An unforgettable Kashmir experience…finally!

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Khamosh was released in 1985. I was in Class V then. The day was Mahalaya and it wasn’t a school holiday. My mom suddenly decided she would watch the film in the noon show and I wouldn’t go to school; I would accompany her to the theatre. I followed her to Basusree movie hall very reluctantly.

But when the lights went off and the screen came to life, I got transported to a world that I didn’t know existed. Khamosh was mainly shot in Pahalgam in Kashmir and some parts were filmed in Srinagar and Aru Valley. I kept gaping at the beauty of those meadows and snow-clad mountains. And sitting in the dark theatre that day the 10-year-old me started planning her visit to Kashmir, to see this beautiful land up close.

The opportunity came in 1988. My family and our family friends started planning a Kashmir trip. I was elated. I would see that beautiful land. But that wasn’t to be, my father’s friend fractured his leg and couldn’t travel.

My parents decided to cancel the trip altogether assuring me they would plan again next year.

Next year was 1989. My 14-year-old mind could make out that some trouble had started in Kashmir, there was violence and my father instantly declared Kashmir was out of bounds now.

His words became prophetic. Kashmir became out of bounds for years to come. My Kashmir dream remained tucked away in some corner of my heart, as I moved from school to college to a career.

Another lost opportunity

I took up my first journalism job in The Asian Age in 1998. There was a section in our newspaper where celebrities spoke about their dream destination. I interviewed a celeb for this section and she spoke about Kashmir as her dream destination.

When I sat down to write the copy, I realised that she had told me very little and I could probably only manage 150 words out of the 500 I was supposed to write.

At that time the office had only one computer with an internet connection and the seniors were most of the time sitting there to access important information. The very thought of going up to them and asking for the computer to research on Kashmir was daunting. I took up the next best option. I rushed to Oxford Bookstore since my office was on Park Street, found as many books on Kashmir and quickly did my research.

A very senior official of Kashmir tourism liked the article so much that he invited both the celeb and the journalist for a sponsored trip to the Paradise on Earth.

I don’t remember why the celeb declined the offer but the offer that came to me was promptly presented to the seniors first, even though the article was mine. The reason given by the editor: “She is too new to go off on such a junket. This might create resentment in the office.”

Although a number of seniors believed this was unfair, one senior did take up the offer and promptly left for Kashmir. When she came back her chatter on her exquisite houseboat stay, and the crush she developed on the owner, kept us amply entertained.

Reconnecting with Parbati

Life went on for the next 27 years. I moved in life, career and moved cities too. My college friend Parbati Bhattacharya moved too. From Kolkata to Bangalore to Delhi; from being a school principal she became the founder of a boutique travel company Wanderers’ Footprints.

A couple of years back we met in Kolkata over coffee, talked about life and travels. Yes travels. She as the travel curator and I as the travel buff. That’s when she said she’s been to Kashmir multiple times, organised multiple group tours and she would be organising another one soon. Really?

Stars aligned, she organised a group tour and with my heart bursting in excitement I boarded the flight to Srinagar from Delhi.

So, 37 years after our first cancelled trip to Kashmir, I finally landed at my dream destination on April 6, 2025.

The best part of travelling in a group or in a customised tour is everything is taken care of. The excitement did build up when Parbati shared the photos of the hotels we would stay in, the places we would explore and the conversations in the newly minted WhatsApp Group that followed.

Dal Lake Shikara Ride and Badamwari Garden visit

Day 1

At Srinagar Airport two extremely comfortable Traveller vans, driven by two rosy-complexioned Kashmiri young men, were waiting for us. Our first stop was a restaurant. Most of us in our group had said we would eat light but when the menu was placed before us, our resolution melted away like the snow. After a sumptuous lunch of butter chicken, luscious nans and yellow dal served by a waiter who looked no less handsome than a Bollywood film star, we proceeded to Dal Lake for our much-awaited Shikara ride.

The man who rowed us around in his Shikara is a boatman in summer and a carpet weaver in winter. Dal Lake was crowded, with Shikaras plying tourists and house boats standing in an endless row. We didn’t mind the bustling waters, because the mountains standing at a distance, the sun going down in the lake and someone from our group, singing Rabindra Sangeet in the next boat, created a beautiful ambience.

Thanks to Parbati, who included all the offbeat places in our itinerary, we went to this beautiful almond flower garden called Badamwari.

