing itself to the world. More enchanting places, never seen, never heard of before. To a true holiday-maker, Kashmir would unravel its dreamlands, hitherto blurred by the Line of Control. He would surely get used to the shrill chirps of the colourful birds that till recently would get lost in the high decibels of LoC mortar pounding and gunfire.
He would slip into the garden of Gurez to find the echo of the song that the 16th century legendary queen Habba Khatun rendered poignantly for the young Dard king Yousuf Shah Chak, exiled by the mighty Emperor Akbar. He would eagerly snake around the tortuous road to see what lies beyond the Razdan Pass where Khatun wandered in madness to have a reunion with her love (not to be). He would run his eyes through the unending bowl of grassland whose heart is ploughed by the noisy Kishenganga, which minutes later meanders into Neelam Valley in Muzaffarabad.
If he is an adventurist, he can transcend several high passages to see the grand splendour of Teetwal in Tangdhar. Teetwal basks in the glory of its pre-partion days for being an important trading centre. On the fringe of the LoC and across the violent Kishenganga, its mirror image is the Chilyian, a meadow, which now lies in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Cruel Kishenganga has sliced one big village, one big family and a cultural trove into two. Pity ! Kishenganga flows through them, on either side tower mountain scraps of indescribable grandeur. A home to the endangered snow leopard, hangul deer, barking deer, musk deer, black bear, markhor, ibex and marmot besides several exotic species of flowers and plants, Teetwal and Tangdhar too represent the best among the scenic spots.
To a picnicker, however, Kashmir will open a window to Bangus, off limits for decades due to Indo-Pak hostilities. This 300 sq km tourist retrieve, close to the Line of Control in the north, may soon have a chairlift - if union tourism ministry has a way - that will take him high in the mountains and frozen lakes. A lineal bowl of 76 square kms, ringed by lofty mountain ranges of Shamsbari, Rajwar and Mawar, the trekker in him too will be well served. Camping, skiing, fishing and a peek into biodiversity, with 50 species of animals including musk deer, antelope, snow leopard, red foxes and bears are other lucky draws. There are 19 streams piercing the chest of the bowl, which itself is a carpet of green grass.
Kashmir would be nothing if Naranag does not find mention. Ruins of some 13 temples and built by famous king Lalitiyaditya and others who followed, Naranag was a pilgrimage site for Hindus suurounded by wild orchids and scrubs in which the wild take refuge, ostensibly against the long and cruel hand of man. A huge grassland with shimmering waterways, Naranag is approachable easily. A road laid recently has disenchanted the shepherds who now whistle-stop here before climbing towards Gangbal. The Harmukh mountain ranges lords over both the picturesque landscapes. At Gangbal are two huge freshwater lakes, ringed by tall mountains with rocks of numerous colours and without even a shade of grass. A major attraction for anglers who relish rainbow trout - found here in plenty, the lake can be approached after a day's difficult trek. Once the snow melts in the peaks, the lake swells and presents itself as a wonderful piece of biodiversity. Beyond Gangbal and under the belly of the imposing Harmukh lie string of lakes and springs. Satisar, Kishensar, Vishensar, their names suggest, are nature's best siblings.
The Alipather lake which towers above the Apharvat mountains - accessibly by the Gandola cable car at 13000 feet - remains frozen for eight months of the year. Apharwat overlooks the Gulmarg, perhaps much of Kashmir and towards the left, it tapers slowly down to Dudpathri, again a huge meadow through which criss-crosses the Arizal nullah. Legend has it that hermits including the famous Sheikh-ul-Alam frequented this place for meditation.
If Kashmir decides to redraw its tourism map, Warnow, Drangyari, Jabdi, Reshwari, Keran and Machil Valley in Kupwara and Salamabad, Pahlipora, Addusa, Limber valley in Uri will easily make the cut. So will many indescrible resorts be known if the Mughal road that link Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri in Jammu and Ducksum-Wadwan-Kishtwar come up in near future.first published:June 20, 2007, 18:07 ISTlast updated:June 20, 2007, 18:07 IST
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Not many sightseers know they are being cheated on Kashmir. They hear more about it but end up seeing little. Very little. Trust me, the Valley is not a postcard of the gurgling Lidder river, the rustling streams melting from the Thajiwas glacier, the snow peaks that rise seemingly to touch blue skyline or the lush green meadows linked through mountains. Kashmir is not Pahalgam, Gulmarg or Sonamarg, Kokernag. Neither the series of the Mughal gardens that lord the emerald Dal lake. It is more. It is an undiscovered wonderland, offering itself to be explored.
