Skywatch Friday - World's tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava

It was pleasant drive from Gangtok. We drove on the winding roads through the tea gardens of Sikkim to Namchi town. We were on our mission to see the world's tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Buddhists in Sikkim.

At 118 feet tall on Samdruptse hill on the outskirts of the town, this is the tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava in the world. It virtually soars into the sky as you can see in this picture. ( click on the picture to see it in original size) On a clear day, you can see lovely Kanchenjunga in the horizon from the hill .

 World's third largest statue of Shiva is on the opposite hill known as Siddheshwar Dhaam.

If you are visiting Sikkim, don't miss this small but interesting town. It can be easily covered on the way to Siliguri from Gangtok.

You may also look at this post which has details on Shiva statue in Siddheshwar dhaam

Skywatch Friday - Two tallest Shiva statues in the world!

While in Sikkim, we went for a spectacular drive to Nathula the border post on India - China border. The details of our experience is captured in this post. Please click on the link below.

Nathula - A Spectacular drive to China border in Sikkim

You may also look at other interesting posts in Skywatch Friday series here.

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - Mountains and the Valley!

When you drive in Kashmir and Ladakh, you are invariably greeted with lovely vistas. We always feel that when you are in Ladakh, it is the journey that is captivating than the destination itself. Though the destinations themselves are fabulous - like Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri - the curiosity of expecting changing landscape is what makes the trip to Ladakh always a thrilling experience.

It happened with us too during our trip to the region in August this year. This time, we drove from Srinagar. The valley was uncharacteristically hot. The rains had not arrived. The peaks were naked bereft of any snow. When we left Sonmarg and started driving, we were looking for the first opportunity to see the snow. After few hours of drive, we saw this valley and we felt our prayers were answered.

Why not? Here was a lovely valley. Green in the foreground with snow covered peaks in the horizon. While we would have loved a clear sky, the clouds bring their own charm. The shadow play was excellent. One part of the valley lit by morning sun and the other under the shadow. The brown was perfect contrast to the black.

Click on the picture to see it in larger size.

For more interesting posts in Skywatch Friday Series, please click on this link below.

Skywatch Friday

For more stories on our adventures in Ladakh, please check out 9 part series "Ladakh Diaries" here.

Ladakh Diaries

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Skywatch Friday - St Clair's Falls, Sri Lanka

We were driving from Nuwara Eliya to Hatton. The sky was overcast. The road was in bad condition as they were widening it and we had to slow down. We did not mind it as the landscape of Hatton valley was outstandingly beautiful. Suddenly we saw this lovely falls. Thanks to good rains over the previous week, the falls had some water. 

Called us "Niagara of Sri Lanka", it is situated 3 km west of the town of Talawakele on the Hatton-Talawakele Highway in Nuwara Eliya District. The falls derive its name from a nearby tea estate. The Falls is 80m high and hence 20th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. St. Clair's falls comprises two falls called "Maha Ella" (Sinhalese "The Greater Fall") and "Kuda Ella," (Sinhalese "The Lesser Fall") which is 50m high and was created by a tributary of Kotmale Oya.

Waterfalls in full glory after rains (Photo Courtesy - Ishani Narahenpita)

If you are travelling in Sri Lanka, don't miss the drive from Nuwara Eliya to Hatton. It is a lovely drive. If you travel after the rains you will be greeted by numerous waterfalls on the way. 

Don't miss the following posts on Sri Lanka in this blog

a) If you are a Cricket lover, you should read this post 

Cricket Club Cafe - Eat Cricket, Drink Cricket, Watch Cricket!

b) For more vistas of Hill Country in Sri Lanka, you may look at the following posts in this blog

Skywatch Friday - Gregory Lake, Nuwara Eliya

Skywatch Friday - A home in the Hill country, Sri Lanka

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Skywatch Friday - A view from the Top Station, Munnar

We were in Munnar last week.