April is the perfect time to visit this place as the dark and light pink flowers are in full bloom. Here, we also got a glimpse of local Kashmiri life as a lot of families were around enjoying the beautiful flowers and conducive weather.

Nigeen Lake Houseboat stay

The silence of Nigeen Lake more than made up for the flurry on Dal Lake, to which it is connected by a narrow strait. When we arrived at Nigeen Lake with bag and baggage, the sun looked like a ball of fire, its reflection taking our breath away.

Parbati, like the able Kashmir guide she is, ensured the baggage was loaded properly in the shikaras, before we ourselves got on those to reach our houseboat.

As we stepped from the shikara to the stairs of the majestic houseboat the staff welcomed us with warmth, one spoke in Bengali, because he had stayed in Kolkata for six years, he later told us.

The houseboat had a luxurious sitting room done up with rich wood and Kashmiri carpets. It opened into a dining room and then a long corridor took us to four huge rooms with equally lush interiors. The houseboat had a terrace with a roof-top seating area too. We were staying in adjoining houseboats.

People came in boats to sell all kinds of wares and in no time our sitting room looked like a haat. I bought a stole for gifting and a few other knickknacks.

Post dinner, which had delicious Kashmiri dishes, especially a kebab curry and a lotus-stem curry, we retired to our rooms, wrapping ourselves in linen with beautiful Ari embroidery.

Sunrise at Nigeen Lake and Tulip Festival

Day 2

I literally could not sleep at night because I wanted to catch the sunrise. So, at 5 am I was up and about. To my surprise, the Bengali-speaking Kashmiri gentleman on the boat had already prepared steaming cups of kahwa. I took a cup and sat at the balcony enjoying the sweet and nutty taste of the brew.

The scene that unfolded in front of me is hard to describe in words. Initially the sun came just as a hint of mellow light, then, it peeped from behind the mountains and gradually showed itself in full finery, painting every minute with wonder.

We checked out of the houseboat after breakfast and headed to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden which can give the famous tulip gardens of Amsterdam a run for their money. Surrounded by the Zabarwan Range, the garden is the largest in Asia showcasing endless rows of tulips. But you have to be there between March and April to witness this magic of nature.

You can never do justice to the Garden with photographs it has to be a real-life experience to understand the mesmerising beauty this garden stands for. Apart from the usual yellow, red and white tulips what held my attention was the unusual pinks, purples, lavenders – all cultivated in colour co-ordinated rows.

We spent considerable time at the garden to ensure the tulips turn into daffodil-isque memory as Wordsworth would have approved of it.

From there we embarked on the journey to Gulmarg. My research said that in the beginning of April Gulmarg would still have snow but I wasn’t quite ready for what I saw.

As the car kept winding up the mountains a small patch of snow turned into bigger amalgamations and then the whole mountain façade was covered with snow telling us Gulmarg was still a snowy paradise and we were lucky.

We reached Gulmarg in the afternoon, just in time to witness the golden sunset hues turning the snowclad mountains into a hypnotic work of art. From the balcony of our hotel, we could see the gondolas going up and down too.

By the river Lidder

Day 3

Next day in the afternoon we checked out of our Gulmarg hotel and headed for Pahalgam. We followed the gurgling Lidder River and reached our hotel. It was raining cats and dogs and the sky had turned really dark. There was forecast of rain the next day as well, so we were quite sure our Pahalgam trip would be spent in the hotel.

Not someone to get deterred by the vagaries of the weather, Parbati and I promptly moved to the hotel restaurant and got down to some riveting adda catching up on old times over steaming cups of kahwa – yes by now I had fallen in love with the brew.

Betaab Valley, Aru Valley and Chandanwari

Day 4

A surprise awaited us in the next morning. The weather had cleared and the sun was in a cheery mood. In the dark when we had checked in, we had no clue the snow-topped mountains were right in front of our window. When the curtain parted the next morning the beauty of Kashmir emerged from behind them waiting to be discovered. I kept gaping at the mountains unable to move away from the window. But I had to get ready, we were supposed to explore Pahalgam that day.

I had seen the film Betaab on which Betaab Valley has been named. But when you see a place up close it’s a different feeling altogether. The driver stopped at a vantage point from where the entire valley was visible. We lapped up the entrancing view.

Then we proceeded to Aru Valley. It was beautiful but I liked Betaab Valley more and Chandanwari still had so much snow that we got down to making some snowballs and throwing it at each other.

