Amarnathji Yatra 2012.

The toughest Yatra of them all – the Amarnath Yatra – the Hindu Annual Pilgrimage of Lord ‘Shiva Linga’ is here, beckoning all the strong-willed on a spiritual journey all the way up to13,000 feet altitude to the 130-foot high Amarnath Cave where the ice Shiva Linga naturally forms every year. The Amarnath Cave is set amidst snowy Kashmiri mountains where the air loses its oxygen count at -5⁰ Celsius.

Amarnath Yatra is open for 37 days this year between 25 June and 2 August. Registrations – online and over the counter are open. On-spot registrations are also possible.

Visiting the Amarnath Cave is practically an adventure sport in itself as it entails strenuous trekking-trails through challenging rocky, verdant and snowy mountainous terrain and camping in the mountain wilderness. Involving 50 kilometres of near-vertical mountain-climb and spanning 4 days (one way) is this mother-of-all-Yatras for Hindus all over the world.

The base camps for this Yatra are Chandanwari and Baltal. Both these places are approached via Jammu. The routes being:

1.    Jammu > Pahalgam (315 kms from Jammu to Pahalgam) > Chandanwari > Pissu Top > Sheshnag > Panchtarni > Amarnath Cave – 50 kms from Chandanwari to the Holy Cave.

2.    Jammu > Udhampur > Patnitop > Kud > Ramban > Banihal > Qazigund > Anantnag > Srinagar > Baltal (414 kms from Jammu to Baltal) > Amarnath Cave – 14 kms from Baltal to the Holy Cave.

Pilgrims can also complete this Yatra in a shorter span by availing of the Helicopter rides which start at Pahalgam and at Baltal and back. Ponies are another alternative for people who can’t walk or fly in Helicopters.

6, 34,000 people from all over India and the world visited Amarnath Yatra in 2011 – the highest ever!

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department along with the Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust are gearing up for more visitors in 2012. Registration Counters have been increased from 149 to 274 counter and additional tent-accommodation facilities are underway – being freely offered by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department, Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust and many other non-Government Charitable Organizations. Helicopter fare from Pahalgam and Baltal to Amarnath Cave has been slashed by 40% in order to make it more convenient for aged pilgrims who are daring this Yatra these days. Security has been revved up along the route to make it naturally safe for the pilgrims.

The one thing that is reiterated as mandatory by the Shrine Board is a fitness test and a medical certificate issued by Registered Medical Practitioner for the pilgrim, without which, the pilgrim is not allowed on the Yatra as 107 pilgrims lost their lives due to Cardiac arrest on Amarnath Yatra in 2011 and the Shrine Board is concerned for the safety of the pilgrims. So, take this seriously people.

Besides the Darshan of the Shiva Linga in Amarnath Cave, the amazing aspect of this Yatra is the route to the Holy Amarnath Cave which is awesome and overwhelming and gives a sample of the glorious Kashmir terrain. And reciting what my colleague recently taught me - Bol Har Har Mahadev!

Pix courtesy Wikipedia & Amarnathjiyatra.

April springs 'Tulip Festival in Srinagar' !

When you think Tulips you think Holland. And for a good reason. Holland is the world’s largest producer of Tulips. But did you know that Tulips actually originated few notches southeast of there? From Persia – the modern-day Iran. It’s the same place Kashmir got its Tulips from during the 1600s. And all of April – Spring springs Tulips in Srinagar – Capital of Jammu & Kashmir State in India.

This April….head to the Tulip Terrain – Srinagar which is Asia’s largest Tulip Garden – the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.

20 lakh Tulips of 70 varieties blossom on 20 acres of Srinagar landscape in Orange, Pink, Red, Purple, Yellow and White to dazzle you. Imagine walking endlessly through unending lanes with thousands of Tulips on either side of you. It will make you breathless. Guaranteed!