Munnar in monsoon is mindblowingly beautiful.

One of the "Must see' places in Munnar is the "Top Station" on the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border in South India.

As the same suggests, it is one of the highest points of Kannan Devan Hill ranges @ 6170 feet. It used to be the highest station on the Kundala valley railway - now defunct - built by British to transport tea chest from hills to railway station in Bodinayakanur.  It overlooks a breathtakingly beautiful valley giving you a 180 degree view.

We went there in the afternoon. The fog was rising up. The sun was still shining. The shadow play on the hills was already on.

We clicked this picture. We liked the contrast of red roof of a building - a church - with surrounding green.

The blue sky with white clouds completed the frame. Click on the picture to see it in original size.

We urge you to go to Munnar now when it is raining. It is green everywhere disturbed only by the white cascades flowing from the mountains.

We will come back with detailed posts on our experience in Munnar. Stay tuned.

If you are interested to experience Indian monsoon in all its glory, here is the list for you. Please click on the link below.

Celebrating Indian Monsoon - A List!

For other posts in Skywatch Friday series, please click here.

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - A Ladakh sight near home!

A raised high ground.

Surrounded by rich green corn fields.

The golden turrets of the monastery glowing in the afternoon sun.

Overcast sky.

The contrast was striking!

The setting looked almost the one you see in Ladakh.

Clouds in place of snow clad mountains and corn fields replacing barley fields.

The Monastery was magnificent.

But this was closer home. In Bylakuppe. In Karnataka which has the largest Tibetan settlement. We have been to this place many times. The drive from highway to golden temple is always a lovely sight. Especially in the months of August - September when the vast fields of corn stalks standing shoulder high on the undulating terrain. Miles and miles of it. All due to hard work by the Tibetans.

We stopped on the road when we noticed this. It looked as if we were in Ladakh. But closer home!

(Please click on the photo to get larger view)

For other lovely posts of under Skywatch Friday in this blog, please click on the link below.

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - A French Chateau in Himalayan foot hills!

This structure is stunning.

A great example of aesthetics of our erstwhile Maharajahs. 

Imagine a river flanked by mighty mountains on one side and a small hillock on the other.

A French Chateau is built at a place where there is a bend in the river!

This offers lovely views of the river flowing below and the Himalayas in the distant horizon! 

This is "Amar Mahal Palace" in Jammu in the Himalayan sate of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The French chateau in Himalayan Foot hills! We were here in August last year.

Designed by a French architect, the palace built in red sandstone with red bricks is in a picturesque environment on a hillock overlooking the Tawi river valley. Built in the European Castle style, the palace has sloping roofs with turrets and tall towers.

The imposing building has long passages on three sides, which are covered by sloping corrugated tin roofs. The passages are supported on columns with wooden framework. The first floor of the palace building has French windows with connected balcony. The top floor has a bay window. The windows also depict triangular projections in classical Greek Architectural style, which are fitted over ornate false columns

The Palace is now a lovely museum and a centre of artistic excellence in Jammu. Take a look at these pictures. (Photos enlarge when clicked)

We clicked this picture in the twilight of the evening.

If you pass by Jammu, make sure you pay a visit to this lovely place. The palace is located in the sprawling royal estate which also houses the lovely heritage hotel "Hari Niwas Palace".

For other interesting posts in Skywatch Friday series, please click here.

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - London Bridge, Melbourne

In March 2008, I went to Melbourne for a Month on business. Whenever i tease Poorna on his trip to New york and London, he will remind me of Melbourne!

Melbourne is a cute little city which does not have the hustle bustle of Sydney. This is a typical Aussie city. Laid-back. Fun loving. Easy going.

On one of the weekends, we went on a trip to see Seven Apostles and drive on the Great Ocean road. The weather was perfect. We also happened to go on a helicopter ride over the ocean. 

