LOSING AND FINDING YOURSELF IN KASHMIR
India’s
most troubled state can break your heart, but it also lifts your soul
“Srinagar. It is stopping at sidewalks and
traffic lights when the convoys of rulers and their patrons in armored cars,
secured by machine guns, rumble on broken roads. It is staring back or looking
away, resigned. Srinagar is never winning and never being defeated” –BASHARAT
The day before I was to
leave for Kashmir, a killing had taken place. Violence erupted and the next
day, which was the day when I would arrive, was declared a bandh. I grew up in
Kolkata. Bandhs were as normal as power cuts. My father ran a factory in
Barrackpore where Naxalites would routinely gherao him and hold him to
gunpoint. He never flinched. He and I were tear-gassed at Esplanade in the
early 80s. When that is the preface of your life, your book takes an altogether
different twist. But there was more. I arrived post lunch on a Friday. That is
not a day and time to land in Srinagar. It is when clashes take place.
The greatest clash within
Kashmir is that between perception and reality. Between the questions and the
answers. Kashmir is 51 shades of grey.
Some years ago, Shama
Naqushbandi wrote, “It is for this reason that when I think of Kashmir, I do
not think of polemics between good and evil. I do not think of India and
Pakistan. It is of no consequence to me whether Kashmir falls under the aegis
of one flag or another, or whether it gains independence. I do not see
politics.” I so agree with her. The eye must be trained to see what it must and
miss what it should.
Just then a friend calls.
“Is there unrest in Srinagar?” I reply, “Not quite as much as there is in JNU.
Or Twitter.” As someone famously wrote, “Some days it storms. Some days it
shines. That’s how flowers grow.”
From the airport, the
road to Vivanta Dal View, Srinagar, is dotted with mute soldiers carrying guns
that they do not necessarily want to lift. And with mighty Chinars that do not
want to bow.
“Tum bhi ab Kashmir si ho
chuki. Husn ke itne saarey pehredar jo baithey huey” –VIHAAN
As is expected of any
touristy place, a cavalcade of clichés follows you in Kashmir. Here are some.
Ahdoos. I gave up on the restaurant years ago. Someone pointed me in the
direction of their bakery. The cheese puffs were fantastically forgettable.
Then there are the 4.30am shikara rides to the vegetable markets where you are
fleeced. So why bother? Much romance has been infused into the shikara ride to
the bookstore in the middle of Dal Lake. Pass that as well. Then there is Chaai
Jaai, a Victorian style teahouse. I mean really? Kahwa and chintz? Oh puhleez.
Instead focus on the
fabulous parts of Srinagar. The serenity that envelopes the Hazratbal Mosque.
Visit the fabulous Dachigam National Park, home to the hangul or Kashmiri stag.
It also has musk deer, Himalayan black bears, otters and even long-tailed
marmots. Visit Saklain’s Coterie where you get soaps, scrubs and shampoos made
with the freshest and finest Kashmiri produce. Pick up a bottle of kalonji oil.
It is more virtuous than Portia was. Down a few blocks from Saklain is the
temple of all things tasteful: Amin Bin Khalik. Marvel at the morels. Pack
some. Pick up walnuts and pine nuts from there. Ask to smell the saffron. It
reeks of richness. And do buy the garlic pickle. Visit Moonlight Bakery. Their
walnut fudge is the eighth sin. And sample the tujjis from Imran’s, a street-side
stalwart.
If you must do a day-trip
from Srinagar, I would suggest Yusmarg. Most people don’t even know about it.
Yus is a shortened version of the name Yusuf, the Arabic name of Jesus. And
legend has it that Jesus came to Kashmir through this valley. The road to
Yusmarg is filled with apple, pear and almond orchards. I stopped at one of
these orchards and picked up a fallen apple. It was the juiciest I have ever
had. On the way to Yusmarg, stop by at Charar-e-Sharief. Home to the sacred
dargah of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali. Also known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir. It
is the most pious spot for all Kashmiris. Irrespective of religion.
Once at Yusmarg, sit in
the many mirthful meadows there. Walk up to the Doodh Ganga. Stop by at the
dargah made by the Gujjar tribes. There isn’t much to do in Yusmarg. Which is
just fine. Because one goes to Yusmarg to undo oneself. I went to meet myself
there.
The next day, after a
brimming breakfast, Shakeel (the best person to drive you around in Kashmir)
asked me whether I wanted to visit a temple. The Zeashta Devi Shrine, Zaethyar,
in Srinagar is the abode of a goddess created by Lord Shiva.
But it was on the drive
from Srinagar to Pahalgam that the secular might of Kashmir is revealed in its
full glory. At Mattan, the Mattan Temple was once an important pilgrimage seat
of Kashmiri Pundits. It has beautiful Shiva Lingam that is preserved within a
brick structure surrounded by a crystal clear pond. Since ages, this is the
place where Kashmiri pundits and priests worship the sun god. And in the same
compound is Mattan Sahib. In 1516, Guru Nanak visited Srinagar, Anantnag and
Mattan. The Gurdwara Patshahi Pahili is a significant place of worship.
And there is no greater
hymn of harmony than two religions sharing the same space.
The appearance of the
Lidder is the prelude to paradise. Its clean waters hurdle over the stoic
rocks.
The water is a graceful
shade of green. It is said that the enzymes responsible for the production of
serotonin thrive in areas with high-quality oxygen. And in such a location in
Pehalgam I spotted The WelcomHotel Pine-n-Peak. I was happy to feast on
Himalayan trout. And then, The Kashmiri hokh syun, which literally means dried
food. Given the severity of winters, Kashmiris sun-dry their vegetables during
peak summer and store them for use during the harsh winter. Try the dry quince
apple (bamchoont hache) mixed with yogurt. It is simply outstanding. From
Pahalgam, there are some fantastic day trips. Sheshnag Lake is mesmerising. As
is Chandanbari, an important part of the Amarnath Yatra.
Leaving Kashmir is always
difficult. As one drives past the fountains of Dal Lake, the fresh walnut
sellers on its streets, the chinars that line its streets you marvel at its raw
beauty. And its heart-breaking state of feeling lost. No longer knowing the
way. But maybe that is what it makes it a balm for people wanting to find
themselves. You lose yourself in Kashmir. You find yourself in Kashmir.
·
By Swapan Seth
HTBR4NOV18
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