A link to the past

A trip to Kashmir is usually with the objective of sight-seeing and going on a vacation. It is often heard people mention, "Why go to Switzerland when Kashmir is here?".  This is only simplifying things.  Switzerland has its own distinct place in the history and geography as well as a tourist destination. The same is true of Kashmir as well. A visit to Kashmir is something more; it is not merely sight-seeing or vacationing, but it is in realizing a link to the past. Time spent in Kashmir not only meets the routine interests of a tourist, but also brings in a realization that our history, culture or literature is incomplete without understanding Kashmir's contribution to them. As the highly respected scholar and teacher Prof Navjivan Rastogi mentions, "The Indian notion of Anadi  (beginningless time) and Ananta (endless worldly cycle) happens to be a great deterrent of any historical activity in the modren sense of measurable time".  The reality of this strikes us when we visit the Avantipura temple ruins.

Avantipura is in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.  It is between Srinagar and Anantnag and 29 kilometers from Srinagar on the NH 1A. Avantipura was the capital of King Awanti Varma of Utpal dynasty, who ruled between 855 AD to 883 AD. History has recorded that he was a forward looking King and his rule was prosperous and people friendly. He is said to have got many temples constructed among which a Shiva temple (Awantiswar temple) and a Vishnu temple (Awantiswamin temple) stand out. Tourists are taken to the ruins of the temple on the highway during the drive to Pahalgam.  

The temple site is maintained by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) which also maintains the ruins of other sites like temples built during King Lalitaditya's period. The temples have beautiful stone carvings and structures of that time. It is a reflection of the 9th century Kashmiri Shaivism.  It may be noted that the period of Anandavardhana who is considered as the most brilliant critic in Sanskrit literature and writer of celebrated work "Dhwanyaloka" coincided ( 820 AD to 890 AD) with the rule of Awanti Varma. It was the golden period of Kashmir's contribution to Literature and culture. 

The temple ruins have withstood the ravages of time and the intricate carvings on the stone slabs and decorations can be seen even now. ASI has maintained the sites very well and one can see many salient aspects of the construction of the temple by a detailed study of the temple site. Kashmir's history and literature can be understood better when one links the historical knowledge with the physical presence of the temple ruins. The pictures given alongside show some details of the remains of what once was a magnificent temple.  The layout of the temple as well as attention to even minor details in the carvings stand out as a testimony to the capabilities of the artisans of that period.

Many of the present names used in Kashmir have their roots in its past history. Varaha-mula is now Baramulla and Rajapuram has become Rajouri. Panchals is now referred as Pir Panjals. Present Jammu was known as Jamboo then. Kashmir rulers were patrons of poets, philosophers and artists. They had control over large parts of India and their rule extended to as far as Punjab, Kalinga (Orissa-Andhra), Malwa (Madhya Bharat including Ujjain and Indore) and Gujarat. Doyens of literature like Acharya Abhinava Gupta  have enriched our literature, art and culture.

A trip to kashmir is indeed a great sight-seeing opportunity.  It is truly a place for enjoying one's vacation.  It is also a time to remember its rich cultural heritage and pay our tributes to the contribution made to our generation and mankind at large. 

Gondola ride at Gulmarg

Tourists visiting Kashmir proceed to Gulmarg after their sight seeing trips from their base in Pahalgam.  Gulmarg is a hill station in a cup shaped valley of the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayan mountains.  It is at a distance of about 140 kilometers from Pahalgam and the journey by road takes about 3 to 4 hours, depending the stops on the way.  Gulmarg can also be reached directly from Srinagar by covering a distance of 56 kilometers in about 2 hours.  This place in the Baramulla district is one of the main tourist attractions and a visit to Kashmir is incomplete without a Gondola ride at Gulmarg. 

