I seem to be having a life-long love affair with a special place. Also known as paradise on Earth, Gulmarg serenades me with beauty and nostalgia time and again. Let me explain how nostalgia figures here; the first time I had visited this ‘meadows of flowers’ was when I was a 3-year-old. The place had such an impact on me that I wanted to share this surreal experience with my daughter. I wanted to gift to my child the warmth and magic of this place that I experienced with my parents decades ago. The pine cone trees, the lush green expanses and the exotic flora and fauna – Gulmarg got etched in my memory forever. Now in my 30s, I visited this place again, only to reinforce my belief and awe at the charisma, delight and pure scenic beauty of this ‘whitest of the white’ destination in Kashmir.
This time I decided to travel to Gulmarg in winters since it was the summer bloom we had witnessed last time. To my astonishment, the shimmery white spread with snow laden pine trees was a sight straight out of Santa land. It took me minutes to soak in the real beauty of the place which was reverberating with a feel of Christmas.
Undoubtedly, Gulmarg is an ideal travel destination, be it summers or winters. Each season here offers something unique and incredible! Summers are extremely pleasant with the temperature ranging from 15°C to 30°C whereas the winters see mercury plummeting to as low as -4 degrees.
This time around, as soon as we checked into our hotel, we found solace from the biting cold as it was a centrally heated property. We unbundled ourselves and heaved a sigh of relief, shedding a few layers and settling with a steaming cup of kahwa (prepared by boiling green tea leaves with saffron strands, cinnamon, cardamom pods and even fragrant Kashmiri roses. It is served with sugar or honey and abundant crushed almonds or walnuts.). As we sat in front of the wide windows, taking in a panoramic view of the hill station, it was difficult for the eyes to believe what they were seeing. The best part was that it was the first snow for both me and my daughter. We were completely in awe of the white winter land we had just landed into!
Start with warmth of Kashmiri cuisine and people
I distinctly remember the hospitality extended by the wonderful family we stayed with when I was a child. The bond we forged during our 15 days of stay feels like some ‘karmic connection’. To my amazement, I felt the same warmth and sweetness of Kashmiri people even after so many years. The hotel staff, shop owners, guides and local people ooze unparalleled warmth, enough to blanket you from the piercing cold.
As we were already tired and it was almost dusk, we decided to rest and remain indoors on our first day. Without any delay, I wanted to dig into Kashmiri cuisine. As we reached the hotel’s palatial yet cosy dining hall, my eyes popped and mouth drooled at the wazwan laid out.
Wazwan is the multi-course Kashmiri cuisine which is the pride of the entire Kashmir valley. This ’36-dish meal’ is as much a treat to your eyes as to your taste buds. The food tickles one’s senses to such an extent that I could not stop myself from walking upto the chef to learn more about it. The chef explained how they have specialized chefs for preparing wazwan as a dedicated and passionate cook is required to churn out this meal, the preparation for which begins before sunrise. What makes preparing wazwan unique is that the flavours are added while the dish is still uncooked either by adding flavoured water or soaking the ingredients in it.
Methi Maaz, Daniwal Korma, Sabz Haakh, Rogan Josh, Goshtaba along with Masheid Al Chetin (a chutney made from pumpkin, dates, cardamoms, dried nuts and honey ) were few of the dishes I savoured and decided to relish in my heart forever. The wazwan mesmerized me, just how the Kashmiri sunrise did when it cast its golden spell over the fresh dewy snow. Today, as I stand in the balcony of my Gurgaon house, my mind keeps taking me back to the picturesque Gulmarg!
Hop onto the Gulmarg Gondola
After a hearty Kahwa and breakfast the next day, we were ready to explore the splendour of Gulmarg. We headed straight to the ski resort to hop onto the world’s second highest cable car. We reached early and found our way inside smoothly. Soon, the queues started swelling up and we were glad to be early. The Gulmarg Gondola plies in two phases. The first phase takes you to Kongdori, which is a bowl-shaped valley; this ride of 9 minutes took me to another world, with snow-capped pine trees and white spread as far and wide as one could see. It felt like gliding into paradise with nothing to worry, nothing to fear and nothing to lose!
As if one out of the world experience was not enough, we hopped onto the next ride from Kongdori station. The next leg of the journey took twelve minutes transporting us to an unbelievable view and weather. We reached Apharwat at a height of almost 14,000 ft. and I was so awestruck by the sheer pristine peaks that I just wanted to capture it all in my soul. It may be hard to believe, but in the fifteen minutes that we spent there, we clicked just 1 photo! This might be one of my most surreal experiences of the purity, rawness and power of nature.
We soon took the ride back as the weather was expected to turn hostile. Soul satisfied but hungry otherwise, we decided to savour Kashmiri pulao and halwa available at one of the kiosks set up at Kongdori. Bright and sunny, we revelled in the sheer tranquillity, beauty and magic of the place.
My daughter resolved to come back here to enjoy skiing full on one day. We had done just a little bit of it and she had loved it immensely. Gulmarg attracts not just nature lovers, but adventure enthusiasts as well, especially in the winter season. Heaped with thick snow, it becomes a hub for skiing aficionados from across the world. The winter season here begins from October and lasts till February. This period witnesses families, lovey dovey couples and nature lovers galore.
After our scintillating experience of the gondolas, we decided to retreat to our hotel to enjoy the warmth of the aromatic kahwa that we had come to love along with intricately flavoured Kashmiri delicacies.
We were not going to forget this Kashmiri hospitality anytime soon.
Find peace at St. Mary’s Church
Winter is perfect for adventure lovers in Gulmarg who enjoy skiing and gondola rides. Gulmarg is also known to have the world’s second highest golf course at an altitude of 2650m. Adjacent to the golf course is the hundred year old Victorian style church of St. Mary’s. Green tiles, stained glass work and ethereal beauty all around is what you discover after trekking a short distance to the church in both summers and winters. The visit to the old church filled my heart with abundant peace.
Explore wildlife at Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve
After the stunning experience of visiting St Mary’s church, we decided to head to the Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve before heading back to Srinagar. Our daughter was very excited to witness the rich flora and fauna of the region. It was a pure delight to see wild animals like the Himalayan musk deer, red fox, brown and black bears in their natural habitat. We were fortunate enough to see many migratory birds that make Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve their second home.
As we started our journey back to Srinagar, the sun’s rays made the snow glow and my heart felt heavy but truly content. We were surrounded by God’s very own, signature paintings in the form of the best Himalayan views, widespread white snow and pine trees. I smiled and closed my eyes, knowing another bout of nostalgia was about to hit and newly made memories were here to stay with me for a lifetime!
After the stunning experience of visiting St Mary’s church, we decided to head to the Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve before heading back to Srinagar. Our daughter was very excited to witness the rich flora and fauna of the region. It was a pure delight to see wild animals like the Himalayan musk deer, red fox, brown and black bears in their natural habitat. We were fortunate enough to see many migratory birds that make Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve their second home.
As we started our journey back to Srinagar, the sun’s rays made the snow glow and my heart felt heavy but truly content. We were surrounded by God’s very own, signature paintings in the form of the best Himalayan views, widespread white snow and pine trees. I smiled and closed my eyes, knowing another bout of nostalgia was about to hit and newly made memories were here to stay with me for a lifetime!