The view of London bridge from the sky was just fabulous! Originally a natural archway and tunnel in an offshore rock formation, however, it collapsed in 1990 and became a bridge without a middle.

When you travel to Australia, don't miss visiting Melbourne and to go on a drive on the Great Ocean road to see the bridge and Seven Apostles.

You may also click on the link below for other posts in "Skywatch Friday" series

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - Palace in the Sky!

When did you last see an Indian mythological on your TV screen?

We all would have seen the scenes of the palace in the sky in them. Those grand sets of Indra's palace floating in the sky with clouds moving around. How would you feel if you are offered a similar sight on the ground?

This is the first impression you get when you are driving from Belgaum towards Bangalore. You come out the hustle bustle of city traffic and enter one of the lovely stretch of highway in the country. You negotiate to the top of a high ground overlooking a fantastic valley of green expanse. Then you take slight left turn and comes the surprise!

You will see a palace kind of a building on a small high ground in the distance. Wow! you exult and you are now eager to come closer and see the palace.

Yes, this is what happened when we were driving back from Goa last week. Monsoon clouds provided a perfect background which made this building float in the sky from a distance.

This is the newest addition to fabulous public buildings in the country. A replica of fantastic "Vidhana Soudha" the assembly hall in Bangalore. This is "Suvarna Soudha", the assembly hall and secretariat of Government of Karnataka for Summer sittings.

We stopped and clicked the pictures of the building. Being a holiday there was no chance for us to go inside.

Here is what we saw. Please click on pictures to see them in original size.

This is how it looks from the distance....in the clouds!

We come closer and click at an angle. We loved the sky and clouds above.

This one shot in front and zoomed. It is just fabulous!

When you drive on this road next time, stop for a minute. take a pause and get awed at this lovely sight.

For other posts in Skywatch series, please click here.

Skywatch Friday series

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Skywatch Friday - Monsoon skies in Kashmir

This blog is celebrating Indian monsoon in the last few posts. 

We have written about monsoon magic in the western ghats. How does this magic transform the mountains in North India? In the Himalayas?

We had a first hand experience last year when we went to Kashmir to trek the great lakes. Landing in Srinagar, we had to travel to Sonmarg in a bus. We were a large group taking this trek. Rains had lashed the Kashmir valley in the previous weeks. We were keeping our fingers crossed even as we looked at the overcast sky.

Leaving the narrow roads of Srinagar behind, we headed towards Sonmarg, our camp for the night. A drive for an hour, we are in the middle of rural Kashmir. We parked the bus next to a Dhaba for a tea break. It was bang on the bank of Indus river which was flowing full. Around the river were green fields of paddy. Stretching for miles. Disturbed only by rows of poplar trees.

We walked around the area to feel the fresh air and savour lovely vistas. Here are some pictures. Click on them to see in original size.

Monsoon is a lovely season to visit Kashmir. No crowds. Streams and waterfalls rolling down the hills. Clouds kissing the mountains. Yes, you will not be able to see the snow capped peaks. That will be an excuse to come back again either in autumn or summer.

Because, you will never be tired of Kashmir!

Here is a list for celebrating Indian monsoon in all its glory. Click on the link below.

Celebrating Indian Monsoon - A List!

We invite you to check out the following posts on our Kashmir experience.

Spectacular Srinagar 1 - Floating market on Dal Lake

Spectacular Srinagar 2 - Lullaby on Dal and Nagin lakes!

Spectacular Srinagar 3 - Magnificent Mughal gardens

Yusmarg - the hidden wonder of Kashmir

You may also take a look at other posts under Skywatch series here

Skywatch Friday

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Skywatch Friday - A Church with a Garuda Gamba!

During Christmas holidays, we were in Vagamon in Kerala. We stayed in lovely Vanilla County which we had featured in 17 cool options to beat the heat in South India. We arrived for lunch from Kovalam. After a sumptuous Kerala lunch, our genial host Baby Mathew suggested that if we are not tired, we can visit the sunset point near Teekoy at Ellappara. 