Gulmarg's original name was "Gauri marg", named after Godess Parvati, meaning the "Fair one". This was later changed as "Gulmarg", meaning "Meadow of flowers", thus indicating several types of wild flowers that bloom in the valley during the spring and summer months. The area is snow-clad in the winter months and is hence a favored destination for skiing and other winter sports. Gulmarg has the world's highest Golf Course at 8700 feet from sea level. The nature's bounty with the background of white snow and greenery around is a treat to the tourists and especially joyous to the children. 

From the base of Gulmarg town, tourists can reach higher levels in the snow clad peaks by taking a ride in Gulmarg Gondola.  The gondola ride can be had in two stages; the first of 400 meters or 1312 feet from Gulmarg to Kongdori and the second of 880 meters or 2887 feet from Kongdori to Aphawat peak. Gondola company charges a fare of Rupees 600 and 800 respectively for the two rides. This is the highest ropeway in the world and travel in the Gondola is indeed a pleasure.  Tourists need warm winter dress to enjoy the cool weather at the top of the peaks and the dresses are available for hire in the town as well as near the gondola station.

The Gondola project was completed about 8 years ago and is a safe and covered travel aid to the higher levels.  One can see the old cable car pillars of yesteryears alongside the new Gondola pillars which provided uncovered two-seater cable rides. The ride up to Kongdori opens up vast snow areas for the tourists to play in the snow and have other attractions like sledge ride, motorized sledge rides to higher levels and similar snow rides. Tourists are mobbed by the local sledge operators and they try their best to persuade even the old and unwilling to take sledge rides.

"Sledge" is usually a vehicle mounted on runners and drawn by animals or horses. But in Gulmarg, sledge is actually a wooden implement that is drawn by a person by pulling a rope tied to the sledge.  It is rather difficult to sit on them for the aged people. The marketing tricks used by the sledge operators makes a wonderful study in "Sales and marketing". They have a ready answer for every query or doubt and never quit at any stage of argument or bargaining. They find the weaker link in the family groups to convince the other unwilling members of the family and almost always succeed in catching their quota of tourists. The tourist is made to sit on them and pulled up to a higher level as agreed for a fare.  On the return journey, the sliding is quite fast and the base is reached in a matter of seconds. 

Tourists coming from other parts of Kashmir cannot use the vehicles hired from there in Gulmarg.  They have to use the horses available locally for traveling small distances to their hotels after returning from Gondola rides, in case they are unable to walk back. A one day trip to Gulmarg is highly rewarding provided the weather is pleasant. Otherwise, an extended day's stay will be required if the schedule so permits. 

Dal Lake's Floating Market

The first destination for any tourist visiting Kashmir is the "Dal Lake".  This stems from two reasons; its importance among the places of interest in Kashmir and easy accessibility. Tourists arrive in Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar either by road or by air and the visit to tourist destinations starts from Srinagar.  Dal Lake being located in the city itself naturally makes it the first place to visit.  While tourists proceed to other centers like Pahalgam and Gulmarg later on, the first day's plan is always in and around the Dal Lake.  Devoting the first evening for the Dal Lake with a "Shikara" ride followed by a night's stay in the "Houseboats" has become an unwritten rule for the visitors to Kashmir. 

Dal Lake is the second biggest lake in Kashmir.  (Wular Lake which is about 60 Kilometers north of Srinagar is even bigger than Dal lake).  It is called as "Srinagar's Jewel" and occupies a pride of place among the tourist destinations. Its shoreline is nearly 10 miles long (16 Kilometers) and provides the background for the beauty of the city of Srinagar. It occupies an area of 18 square kilometers and is fed by the inflows from Jhelum river.  Fishing and Water Plant harvesting are the important activities in the lake besides tourism related movements.  The famous Shalimar and Nishat Gardens created during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jehangir are along its perimeter.  The lake gives different views depending on the seasons. In spring, there are many flowering water plants.  In July and August, Lotus flowers bloom adding to the beauty of the lake.  The lake freezes in winter and becomes a huge mass of ice. Ice is broken during this time to provide paths for the Shikaras and boats to move in the lake.

