Kashmir – The crown of India

From Kolkata to Sonmarg via Srinagar on 26th July 2014 :
This travelogue is about Shri Amarnath Yatra and visit to places around Sonmarg, Srinagar and Yushmarg, we undertaken in 2014. That was my second visit to Kashmir, the earlier one was a two weeklong one in October 2013, covering Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Srinagar in Kashmir valley and Jammu town, Katra, Shri Vaishno Devi in Jammu region. I hope to narrate my journey diary related to that visit sometime later. This time, our main intention was to go to the holy Amarnath cave through Baltal Domel route.

On 26th July 2014, myself with my mother reached Srinagar from Kolkata by flight. I already booked a Xylo for our commutation and a room in hotel Snowland at Sonmarg. The vehicle picked us up from Srinagar airport. While going to Sonmarg, we told Izaj bhai, the chauffeur, to go through Tulmul for visiting Ksheer Bhawani temple. But we were unlucky. Just before say 2-3 km, we got the information that some trouble erupted yesterday in that area, hence curfew was imposed. So we took a diversion and directed towards Sonmarg. Before reaching Sonmarg, we made a small stopover beside river Sindhu. At this point, there is a small foot-bridge over Sindhu to go to a restaurant placed on the other side of the river. Normally, all the tourists stop over there for taking snaps. Sindhu was flowing in full roar. It was last week of July, so water level was high. Very often, tides were touching the hanging pool to make it completely wet. At the same time, we saw snow covered surface of the adjoining hill, by the side of which Sindhu was flowing. We took some snaps and after spending 10 minutes at that spot, we headed towards Sonmarg.

Sonmarg is remotely located. Hence, tranquility of the place is unique and ensured. We checked into the picturesque hotel and enjoyed the beauty of the nearby hill from the rear balcony. Sindhu was flowing just behind the hotel. So the sound of the full flowing river was continuously available. We saw the setting sun in its full glory. Entire surrounding was magnificent with absolute calmness, except chirping of birds and roar of the Sindhu. Our tired body and mind got filled up with the sound of the silence.

After sunset, we chalked our plan for tomorrow. According to Yatra pass, we were scheduled to go for the Amarnath yatra on 28th. July 2014 (Monday). So 27th was kept for acclimatisation, particularly for my 68 year old mother, and for making a visit to Zoji La (pass), Captain Point, Zero Point etc.

In the evening, I went out to have a walk in the locality and to get an idea about the town. Sonmarg is a very small town. By God’s grace, not many shops were there. Only 30-40 local shops cater to the need of the tourists and trekkers with woollen garments, gift items, trekking items, fruits, vegetable, photo studio, etc. I bought local apples at Rs.40/- a Kg, which was just unimaginable at Kolkata. We had dinner in the inhouse restaurant and went to sleep.

Trip to Baltal, Captain Point, Zero Point Glacier through Zoji La and vivit to Thajiwas glacier on 27th July 2014 :
After breakfast, there was an acidic surprise waiting for us. We came to know that vehicles coming from outside like Srinagar etc. are not permitted to undertake local sightseeing trip. This unofficial rule was made perhaps to rejuvenate local economy. So we had to hire a local Sumo for our journey to Baltal and other places, which I am going to describe now.

We moved along Zoji La. This high mountain pass, numbered as national highway 1D, connects Srinagar with Leh. We went to Baltal first. Diversion of road to Domel from the national highway takes place just before here. This part of Himalaya does not have any tree. Greenery ceases to exist, which is the reason for lack of oxygen in many a places around here. The highway continued to elevate. On the right side, we saw a helipad at Baltal, which is used by choppers for going to Amarnath cave (Panjtarni helipad).

Suddenly after some zigzags, we gained substantial altitude. The road became very dusty. The asphalted top no longer existed. It became slippery and dangerous. There were a truck and a sedan ahead, which were polluting the environment with dust and burnt diesel. The highway at that place was so narrow that neither any vehicle could overtake, nor other vehicles could come from opposite direction.

After some distance, we could overtake the truck. On gaining further altitude, we had bird’s eye view of yatri camps, army tents, yatri busses and cars etc. placed far below. Everything looked like miniaturized toys.

