A day-trip to Sonmarg revealed the beauty of Kashmir
At first glance, it feels like a dreamlike sequence. The meandering road, up in the high Himalayas from Srinagar to Sonmarg seem endless, as your eyes remain transfixed on the beauty of it all. We reached Sonmarg by noon, and the clouds above our heads hung low in a threatening stance. But soon enough it got brighter, and the green around us seemed greener, and the warm sun felt warmer. Far across, you can see the grandiose of the mountains, parts covered in snow, and mostly covered with sublime mist.
Our driver had informed us that Sonmarg has quite a few lakes, but much like most tourists unaware of the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir, we passed the idea. But reaching here caused us to think. My friends were mostly quiet, clicking pictures for a keepsake, and the driver couldn’t care less, so he sat in the car waiting. Then I spoke, I said, let’s go to a lake, and somehow everyone agreed. The driver gave us a sheepish smile, and we started to move towards the first, Gangabal Lake. For a moment, it felt like we have entered a movie sequence, the vast lake laid open in front of us, sitting right on the foothills of a gigantic mountain. Later we came to know that it was Mount Harmukh. Our driver told us that it was also a suitable place for trekking, but that is for some other time we thought.
Next in line was Gadsar Lake, also known as the Lake of Flowers. It usually gets frozen during the winters, but we were lucky to see the colour of the water. We walked around quite a bit in that area, stumbling upon wild flowerswildflowers that sat there, someone in our group said that it felt like we were the first humans on earth. I second that.
Later, when we began wondering where we should go next, the driver said that we ought to see one more lake. So, we didn’t argue.
The enchanting Nilagrad River was something else, surrounded by greenery all around it; it gave way to rolling hills that stood against its background. We sat by the flowing water, and dipped our feet. It felt like a nice place to sit quietly, so we just remained quiet, and watched the birds fly by. I thought this was a good chance to smoke a cigarette, and wondered if I would ever get a view such as this while smoking in New Delhi. It was definitely a pleasant change of “scene.”
After spending what felt like an eternity, we decided to leave
Our driver asked my friend if we had ever seen a Pass. My friend was from Sikkim so he said yes; he had in fact gone to Nathu La Pass on numerous occasions. So, he said that they have their own passes here, and we are in fact close to one. Hence began the second part of the journey, the journey to Zoji La Pass.
The one-hour drive does not bore you, we were of course, of course, being adventurous, but even otherwise it is a great drive full of spectacular views. We were driving towards Leh, as the pass is located between Srinagar and Leh, and all around us, the vegetation started to go scarce. Reaching the pass we realised that the journey was the best part. It is so full of life and beauty, the rivers, and mountains, the endless clouds floating by; Zoji La Pass got our adrenaline rushing, while also soothing our eyes. The road can get a lot bumpy from time to time.
By evening we returned to Srinagar, and sat down at a bar to spend the evening. The driver charged us extra for the trip to Zoji La Pass, but then again, it was fine. So now, when someone seeks my advice on the next holiday, I simply direct them towards Sonmarg.
Ganderbal Press Association