Set
like a jewelled crown on the map of India, Kashmir
is a multi-faceted diamond, changing its hues
with the seasons - always extravagantly beautiful.
Two major Himalayan ranges, the Great Himalayan
Range and the Pir Panjal, surround the landscape
from the north and south respectively. They are
the source of great rivers, which flow down into
the valleys, forested with orchards and decorated
by lily-laden lakes.
The
Mughals aptly called Kashmir ‘Paradise on
Earth’ where they journeyed across the hot
plains of India, to the valley’s cool environs
in summer. Here they laid, with great love and
care, Srinagar’s many formal, waterfront
gardens, now collectively known as the Mughal
Gardens. Anecdotes of four and five centuries
ago describe their love for these gardens, and
the rivalries that centred around their ownership.
They also patronized the development of art &
craft among the people of Kashmir, leaving behind
a heritage of exquisite artisanship among thes
people and making the handicrafts of the land
prized gifts all over the world.
Kashmir
is a land where myriad holiday ideas are realised.
In winter, when snow carpets the mountains, there
is skiing, tobogganing, sledge-riding, etc. along
the gentle slopes. In spring and summer, the honey-dewed
orchards, rippling lakes and blue skies beckon
every soul to sample the many delights the mountains
and valleys have to offer. Golfing at 2,700 m
above the sea, water-skiing in the lakes and angling
for prized rainbow trout, or simply drifting down
the willow fringed alleys of lakes in shikaras
and living in gorgeous houseboats are some of
the most favoured ones.
SEASON
Kashmir
has four distinct seasons, each with its own peculiar
character and distinctive charm. These are spring,
summer, autumn and winter.
Spring,
which extends roughly from March to early May,
is when a million blossoms carpet the ground.
The weather during this time can be gloriously
pleasant at 23oCor chilly and windy at 6oC. This
is the season when Srinagar experiences rains,
but the showers are brief.
Summer
extends from May until the end of August. Light
woollens may be required to wear out of Srinagar.
In higher altitudes night temperatures drop slightly.
Srinagar at this time experiences day temperatures
of between 25oC and 35oC. At this time, the whole
valley is a mosaic of varying shades of green
- rice fields, meadows, trees, etc. and Srinagar
with its lakes and waterways is a heaven after
the scorching heat of the Indian plains.
The
onset of autumn,
perhaps Kashmir's loveliest season, is towards
September, when green turns to gold and then to
russet and red. The highest day temperatures in
September are around 23oC and night temperatures
dip to 10oC by October, and further drop by November,
when heavy woollens are essential.
Through
December, to the beginning of March is winter
time, which presents Srinagar in yet another mood.
Bare, snow-covered landscapes being watched from
beside the warmth of a fire is a joy that cannot
be described to anyone who has not experienced
it. Some houseboats and hotels remain open in
winter-these are either centrally heated or heated
with ‘bukharis’, a typically Kashmiri
stove kept alight with embers of wood, quite effective
in the winter