We never say no to exploring new things and were game for it. Maju, the right hand man of Mr Mathew accompanies us for the drive to sunset point at Ellapara We leave the home stay and hit the highway. After few kilometres of drive on the highway we take a detour. This is a hill road and sheer climb to the highest point in Mavadi hills. Winding road through plantations and forest take us to the sunset point. We were in time to watch sun go down in the horizon.

As we prepared to leave, we notice the church - where we had parked the car - with a brass pillar in front. It looked like Garuda Gamba or the holy flag post which we normally find in front of Hindu temples in South India. We got curious and went closer to check. Yes, everything was same except for a "Holy cross" on the top of the post! It was unusual and surprise to us. Maju said churches in in Kerala uses such pillars for flag hoisting. 

Interesting indeed. Amalgamation of two religions, two traditions! Isn't this what we call India?

You can also read this post on this blog to know more about "Garuda Gamba"

Skywatch Friday - Garuda & Sky!

Postscript - More about unexplored Vagamon in future posts on this blog. Keep tuned.

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Skywatch Friday - Holy Cross on a colourful hill in Goa!

This was the surprise element of the Monsoon Drive to Goa we did in June this year. 

After reaching Goa in a convoy, H V Kumar, the legendary road tripper of India had a lovely surprise for us. We reached Anjuna police station and took right. As we drove, we could see a lovely hillock on the left and few bungalows on the right. We all parked our cars at the foothills of this hillock.

The hill was strewn with many boulders. Someone with colourful imagination had painted these boulders in different colours there by giving a surreal look to the whole landscape. And this Kumar had noticed during his reconnaissance trip and wanted to give us a surprise! Thanks to him and we were able to see this lovely place. It is a small hill with pathways leading to the top. We climbed the hillock for a beautiful view of Vagator beach from the top. 

As we were walking around enjoying the rain, breeze and lovely vistas, a small installation of holy cross caught our eye. We walked up to the spot. We could see small cross fixed to a ground with a small ceramic cup at the base of the cross to help light a candle. 

The setting was uplifting. A small cross on a lovely hill overlooking a mighty ocean! A place of tranquillity worthy of a place for meditation.

When you go to Goa next time do visit this lovely place. We do not know the name of this hillock. But it is very close to the New Anjuna police station.

As we enter the Yuletide season, we wish you all all  "A Merry Christmas". May all your wishes be fulfilled and dreams come true!

You may also be interested to look at the following posts on Christmas in this blog

Go Goa in Christmas!

Skywatch Friday - Christmas sky from Goa!

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Skywatch Friday - Sunrise in Pondicherry

Sunrise on the beach is always a nice experience.

A calm sea. Azure sea shore.

An empty beach with no one around.

This was clicked on a morning in September 2010

On the "Big beach" of Club Mahindra in Pondicherry in South India.

The cloudy sky was to play spoilsport.

Suddenly the sun comes out blazinng.

Golden rays lighting up the sky.

Turning it into myriad of colours.....blue, orange, grey.....

The rays strike the cloud

Streaks lighting up the edges as sun peeps out

It looked as if the sun had wings on that day.........

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Skywatch Friday

Diwali in India - Celebrated differently!

Wishing you all and your families a very happy and prosperous Diwali/Dipavali!

Diwali or Dipavali is the biggest festival in India. A festival which is celebrated across the country. "Festival of lights" as it is called is a time for families to come together and celebrate with joy. Communities come together in bonhomie. 

India being such a diverse country, it was not a surprise to read about Diwali being celebrated differently in some parts of our own home state , Karnataka. Away from the noises of crackers here are two unique traditions which are interesting.

