The Himalayan Hangover

So I’m back from my long awaited trip and trying to catch up with life now… With the appraisal process just round the corner, I needed this trip to be better armed to face the bullets..

I went to Gulmarg, and I can now safely say that it does full justice to its title of “heaven on earth”…for the uninformed, Gulmarg is a town, in the Baramula district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. There goes a tick on my bucket list…

Days spent there went in a daze…literally…since the weather was pleasantly unpredictable. From snow biking to digging my feet in the knee deep snow of the Himalayas to walking aimlessly in the most scenic views of the snow-capped mountains, Gulmarg had all the fodder for my soul! The best thing was that there was barely any connectivity and the bad network gave way to deeper enriching conversations.

Sharing a few glimpses of the trip…

Tulip Gardens

The Himalayan Landscape

Some more of The Himalayas

A Brook in Gulmarg

No clue what it is…except that it’s BEAUTIFUL

Pine trees as high as you can see

Not sure if the mountains are trying to stretch their necks, or the clouds bending down!

The biggest benefit of this trip was that it led to bursting a few very strong misconceptions about the place. When anyone (that includes me) hears the word “Kashmir”, the first thought is that of violence, tension, danger, etc. None of it is true. What I realized after spending time interacting with the locals, is that they are craving for a normal life as much as we do. The place that could be thriving way more than it is currently, based on tourism, is restricted to some extent because of the perception of people towards it.

No, the place is not dangerous. No, there isn’t violence every time you step out of the house. Yes, they are the most polite people you will ever find in the entire world. And finally, Yes you must all visit it once in this lifetime to feel closer to yourselves if not anything else!

Love!