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is gearing up for an ultimate show of their exotic beauties from 1^st to the 30^th of April 2012 in an official Tulip Festival in Srinagar. The Tulip Festival is hosted in the Tulip Garden – the natural habitat of the 2 million Tulips – on the banks of Dal Lake at the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountain Range. This festival will not only showcase Tulips, it would also give visitors a smack of the Kashmiri culture and cuisine. Several stalls and kiosks would be set up which sell authentic Kashmiri food and handicrafts from all nooks and corners of Jammu & Kashmir State while Kashmiri professionals would perform to the tune of typical Kashmiri folk-music on all days of the festival to entertain and enlighten tourists of their rich culture. It would be a feast to the eyes to see some of the most beautiful Kashmiri women perform gracefully in the cultural programs organized by the Kashmir Tourism Department.

And ladies….shopping beckons you. Like nowhere else….you would find all sorts of Kashmiri handicrafts such as precious-stone studded silver jewelry such as sapphire, emerald, rubies, jade, coral, garnet studded necklaces, ear rings and finger rings; precious stone studded caskets, boxes pen stands, trays etc; Kashmiri clothing; wooden artifacts and furniture and woollen carpets. Awesome!!

The Tulip Festival would last for 10 days in April from 5^th to 15^th but the Tulip Garden would be open till the 30^th of April for all visitors. If you miss this spring, you would have to wait a whole 365 days for the next Spring of Tulips in Srinagar. So….dont!

13 Reasons to holiday in Jammu & Kashmir this summer....

Planning your summer vacation?

I'll give you 13 reasons to holiday in Kashmir this year.

1. The roadblock such as political unrest and militancy in Kashmir has fizzled down which is evident in the upsurge of tourism figures of Kashmir in 2011 which state that in the last 20 years, the year 2011 saw the highest number of tourists visiting Kashmir – more than 10 lakh tourists apart from the 1 crore-plus pilgrims who visited Mata Vaishnodevi’s Shrine and the 7 lakh pilgrims who took the Amarnath Yatra. This boost in tourism in Kashmir has revved up the Government’s plan for better tourist trails and trip packages and amenities this year to keep the momentum going and for a strong hold on the long-awaited triumph of Kashmir Tourism.

2. Winter is over and the snowy mountains are friendlier now for adventure snow sports such as snow-strolling, snow-rolling, snow-skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snow-shoeing or just mountain-scaling. Or how about you just hover over the snowy mountains in one of theworld’s highest gondola cable cars? And if you are trained and have nerves of steel, how about you try helicopter skiing at 12,000 feet?

3. The Himalayan rivers and springs run again in Kashmir after a dormant freeze-period making it a happening place for adventure water sports such as river-rafting, kayaking, canoeing,boating and not to mention trout-fishing and fishing in general.

4. The Lakes of Kashmir – Mountain-lakes as well as the lakes at the glaciers have thawed and add splendour to the landscape and provide excellent boating, camping and picnic spots.

5. The Mughal Gardens have turned bright plush green and present to you ‘Royal Walks’ in the centuries-old gardens with ponds, waterfalls and fountains. The dense Cedar Woods are waiting to woo you.

6. Multi-coloured flowers are in full bloom for miles together in mountain valleys as well as in the plains. The Tulip Garden in April is like Holland in spring. World’s most expensive spice –Saffron is in full purple-bloom for hundreds of acres. The Rose Gardens add ornamental value to these landscapes with their beautiful multi-coloured presence.

7. The wildlife in these high-altitude National Parks, Sanctuaries and Biospheres is out to soak up the sun and to let you see them and photograph them.

8. The high altitude trekking trails through mountains, valleys and meadows and grasslands are ready to take you places you have never been before. And camp in the most gorgeous never-even-considered-sites of the country.

9. The chill air has cleared up and has made the skies more paragliding-friendly.

10. World’s highest motorable pass – Khardung La has gone a little easy on the snow and is waiting to challenge the foreign and domestic dexterous bikers.

11. World’s 7^th highest golf course – among the other golf courses in Kashmir, is waiting to play it rough and tough with you at 9000 feet altitude.

12. And shopping!!!!!!!!!! Tibetan handicrafts and Kashmiri handicrafts especially the precious stones-studded silver jewelry and woollen carpets and other wooden and silver handicrafts just keep taking newer and more attractive dimensions to suit global markets. Need I entice you more?

13. And of course, Shri Amarnathji and Goddess Vaishnodevi and Lord Buddha beckon you for an annual visit to their abode on earth!

And when winter sets in again....get set for the world famous and much awaited Chader Trek on the frozen River Zanksar !!