Five Precious Reasons to Visit Heavenly Kashmir

Heavenly Kashmir has not only been home to the innumerable Sufi mystics, but also to the Hindu spiritual leader and poet, Sri Shankaracharya. In fact, a drive past the colourful saffron fields and the villages of Kashmir would give you an insight into its rich cultural heritage. Here is a condensed effort to outline the magnificence of the celebration on Earth called Kashmir.

Old World Charm

The friendly people of Kashmir do not take more than a few minutes to win you over with their courtly hospitality. The Old World Charm of Kashmir will, in fact, draw you like a magnet towards it. With rows of floating markets, Shikaras, and houseboats secured to the banks of the famous Dal Lake, you would find that its quaint charm has not faded away despite its being a centre of activity.

Immortal poetry

Kashmir is a land that has produced poetsdue to its picture postcard beauty. Poets such as Amir Khusrau have, in fact, been inspired by its eternal beauty enough to write about it, saying “If there is Paradise on earth, this is it, this is it.” Wahab Khar, Shamas Fakir, Soch Kral, Ahad Zargar, and Ghulam Ahmad Manjur are some of the Sufi saints and mystics that made Kashmiri poetry immortal.

Land of great scholars

The Literature of Kashmir dates back to some 5000 yearsago, when Patanjali penned a commentary on Panini’s grammar and Abhinavagupta and Anandavardhana wrote books on esthetics. However, in the medieval times, Shaivism rose in Kashmir and its masters include Abhinavagupta, Utpala, Vasugupta, and Kshemraja. Bhattanayaka and many others were masters in esthetics and the others such as Ravigupta specialized in the Buddhist spirituality.Contemporary literature is being handled by the University of Kashmir.

The Land of Shiva

Kashmir is said to be the land of none other than the three-eyed Lord of the Three Worlds, Shiva himself. It is said that Shiva lived in an ice cave in Kashmir – what is known as the Amarnath Cave Shrine. In fact, there are many temples in Kashmir that are dedicated to Shiva. The Shiv Khori cave temple is one of them, which is said to be in the shape of the Damroo or the small two-headed drum that Shiva holds in his hand. It is also said that there is a secret passage behind the Shiva Lingam in this cave temple is the way to Heaven itself and that the saints who ventured going through this passage never returned. Some say that there is another secret passage from this temple that leads to the Amarnath cave temple. Where the passages actually lead to still remain a mystery to date!Now of course, the additional passages have been sealed to ensure the safety of the public.

The Magical Allure

The alluring beauty of Kashmir makes you want to visit this place time and again. From the Nishat Bagh to the Chashme Shahi gardens that are a sight for sore eyes, Kashmir is a tourist haven. The skies here are a magical azure colour and the ivory clouds look like they have been made of the finest cotton. The magic that the Kashmir Valley weaves is accentuated with the quaint charm of the houseboats of the Dal Lake.

Tourist Information

Open from sunrise to sunset.

Best time to visit

October to December

Places to visit

Shiv Khori, Chashme Shahi, Nishat Bagh, Dal Lake, Adi Shankaracharya Temple, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Amarnath caves, Siddhivinayak Temple, andLidder Valley (Pehelgam).