Diwali celebration by Lambanis

Lambanis are nomadic tribes who are found in large numbers in the central districts of Chitradurga, Davanagere and Bellary. A hard working tribe who have a their unique tradition and culture, Diwali is celebrated in a differently by them. In "Tandas" as Lambani settlements are known, Diwali is celebrated by unmarried girls. Many Hindu festivals are normally observed by married women. But here is a difference. Men and married women are not allowed to join the festivities! 

Diwali or "Dawali" as it is called by Lambanis is celebrated by unmarried girls. Starting with worshipping of Goddess Lakshmi on new moon day - the second day of Diwali - the girls get dressed up in traditional attire and carry traditional oil lamps to the head of the tanda - village head - and worship the deity in his house. On the next day - "Bali Padyami" - these girls go into the forests early in the morning to pluck the wild flowers, dancing and singing all along. After collecting flowers, they reach the temple of village goddess and worship her with the flowers collected.

From the temple, the girls visit every home in the tanda, light the traditional lamp in the house and bless it. The rounds of the houses done, the sound of drums invite the girls to come to the house of village head man. Fully decked in traditional lambani dress which is very colourful, the girls reach the house where festivities start. The girls dance to Lambani folk tunes accompanied by drum beats. The lovely rhythm and colourful attire of the girls is a treat to the eyes. Fire crackers are burst during this time. The dance normally take 2 hours after which the elders bid farewell to the girls who go to the temple of village goddess again and pay obeisance. 

Temple rituals done, the girls go to every house in the evening where holy cow dung is worshipped with offering of milk and flowers. The rituals end with everyone in the tanda getting together for festive dinner in the house of village head man.

Building castles on Diwali

We don't know when this tradition started. But this is quite interesting. 

In some villages of Belgaum district, Diwali brings in the spirit of castle building among the children. As soon as Dasara festivities end, the children start planning for building miniature castles in the village on Diwali day. Using local materials, these children design their castles with imagination. Long holidays for school during Dasara help them to start preparations early. The kids in the village go around and collect donations to build the castle. 

Theses castles look real with gates, turrets, guard houses, cannons and of course the king on the throne! The competitive spirit among the kids ensure that you get the best out of them. The elders in the villages judge the winner of the best castle and the team making it is awarded. 

These castles have become cynosure with people from neighbouring villages and towns descending to see them. 

Check out this nice video by Prakash Manjrekar on the castle building

Diwali - Fort Making

If you are around these villages or driving in the region, check out these lovely castles!

Postscript - This is a abridged and translated version of articles which was published in "Prajavani" the leading Kannada newspaper. We are thankful to the authors Usha Prashant ( for Lambanis) and Sudhakar Talawara ( For Castle).

You may also check the following interesting posts on "Diwali in India" by clicking the link below.

Diwali In Amritsar

Skywatch Friday - Fireworks over Tunga River

Skywatch Friday - Diwali Night sky

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Yusmarg - Hidden wonder of Kashmir!

Why are we writing about Yusmarg of all the places in Kashmir? It is simple. Though close to Srinagar, it is a hidden wonder. Very few visit Yusmarg. Blame it on Militancy and closeness to Pir Panjal ranges, it was not heard by many. Till now.

Before i share our experiences in Yusmarg, First things first.

First. No, we did not do the "Great Lakes Trek" i had written about. Rain in the mountains played spoilsport and we did not want to take the risk. Previous groups had a miserable experience of staying in their bivouac for 48 hours in torrential downpour. Not a good experience of getting stuck like that. When we reached Srinagar, the weather forecast was not encouraging but we were hoping for the best. Finally, when  we made it to Sonamarg, our start point, we heard that rains were certainty. Now we had to take a call. We decided against going though some in the group wanted to go ahead and take a chance.

Second. Kashmir is absolutely Safe and Normal. 

We never had any plan B. Now we had to make one. With almost eight days at our disposal, we had enough time to explore. The plan was finalised. We decided to make use of the opportunity to explore around Srinagar, visit Mata Vaishno Devi temple near Jammu, drive down from there to Dharamsala, onwards to Amritsar before catching the flight to Bangalore.