Daksum

Day 5

This is an offbeat place that Parbati included in our itinerary. When we reached the place, we knew why. With just one hotel that overlooked a park, a small stream and the mountains, Daksum looked untouched and less touristy.

The hotel manager pointed to a villa located in the park, and told us it was a VIP Cottage where he would allot us two rooms. Five of us went to the cottage. The rooms were spacious, well decorated and the cottage windows opened up to the small stream.

We were going gaga over the place when Parbati’s instincts kicked in. She discovered the place had no heaters -it was very cold- and despite being just opposite the hotel, the route to it was rather roundabout and if we had any emergency in the night, it would be difficult to reach the hotel in the darkness.

She instantly called up the hotel manager and I realised how experience has transformed my shy, introvert college friend to a firm and assertive woman. She gave the manager a piece of her mind and in no time, we found ourselves in cozy heated rooms allotted to us in the hotel.

Snowfall at Sinthan Top

Day 6

Our Travellers would not be allowed to go all the way to Sinthan Top so two separate SUVs had been hired to take us there. Located at 12,500 feet above sea level, the uphill drive took us through winding roads over 37 km. Then it happened.

To our immense joy it started snowing. I had never imagined that in April I would be able to experience snowfall, but the flakes came down in a steady flow settling on our jackets and making us smile.

As we reached the top the whole place looked like a winter wonderland and it was terribly cold. We went for quick walks and returned to the car to warm up with the angeethi, hot Maggi and kahwa. The ethereal beauty of this place, untouched by civilization was a truly fascinating experience.

Srinagar

After breakfast we left Daksum and reached Srinagar. This day was meant for exploring on our own and some of us kept it for shopping too. We were staying in a hotel that was very close to Dal Lake, so we decided to go for a walk around it and catch the sunset there.

The place was throbbing with tourists and there were so many Bengalis that hearing them speak, I wondered if we were in Kashmir or in Bengal. We sat by the lake, saw the sky turn crimson, shikaras come home and the lights come up in the houseboats.

To pick up a few Kashmiri shawls we ended up in a shop, who promptly spoke to us in Bengali, and told us that they are the ones who showcase their shawls and clothing at exhibition space next to Peter Cat on Park Street. We bought, chatted and bade them goodbye.

Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh

Day 7

The next day we went to explore the famous Mughal Gardens that date back centuries. Emperor Jahangir built Shalimar Bagh in 1619 for Empress Nur Jahan. What is amazing is how the gardens are still impeccably maintained and attract thousands of tourists every year. Beautiful terraces, 400 fountains, chinar-lined avenues, and a central water channel called Shah Nahar, connecting it to Dal Lake, make Shalimar Bagh a truly enchanting abode.

Nishat Bagh is another architectural marvel with 12 terraces representing the zodiac signs, water channels, fountains and panoramic views of the Dal Lake and Zabarwan Mountains.

Many in our group went to the Shankaracharya Temple and the Hazratbal Shrine but we could not make it. We instead went for an autorickshaw ride covering the circumference of Dal Lake, with the auto driver as our guide.

Leaving Kashmir

Day 8

Kashmir made me emotional in a way that is hard to explain. It could be because of the fact that I waited so long to witness the beauty of this land, or it could be because of the warmth of the people wherever we went or it could be because I hadn’t ever witnessed such natural beauty before. Every bend, every walk, every climb had a wonder to offer, a wonder that often made me well up.

When we headed for the airport in the morning Kashmir bade us goodbye looking like a fairy queen. The weather had cleared and the entire Zabarwan Mountain range was visible in the distance. I kept staring at it with a heavy heart through the glass wall of the airport.

Hadn’t it been for Parbati’s seamless planning and organisation this trip would not have been this enjoyable. On top of that I cherished the time I spent with her chatting, gossiping and giggling late into the night, re-visiting our college days.

Why I am writing about Kashmir now

We returned on April 14, 2025 and the Pahalgam attack happened on April 22, 2025 and in an instant my beautiful memories of Kashmir were turned into a wreckage of pain and shock.

It literally took me a year to be able to revisit my memories. It’s only when I saw a recent reel of some tourists enjoying in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, I could sit at the keyboard and then the memories flowed…

Photographs by: Jaydip Sengupta, Vivaan Sengupta and Amrita Mukherjee