Paradise Here: Kashmir Chronicles – Part I

Our country is truly one of a kind. From snow peaked mountains, to parched desserts, to lush green meadows and tropical rain forests—we have everything that Nature can offer. As someone who had lived abroad for almost 8 years, when I moved back to India, I made it my mission to see every bit of this truly incredible country. Luckily as a yoga teacher, I could satiate my thirst for travel with my many yoga retreats. We have travelled to Rajasthan, Coorg, Hampi, Rishikesh and Kerala. This year, I wanted to see the crowning glory of India’s natural bounty. Wondering where?Shankaracharya describes this place as the dwelling of Goddess Sharada, the goddess of wisdom. Mughal emperor Jahangir discovered the striking beauty of this valley in the 17th century, and said, ‘Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto’ meaning ‘If there is a paradise anywhere on the earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.’ Since then this Paradise on Earth, Kashmir, was coveted by many!The Mughals, the British, the Pakistanis—everyone wanted a piece of it and it was only in the recent years, after the amendment of Article 370, has this sacred space become safe enough to travel. Located in North India, this land in the past two years has been receiving millions of tourists locally and from around the globe, annually..The inclined meadows, craggy terrains, astounding mountains and arrogant hills offer a vantage point for adventure activities - trekking, rock climbing, camping, skiing, snowboarding and paragliding. The gurgling streams, brooks and rivers invite you to river rafting, water skiing and fishing/angling. The lush valley offers a great opportunity to play golf in the summers, while the same valley during the winters turn into the ice skating grounds for adventure seekers like me. Houseboats are the floating hotels of this awe-inspiring holiday destination. Carved from sturdy yet light oak and walnut wood, these accommodations offer a unique experience. My Jammu and Kashmir tour happened in the year 2022, from 13th to 18th July when we saw why it is justifiably called the ‘heaven on earth’. My crew of yogis excitedly disembarked in Srinagar and waited for their luggage. There was a nip in the air in comparison to the humidity I normally face in Chennai. We put on our coats and jackets and rambled away as we waited for our bags. I had organised a tempo that was already waiting outside. We loaded our luggage and just as our jeep rolled out of the airport – we were shocked..It looked like a scene from a movie. There were huge tanks rolling everywhere. On every street corner, stood a soldier with a gun. Our hearts stopped—was it really safe? Our driver heard the sudden silence and said, ‘Don’t worry. This is our normal scenery. The soldiers are always on the lookout for any terrorists.’Terrorists? Normal? I couldn’t imagine what ‘ordinary’ life felt like. Does one get used to the sight of soldiers? Does one get used to the guns being held in broad daylight? It took me a moment and only then I realised, if our soldiers were armed so much, it was only because the terrorists had access to bigger ammunition. If there were so many of our jawans, there mustn't be any opportunities for terrorists to hide around. The government would be spending a fortune every single day on these soldiers so that the locals and tourists like us could stroll around with ease and take Instagram-worthy pictures.Almost everyone in the van had the same thoughts running. We were grateful for the security, for being alive, and more importantly, how a safe environment is a given in any other part of the country.