To say Kashmir is "Jannat" or "Heaven" is an understatement. It is a beautiful beyond words. The place, the people, the cuisine........... We had a lovely time.

Muzaffar, our cabbie was introduced to us by Yasmin who runs a lovely home stay in Srinagar. He had come to pick us up at the airport when we arrived and had shown around Srinagar on that afternoon. A tall and lanky man with flowing beard, he looked pious and religious kind of a guy. I, as usual, started the conversation with him asking how the situation in the valley is, the houseboats, shikaras, Dal lake, floating market, Mughal gardens, Hazratbal shrine etc....He seemed knowledgeable and very positive. He was feeling bad that Afzal Guru's hanging in February and the situation in the valley aftermath of the incident reduced the tourist inflow in peak season of April-May. 

"Janab" He said - this is how Kashmiris address - "You see for yourself and judge. Do you feel insecure here?" 

"No" i reply.

He is right. The city is normal. This is the same refrain i heard from many Kashmiris i spoke to in the city. "Srinagar is safe and normal. Mainstream media does not want to highlight positives of the valley."

"Where do you take us tomorrow" i ask Muzaffar, getting down from the car after a quick tour of Srinagar.

"Yusmarg" pat comes his reply. I look at Brinda and she blinks too. We had not heard of this place at all. I had heard of Gulmarg but not Yusmarg. 

"Jannat hai Janab. Better than Gulmarg"

"Ok, Let us do it then. Let us start after breakfast in the morning". He leaves and confirm that he will be here next morning.

Sitting next to him the car, I ask him the story behind the name "Yusmarg". He says that the word "Yus" is a short form of Yusuf which is the Arabic word for Jesus. Marg - means Valley in Kashmiri. The legend is that Jesus came to Kashmir through this valley and hence the name Yusmarg. 

We drive through dusty, crowded streets of Srinagar. The town is bustling with energy after previous day's Hartal. For the next few KMs the drive is inconsequential. Mid way at Nagam, we start climbing and the road becomes curvy as we drive along a large valley. The landscape is green - brown and the road is flanked by the orchards of Apple, Pear and Almond. It is a bright afternoon and the weather is pleasant. The road is good. We cross the town of Charar-e-sharif famous for its Dargah of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-u-din Wali, locally known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir. A shrine of importance for all Kashmiris, the town became more famous in nineties when the militants laid siege to it and hid inside. A long drawn gunfight between Indian Army and Militants liberated the shrine

Apple trees on the way

Dargah of Charar-e-sharif

Leaving Charar-e-sharif behind, we climb gradually. The road opens up and we see pine and cedars appearing on the horizon. There is a nip in the air laced with pine and cedar as we leave behind the valley. A large meadow with cedars in the background appears at a distance. Muzaffar assures that this is only the beginning. We just can't stop from getting down and clicking some pictures. The stream, meadows and the trees make it picture perfect.

We drive for another kilometre and come to a pristine lake next to the road. It looks like a lake you will find in Europe. Thankfully, there is no boating and the lake is still unspoilt. Driving on, we reach the tourist information centre of Yusmarg. It is Sunday but there is hardly a crowd. Which is good for us. We find horses and their handlers - Gujjars - around. Gujjars are a nomadic community in the Himalayas who live in mountains and rear sheep. During winter, they migrate to valleys and in summers they go back to mountains. Hardy people for whom moving in the mountains is a cakewalk.

The lake at the entrance of Yusmarg......You can notice tourist huts by J&K Tourism in the horizon

We look for any information on the place. Like many places in India, we don't find any. A small board near the car park area gives details of the places that can be seen along with rates for horse ride. There is absolutely no information how to explore the place if one does not want to go riding. We are the only few visitors in Yusmarg on this day and we get surrounded by Gujjars. These guys are quite amiable unlike the ones we saw in Gulmarg. They plead with us to take a ride. Unsure about the safety, we are reluctant to get on one. Rashid, the guy with a horse, assures us that nothing wrong would happen. He is willing take us to Dargah and then to Doodh Ganga for Rs 350 each.