We continued further to have Captain Point glacier on our left. It was huge mass of ice, laying between two mountains. Our Sumo driver collected drinking water from the melting glacier. We proceeded further ahead.

Then we saw a small memorabilia constructed on the right side of the road. It was “Beacon Dwar”, inaugurated by Lt.General Prakash Suri on 15th. October 2001. Two jawans were on duty. I talked to them and they kindly agreed to pose for a snap for me.

Then we moved further. After covering, say 37 km from Sonmarg, we reached zero point glacier on the right side. This is the first place, where we found a flat surface on the right side of Zoji La. The area was enormously huge. Very large indeed, which can house many football grounds. It was fully covered by ice.

Our Sumo left Zoji La and entered the glacier. From far away, we saw a small group of persons was there. Some of them were tourists. Others were local people offering sledge service, selling shawls, dry fruits etc. There were high mountains surrounding the glacier. After getting down from vehicle, we inhaled cool and fresh air. I was looking like less than an ant in size, as compared to the entire surrounding. There was solid ice everywhere. We talked to the persons doing sledge service. They told us that rate of sledging was Rs.250 per point, but did not tell us total amount likely to be incurred per person. Not many points were there. So depending on common sense we agreed for sledge ride.

A sledge, what we saw, was basically a wooden rectangular frame, on which two persons can sit. When it moves upward, the tourist sits alone on the sledge. One person pulls it from the front, with the help of a rope fixed to it and another person pushes the sitting tourist from behind. On reaching an elevation, it starts downward journey. Then, one person sits on the sledge ahead of the tourist and automatic downward journey starts with the help of gravitational pull. The person who sits in the front, tries to use his feet as brake to control velocity and direction of the sledge. This type of journey was new to us, but appeared to be adventurous. My 68 year old mother was so excited that she also agreed to take the sledge ride with me. Before starting the journey, a person standing nearby offered to help me by safe-keeping my camera bag. I was hesitating. I knew nobody over there. How can I handover my costly camera to unknown persons. But there was no way out. Hence I gave my camera bag to him and started the sledge ride.

The upward journey was ok, though it was strenuous enough to the persons who operated it. But while coming down, it rolled upside down. Both me and the operator both fallen apart on the ice surface. Quickly we consolidated and decided to come back to the initial starting point by careful walking. I got back my camera intact.

After the journey, we were asked to pay Rs.6000/- in total for both of us. I was totally taken aback. I had no idea how much could be total cost and I asked again and again before taking the service. Anyway, we started negotiation but I had to give Rs.5500/- finally. Having felt looted, we sat for some dumb moments and then started return journey.

While coming back we crossed a couple of foreign tourists, who were cycling. Huge pack of provisions and others items were tied with their cycle and they were moving through the uncertain, risky and deserted Zoji La without any tension. As if they were cycling in a city road. This sight reminded me of Vivekananda and gave me confidence and strength with a lesson that anything is achievable if we have mental strength, courage and determination to do that. In case of emergency and danger, God come out of nowhere to help us and scrape us through.

Before reaching Sonmarg, we passed Nilagrad and a fish pond situated at a lower elevation by side of the highway. There was Gadibal tourist resort, which is a collection of nice hutments, lying beside Sindhu. Then we diverted towards Thajjiwas glacier. This is a marvelous place. Last time when I visited Sonmarg in October 2013, I walked more than 5 km along the glacier. The trekking was memorable. But this time, since mother was with me, I could walk only, say 2 km, from the point where we left the Sumo. And this time, the surrounding mountains were full of snow. Sledging was also being conducted at Thajjiwas, but I was not interested to have it again. So we returned to our hotel with nice memory of the journey just undertaken by us.

The Sumo trip cost us Rs.5500/-, which I thought was reasonable. We took rest in the afternoon and started mental preparation for next day’s Shri Amarnath Yatra, about which we were very much excited. For many years, we read many articles and novels about this holy journey (though the writers went through the Chandanwari route). We were just making ourselves believe that we also were going to have the yatra at last. I went to the bed to have a peaceful sleep.