Entries about beauty

Kashmir - Where Jesus Came To Die

It’s called the crown of India . A valley so beautiful and so abundant with the gifts of nature that it is compared to heaven’s . Mughals made it their summer capital and so did the British who followed . From the gardens of Chashme Shahi to the shikara’s of the Dull Lake . They city grow’s on you . The tradition of the hot tea which is called the Kehwa and the mughal cuisine , the city is laid back and a friendly one . It has been a bone of contention between Pakistan and India for decades and one can see why . The markets are full go kashmiri Shawl’s and rug’s as one drifts through Lal Chowk the main bazaar of Srinagar the capital of the city . I enjoyed the dinners at Adoo’s , my favourite food joint for authentic Kashmiri Cusine . I tasted the Rista , Gushtaba and Tabbak Mans here and smoked perfumed hokka at the house boat where we stayed on the dull lake .

The whiff of Kashmiri charas filled the evening with it’s misty odour. I sat on a shikara the whole day once contemplating and soaking in the beauty of the valley , it’s colour ful people and hills. On the lake i floated into markets selling perfume , tea , herbs , cloak’s and shawls . I choose to buy some shill jeet , it is black paste and is a great aphrodisiac. They sia that Jeus came to the valley during his last days and died here . He was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the valley that he just stayed back . Srinagar is full of water fountain’s that keep the city cool in summers , the temple of Shankracharya and the Shrine of Hazrat Bal are the main religious attraction . One has to climb up a steep flight of stairs to reach the shankracharya temple . Once their we pray to the linga of shiva . A panoramic view of the city can be seen from the temple top , which is made of grey stones and rocks,

On the other side is the Hazrat Bal a shrine which carries the hair of the prophet’s hair. It is typical of all islamic religious sites huge domes and minar’s .One can go into the prayer area wearing a green cap . On the glass and window’s are inscribed words in pharsi that praise the koran. Their is huge silver pot which is used to drink water . Their is a library and places to rest also in the shrine. Kheer Bhawani is another mystic spot , it is a temple where Viveka Nanda meditated once . The pond in the temple is said to turn red in colour to symbolise that a clarity might strike the valley. The pipal tree which has a great hole in ti still stand’s tall and was the place vivekananda would go into his samadhi.Milk and Kheer is poured as offering to the mother godess of the temple as pujari’s do an evening prayer with bells and chanting.

The snow peaked Gulmarg and Sonmarg are also a great attraction .One can take sky trollies to explore their natural beauty or just wander around on the horse. It’s magical presence and fresh air nourishes the mind . Indeed Kashmir Valley is exactly the kind of place Jesus would have chosen to die.