Gradually as the plant of Indo-Pak thaw will grow into a tree of peace and trust, Kashmir would start revealing itself to the world. More enchanting places, never seen, never heard of before. To a true holiday-maker, Kashmir would unravel its dreamlands, hitherto blurred by the Line of Control. He would surely get used to the shrill chirps of the colourful birds that till recently would get lost in the high decibels of LoC mortar pounding and gunfire.
He would slip into the garden of Gurez to find the echo of the song that the 16th century legendary queen Habba Khatun rendered poignantly for the young Dard king Yousuf Shah Chak, exiled by the mighty Emperor Akbar. He would eagerly snake around the tortuous road to see what lies beyond the Razdan Pass where Khatun wandered in madness to have a reunion with her love (not to be). He would run his eyes through the unending bowl of grassland whose heart is ploughed by the noisy Kishenganga, which minutes later meanders into Neelam Valley in Muzaffarabad.
If he is an adventurist, he can transcend several high passages to see the grand splendour of Teetwal in Tangdhar. Teetwal basks in the glory of its pre-partion days for being an important trading centre. On the fringe of the LoC and across the violent Kishenganga, its mirror image is the Chilyian, a meadow, which now lies in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Cruel Kishenganga has sliced one big village, one big family and a cultural trove into two. Pity ! Kishenganga flows through them, on either side tower mountain scraps of indescribable grandeur. A home to the endangered snow leopard, hangul deer, barking deer, musk deer, black bear, markhor, ibex and marmot besides several exotic species of flowers and plants, Teetwal and Tangdhar too represent the best among the scenic spots.
To a picnicker, however, Kashmir will open a window to Bangus, off limits for decades due to Indo-Pak hostilities. This 300 sq km tourist retrieve, close to the Line of Control in the north, may soon have a chairlift - if union tourism ministry has a way - that will take him high in the mountains and frozen lakes. A lineal bowl of 76 square kms, ringed by lofty mountain ranges of Shamsbari, Rajwar and Mawar, the trekker in him too will be well served. Camping, skiing, fishing and a peek into biodiversity, with 50 species of animals including musk deer, antelope, snow leopard, red foxes and bears are other lucky draws. There are 19 streams piercing the chest of the bowl, which itself is a carpet of green grass.
Kashmir would be nothing if Naranag does not find mention. Ruins of some 13 temples and built by famous king Lalitiyaditya and others who followed, Naranag was a pilgrimage site for Hindus suurounded by wild orchids and scrubs in which the wild take refuge, ostensibly against the long and cruel hand of man. A huge grassland with shimmering waterways, Naranag is approachable easily. A road laid recently has disenchanted the shepherds who now whistle-stop here before climbing towards Gangbal. The Harmukh mountain ranges lords over both the picturesque landscapes. At Gangbal are two huge freshwater lakes, ringed by tall mountains with rocks of numerous colours and without even a shade of grass. A major attraction for anglers who relish rainbow trout - found here in plenty, the lake can be approached after a day's difficult trek. Once the snow melts in the peaks, the lake swells and presents itself as a wonderful piece of biodiversity. Beyond Gangbal and under the belly of the imposing Harmukh lie string of lakes and springs. Satisar, Kishensar, Vishensar, their names suggest, are nature's best siblings.
The Alipather lake which towers above the Apharvat mountains - accessibly by the Gandola cable car at 13000 feet - remains frozen for eight months of the year. Apharwat overlooks the Gulmarg, perhaps much of Kashmir and towards the left, it tapers slowly down to Dudpathri, again a huge meadow through which criss-crosses the Arizal nullah. Legend has it that hermits including the famous Sheikh-ul-Alam frequented this place for meditation.
If Kashmir decides to redraw its tourism map, Warnow, Drangyari, Jabdi, Reshwari, Keran and Machil Valley in Kupwara and Salamabad, Pahlipora, Addusa, Limber valley in Uri will easily make the cut. So will many indescrible resorts be known if the Mughal road that link Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri in Jammu and Ducksum-Wadwan-Kishtwar come up in near future.
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