Seven Secrets Of Paradise

‘If there is a heaven on earth, it is here, it is here…’ While much has been seen and written of the more popular attractions of Kashmir, there are secrets the Valley has kept guarded. Now it whispers them to the traveller.

- Sugato Mukherjee

Think beyond Pahalgam,” Mushtaq Ahmed tells me. I am charting out an itinerary for my first trip to Kashmir and ticking off the usual places—Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Mushtaqbhai would be my driver and guide for all my later visits to Kashmir. He’d lead me into the Valley’s pristine backyards, places off the tourist radar, and introduce me to the hidden gems that truly make Kashmir a ‘jannat’.

Aru Valley

So I take the small road that lazily saunters beyond the bustling little town of Pahalgam. It runs by a couple of sleepy hamlets and follows the Lidder river that dances through a gravelly basin on our left. A verdant valley looms ahead and we soon drive into the lush recesses of a scenic meadow dotted with groves of pine and deodar, horses ambling and grazing in the enclosed paddocks and a motley group of daytrippers basking in the summer sun that bathes the slightly undulating valley. We laze around in the idyllic setting, soaking in the tranquility around with a couple of cups of steaming kahwa—the saffron-flavoured Kashmiri tea—and take a short horse ride to a nearby lake.

CHECKLIST

12 km from Pahalgam, Aru Valley is best for:

• Horse rides to the nearby lakes and meadows.
• Skiing in the winter months.
• Angling in the Lidder river for trout.
• Trekking to the Kolahai glacier.
• Photographing the diverse flora and fauna.

Yusmarg