"Can we go by foot?" I ask Rashid.

"Yes" he says pausing for a moment and then adds, "You can. But the trail is muddy due to overnight rain".

But we haven't come prepared and are wearing only walking sandals. There is no chance of trekking here without proper shoes. I was also not sure if there were any guides. Thus, we didn't have an option but to hop on to the horses. If you don't do these treks on the horse, there is nothing to do in Yusmarg. We get an additional helper to go along with Brinda apart from the handler.

We start our exploration of Yusmarg. Imtiaz, a ten-year-old kid comes along with me while Rashid and his friend go with Brinda. We walk on the newly built pathway towards Doodh Ganga and turn left towards the Pine forests after ten minutes. We are now in charming countryside. The trail goes through pine and cedar forests. The trees are tall and big. We can see lumbering operations going on. We cross the tiny hamlet of Rashid and his fellow Gujjars and move deeper into the forest. 

The muddy trail though the lovely forests.......Pine and Cedars all around. 

Brinda on the horse with helper and handler

The Alpine temperate forests are unlike the tropical ones we have seen in South India. There is not much undergrowth and the trees are either Cedar or Pine. The tree cover is not dense allowing enough sun to lit up the trail. Moti, my ride looks younger and spirited. He negotiates the ups and downs of the trail with aplomb. It is mostly down hill. Sometimes he makes his own trail going off the beaten track. Ever alert Imtiaz brings him back.

"Don't hold the reins tight" says Imtiaz. He teaches me how to use right or left rein to control the horse. I nod and test my understanding. I am sitting on a horse after 30 Years. Last time i sat was during my days in Military Academy in Madras. None of us opted for Equestrian club as Horse riding was considered as buggery. So this was my maiden attempt to ride a horse. Brinda in front was nervous initially but got her confidence after the helper also came along. 

An hour's ride in pristine forest brings us to a lovely stream. Across the stream is a small Dargah of Peer baba. I ask Rashid about the Dargah. Rashid says that there used to be a baba who lived in these forests revered by Gujjars. On his death, the Small dargah was built. Gujjars pay obeisance to him. A festival is celebrated once a year in his memory.

Lovely landscape around Dargah

The small dargah of Peer Baba

Gujjars crossing the stream

We get down from our ride. It is refreshing to be in the middle of nowhere, amidst pristine woods with gorgeous panoramic views. The place reminds you of the painting you would have done as a kid in the school. As stream flanked by woods with hills as backdrop, a small hut........

I am not sure how long this place will remain untouched. But for now, this is just a paradise. It reminded me of our trip to Valley of Flowers last year. We did not see many wild flowers here though.

The ride from now to Doodh Ganga followed the stream. We climb and walk through the woods. Moti balances well on the loose stones and move quickly. Imtiaz is vigilant as ever and make sure that Moti does not go astray. I am also gaining confidence and enjoying it. We now reach a high ground. We see a stream rolling by and a lovely valley in front of us. Climbing down from the mount we walk down to the stream. The stream flowing over the rocks create a small waterfall. This place is known as Doodh Ganga. Doodh in Hindi is Milk and Ganga is a metaphor any river/stream in India.

Doodh Ganga valley

Doodh Ganga 

We spend few minutes in the place. We now see more visitors coming in. Doodh Ganga is the place which most visita as it is the nearest place from the Tourist Information centre. The cost of horse ride is also cheap. From Doodh Ganga, the return trail is a sheer climb and the horses struggle a bit as the ground is slushy and slippery. But they manage well. 

