My trip to Srinagar – Day 4 – 24th September 2023:

 Chapter 4

The next day, we went to Gulmarg which is at a height of around 7,500 ft above MSL. En route, we had breakfast of Chole Batura in a restaurant and the owner of this joint shocked us by talking to us in Kannada. When enquired how come, he smiled and said that he has a friend studying in Namma Bengaluru and he taught him to converse enough to woo Kannadiga customers to his joint.

Beautiful views of the mountains welcomed us en route, covered with tall pine trees and valleys between these mountains with rivulets separating them. From the parking lot, we had to walk or take a cab to cover a distance of just over 1 km to reach the Gondola station. We had pre-booked the gondola for the first stage as the second stage was out of bounds due to the maintenance of the gondolas. Nippy air greeted us and we were afraid it could rain any moment. Yet, we carried on and engaged horses to take us to the viewpoint. Though this was my first horse ride in decades, I put on a brave face and continued as if I were a veteran.

As we trotted along, it started hailing small stones. Regardless, we continued and at the viewpoint, we disembarked from our horses and started enjoying the view.  Fortunately, Suma Aunty had lent her umbrella to me while my other friends from Bengaluru – Parameshwar, Radhey Shyam and Sridhar had ponchos to cover themselves from the now incessant drizzle. As we started climbing on the horses, I was advised to close shut my umbrella as the horses normally get scared with open umbrellas. Fortunately, I had a cap to cover my head from the drizzle that started to get a bit heavy. Reaching the starting point of our trek, we got down from our horses, paid the caretakers and walked towards the return point to take the Gondola.

A few pics of Gulmarg:

On our return journey, the driver stopped at a shop that housed handicrafts and dresses made by the local industry. We had our taste of Khawa, a local drink of green tea with almonds and other nuts. The place had an excellent collection of various local stuff including clothing, drapery, dry fruits and such. It was a good effort to attract the tourist crowd. A few items were purchased by one of my co-passengers.

Returning to Srinagar, we had our lunch at Gulab, a decent and good vegetarian joint. Our next stop was the Shankaracharya hill where Adi Shankara did penance. The Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar is truly an awe-inspiring place. Situated atop a hill, it not only offers a spiritual journey but also breathtaking views of Srinagar and Dal Lake.  The climb may be a bit steep and challenging to the old and feeble, but the peace and positive vibes within the temple complex are truly special.  It is a place where you can connect with yourself while being surrounded by the natural beauty of Kashmir.  When you are in Srinagar, a visit to Shankaracharya Temple is a must for the perfect blend of spirituality and stunning views.  

Some pics from Shankaracharya Hill:

We downloaded the beauty of the scenery from the hilltop and of the temple complex onto our terabyte/petabyte hard discs (Brains) and drove back to our base camp.

In the evening, we did some local shopping and completed the dinner ritual by ordering and devouring parathas at Annapoorna Hotel, before retiring for the day.

The next day was a crammed one as we had planned to visit Pahalgam and see several Temples (or its ruins) en route.

More of it in the next chapter....