Srinagar Trip- Day 1

I was super-excited, a vacation with hubby and sans kids after 8 years! We planned a road trip starting from Srinagar passing through Kargil & culminating at Leh. The fun started even before I landed. My heart leapt with joy at the sight of the sight of lush green landscape, bright red and green sloping roofs and snow capped mountains as the aircraft descended to the J&K capital. My flight reached Srinagar Airport a couple of hours before hubby’s and it was a discomforting thought. As I seated on a chair in the arrival area all eyes were on me. My mind started racing, was it because I was alone or did I look suspicious. If on one hand Srinagar brings to our mind pictures of verdant landscapes and snowy mountains, then on the other it also brings to memory numerous gory acts. However, all my fears were put to rest by the end of the 2 hour long wait, I had chatted up everybody and extracted a lot of touristy information, which helped me cruise around Srinagar.
Our elderly but zealous  driver insisted on us sightseeing on the very 1st day and we agreed, albeit reluctantly.
                               
  The 1st stop was Chashme Shahi- This is the smallest of the three Mughal gardens and is built around a mineral rich fresh water spring. The spring was discovered by Rupa Bhavani a lady-saint from Kashmir. The water supposed to have medicinal properties.
Next stop Nishat Bagh-this translates into the “Garden of Joy” and is a beautiful garden 12 terraces which offer a breathtaking view of both the Dal lake and the Pir-Panjal ranges. There are numerous Chinar trees dotting the landscape and some as old as 320 years. Do hop on to the various terraces for some amazingly scenic views. These gardens are actually located on the banks of the Dal Lake, as if the beauty of the Gardens itself was not enough. And to top it all up you have the beautiful Zabarwan Mountains in the background, which had a perfect green cover with a few peaks tipped in white. 

Not only is the garden and the lake beautiful, but the view you get at the time of sunset if fantabulous- the sun, the clouds and the snowy peaks of the Pir Panjals reflect on the beautiful lake. The effect is such that it time seems to hold still and you get a sense that the view would have been just as grand hundreds of years ago- the Garden of Bliss indeed.
Shalimar Bagh- This magnificent garden was originally built in the 2nd Century AD by Raja Pravarsena II. Shalimar means the abode of love. The Gardens were extended and redone by the Mughals and the Maharajas after that. The Garden has some beautiful Chinar trees and has a canal flowing through it. Particularly striking is the Black Pavilion built during Jahangir’s time on which is inscribed the much bandied and yet revered Persian Expression that translates “if there is paradise on earth, its here…”.  
The green splendour, the ascending terraces, the steps lining the canal on both side and the beautiful fountains and buildings surrounded by grand trees is proof that some beauty is not merely contingent upon the eyes of the beholder. The greenery and the structures lend such amazing serenity to the place, it becomes difficult to imagine that you’re in the same place which has been torn apart by such irreconcilable strife.
My Kashmiri blogger friend had recommended Mughal darbar and that’s where we dined that night. To my amazement there was a lot of vegetarian fare on the menu, the food tasted divine and will be covered in another write up ;)Despite trying our best to get a room in a houseboat, we were unsuccessful and had to check into a regular hotel, although that hardly mattered because we were tired to the bone and the room presented a view of the lake.

Comments

  1. Thanks for writing about Srinagar Trip- Day 1. Nice information. Your trip experience was unique and you feel real adventure. You can also check best hotels in Srinagar with an best amenities.

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