Dal Lake finds reference in various ancient Sanskrit texts and is mentioned in them as "Mahasarit" (महासरित्).  As per ancient history of Kashmir, there was a village to the east of Dal Lake by name "Isabar", fed by a spring "Shatadhara" (शतधारा).  A temple of Godess Durga who was popularly called as "Sureshwari" graced this village. There is a hill overlooking the Dal Lake with a temple referred to as "Shankaracharya Temple", with a cave in which Acharya Adi Shankara is said to have sat in penance during his visit to kashmir.  It may also be recalled that Shankaracharya named his famous and scholarly disciple Mandana Mishra as "Sureshvaracharya" after giving sanyas to him and made him the first pontiff of the "Dakshinamnaya Peetham" in Sringeri of Karnataka.      


Houseboats are one of the main attractions in the Dal Lake. There are hundreds of house boats in the lake that provide lodging facilities to the tourists. The boats are constructed using the "Devadaru" (Himalayan Cedar) tree material.  Devadaru in sanskrit means "The tree of the Gods". This is considered as the ideal material due to its water resistant quality and capacity to withstand standing in water for long periods of time. Unlike houseboats in Kerala which move around in the backwaters, house boats in Dal Lake are mostly stationary and fixed to the ground. But they do provide some amount of vibrations and give a feeling of movement. The houseboats have seating space to enjoy the beauty of the lake and scenery as well as other conveniences available in hotel rooms.  The walls and ceilings are made from panels with intricate wood carvings.  They are furnished with thick carpets and other handicrafts reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir.  The rents are to be negotiated if the tourist is not on an arranged tour by a tour operator.  The boat owners provide breakfast and dinner on request and the food is cooked in their houses that are just behind the houseboats.

Shikara is a beautifully and colorfully decorated boat that provides transportation on the lake and is used for both movement to the houseboats from the shore as well as pleasure ride on the big lake. Hundreds of Shikaras can be seen lined along the Dal Lake and a trip to Kashmir is incomplete without a joy ride on the lake in a Shikara for at least one hour. Any time of the day or night is fine, but most prefer an early morning ride or late evening ride just before sunset.  The shikaras have been made immortal by the famous song "Ye chand sa roshan chehra" in the 1964 film "Kashmir ki Kali", starring Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore.  Shammi Kappoor was so much fascinated by Dal Lake that he spent lots of time visiting the lake and staying in the houseboats there.  As per Shammi Kapoor's wish, after his death in 2011, his ashes were immersed in the Dal Lake.  A galaxy of Bollywood stars including Sharmila Tagore were present during the immersion.

A very important attraction on the Dal lake is its floating market.  As one sets out on the lake in a Shikara, the tourist is swarmed by a number of boats around him offering various items for sale.  The items include routine things from bread to toothpaste as well as items of jewelry, handicrafts, saffron, flowers and vegetables. It is called as a floating market since the buyer as well as seller are in boats floating on the Dal Lake waters.  The tourist has the option of getting his shikara parked outside houseboats of bigger shops selling handicrafts, shawls and other items as well. Once the purchase is concluded, the shikara again takes off and proceeds to the next shop on another houseboat!  The continuous chase by the traders often puts off a tourist, but that is the beauty of the floating market on the Dal Lake.  Of course, there are innumerable tourists who enjoy shopping on the waters and hard bargaining that goes on.  An item initially quoted at Two Thousand Rupees is sold finally for as low as Three Hundred at times.  There are boats with Kashmiri dresses for taking photos of tourists in the local costumes as well.  Cash is the King here and cards are not that favored even in big shops.

"Save Dal Lake" boards can be seen in many places in and around the Lake.  Lake water is not to be touched and swarms of mosquitos are to be seen around.  The Lake overflows during the rainy season and entering the houseboats also poses problems.  Cleaning the waters and improving the facilities for tourists is the requirement of the day.

Pictures taken in our camera do not do justice to the beautiful lake and the activities.  Hence photos from the internet have been used in this post.  Our visit last week to Dal Lake, Shikara rides, shopping on the floating market and stay in Houseboat will be treasured for ever.