Paradise Here: Kashmir Chronicles – Part V

Kashmir. The name evokes images of snow-white mountains, houseboats and the iconic Dal Lake. Though this is what most of us imagine—this imagery is limited to that of Srinagar. Each part of the northernmost part of India, is beautiful and special in its own unique way.When I planned my Yoga retreat, I knew I wanted to take people on the road less travelled. So, I planned it in such a way that we would land in Srinagar and explore it for a day, but then make our way to Kargil.Why Kargil? I can't explain it. Ever since I heard of the Kargil war as a child and celebrated Vijay Diwas, my heart has always been drawn to that land. How did our soldiers live in such climates and fight wars along ragged mountain slopes? This was my chance to find out and share that experience with my friends and fellow yogis.The drive from Srinagar to Kargil is ridiculously beautiful. The views are simply breathtaking, and not only that, you can see that the roads are dotted with maple and apricot trees, all growing wild. For a girl from southern India who is used to seeing neem and mango on her roads, this took my breath away. The colour of those leaves and the fruits that looked almost fluorescent orange yellow, stole my heart. Seeing me openly gape at the trees, our driver decided to stop near one apricot tree..He got down and climbed and plucked a tiny little apricot—I had never seen a fresh one in my life before. I held the fruit with such awe and tasted it. It was the sweetest fruit I had ever eaten and when I looked at my driver with gratitude, he burst out laughing. ‘Ye utna acha nahi hai (this is not that great). He then told me that we would find better fruit in Ladakh. He then proceeded to crack the seed, inside which was a little almond. Handing it to me, he asked me to eat it. I was prepared for bitterness, but it tasted like almonds with a touch of apricot. As I looked at him, he explained that apricot oil was made from those seeds. My mind was blown. I was learning so much before I even reached Kargil!Along this picturesque route, there are many attractions like Sonmarg, Baltal Valley (popular camping ground and also one of the starting points of the Amarnath Yatra), Baltal Wildlife Sanctuary and Zoji La Pass. The Zoji La pass is located at an altitude of 3,528 meters (11,575 ft) and chances are that you will definitely find some snow here, irrespective of the month of your travel.We went in April and not only was there snow, but we also had snowfall. Our hearts were content, and we were super excited to see what the rest of the trip would bring us..After Zoji La, you reach the town of Dras. The famous Kargil War Memorial is located here, and a visit is highly recommended. My group and I were moved to tears when we visited the memorial.For those of you who don’t know, the memorial was built to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Kargil War in 1999. The memorial features a museum that tells you about the kind of clothes they wore to battle in the minus 40-degree temperature, the weapons they used and the kind of lifestyle they had to live. That itself rakes at your heart.I wondered how much I had complained in Chennai when the fan was not working or if there were too many mosquitoes. This was a wakeup call in so many ways to what a luxurious life I truly lived.As you walk out of the museum, there is a wall with names of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in the war. And surrounding the wall are tombstones. One too many of them. Soldiers as young as 16 had died protecting the motherland… just so that people like me could live a life without worry.As I watched a young soldier walk past me, I couldn’t stop but say thank you..Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.Nelson Mandela