Few minutes of climb and we are back on flat trail. We now see beautiful meadows on either side of the trail. The tourism department has built lovely cottages on these meadows. I am not sure whether it is open as we could see the main tourist information centre being under construction. Thankfully, Yusmarg is still not commercialised and the stay options are only managed by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism. 

Isn't this lovely!

A Gujjar with his cattle

Our horse ride in the mountains is over. It is an exhilarating experience. We thank Rashid, Imtiaz and pay them generous tips. They are happy. Rashid invites us to his home for a cup of "Gujjar tea". His house is far and we had to leave. We decline his offer politely, have a cup of tea in the only restaurant in Yusmarg which is managed by J&K Tourism department. 

The restaurant is located on a high ground on a meadow overlooking the lake. We see a Kashmiri family enjoying the picnic lunch. As we stroll on the meadows, two cute little Gujjar girls come to us and say hello. It is a holiday for the school and they have gone to the forest to pick up some produce. They look lovely and innocent. I give some chocolates and bid them goodbye.

Lovely girls of Yusmarg

We start our journey back. Few minutes on the road, we are greeted by rain. The sun and the rain play hide and seek as we drive along the valley. I look through the window to see a lovely rainbow above the valley.

Muzaffar show us Almond orchards as we drive along. He stops suddenly when he sees a family plucking the almonds. He gets down and talks to them in Kashmiri. He asks us to get down and shows us how the almonds are harvested. The almonds here are different than the ones with juicy exterior we have seen in South India. There is a small kernel which opens to a soft shell in which will be hidden the almond seed. The family is generous and asks us to take the almonds if we wished. Muzaffar gets a big bag and fills up with raw almonds. I ask him if we have to pay anything. He suggests Rs 100 as a token. The family is not willing to accept saying that we are their "mehman" (guests) and i force them to take it as a token of our appreciations!

Almond trees and the ones which are plucked (below)

Yusmarg is a hidden wonder. Unspoilt and pristine. It is also trekkers' paradise. There are many trails leading to Pir Panjal ranges. Doodh Patri - another hidden gem - can be trekked too.  This area is still not exploited by Commercial tourism.

Following are the Panoramio pictures taken by Khan Gowher from Google Earth. These are the vistas you will see when you trek around Yusmarg

Google earth snapshot of Yusmarg. You can see lovely trails to Ayed on the left hand corner - notice Panoramio pictures on the map. 

Go there. There is no crowd. The woods are lovely and meadows are beautiful.

Getting there

Since Yusmarg is close to Srinagar - 50 KMs - the best option is to hire a taxi. Alternately, there should be buses to this place from Srinagar. Other option is to go to Charar-e-Sharif by bus and take a taxi from there.

Stay options

We saw few lovely cottages by J&K Tourism. I am not sure whether they are operational. One can check with J&K Tourism office in Srinagar for details.

Travel Tips

a) Yusmarg can be done as a day trip comfortably from Srinagar.

b) It is also a nice place to stay and enjoy the nature. Go for long walks, angle in the lake....

c) If you are a trekker, then you can make this place as base to explore around. There are trekking trails to Ayed, Pir Panjal and nearby places which are beautiful. I am also not sure of availability of any guide. It will be good to check with J&K Tourism or local tour operators.

d) Yusmarg will be snowbound during winter which has its own charm.

e) On a clear day, one can see Pir Panjal ranges in the distance. To our bad luck, the sky was overcast and the mist had covered mountains.

f) I happened to see Jammu and Kashmir Tourism development Corporation website which looks nice. You can book accommodation through them. Here is the link.

Yusmarg

You may also like to check out the following posts on Kashmir in this blog.

Spectacular Srinagar - Floating market on Dal Lake!

Spectacular Srinagar 2 - Lullaby on Dal lake!

Skywatch Friday - Srinagar from Taj!

Road Trip Vignettes - Cricket bats from Kashmir

Skywatch Friday - Vistas of Kashmir Valley

Skywatch Friday - Road to Gulmarg