Unforgettable trip to Kashmir in January.

We reached Srinagar at about 4 pm. As we were not tired so we took a trip to the Dal Lake after freshening up. We got to experience the famous shikara rides and saw the Floating market, Nehru park, Meena Bazaar. Then we came back as it was getting freezing cold out there.

The next morning we left for Gulmarg at around 11 am. And, reached in about 2 hours. It was covered in blankets of snow. Then after keeping our luggage in the pre-booked hotel we went to the Shiv temple (famous for the fact that  the movie Aap ki Kasam was shot here starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaaz). This temple belongs to the Dogra dynasty and the priest taking care of the temple is Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh.
We also visited the St. Mary's Church located very close to the temple. This church was built during the British rule and is one of the top attractions in Gulmarg.
Followed by the church we went to the snow laden golf course which was now being used as the skiing ground. There were other activities available too. Snacks, tea, maggi and such items were available for the tourists.
We engaged in skiing for some time and it was quite fun.

The third day we were supposed to come back to Srinagar and do some local sightseeing but upon the suggestions of our driver in Gulmarg, we took a little detour and it was worth it. So, we went to Drang waterfalls which is 3 km from Tangmarg. Most of it was frozen but the view was breathtaking. We spent a great deal of time there. There were not a lot of tourist, only a few here and there. So, we spent some time in recluse. It was a really calming experience and highly recommended. Then we left for Srinagar to spend the night.

Then we made our next move towards Pahalgam. On our way to Pahalgam we stopped for a while in Porampore, a town known for Saffron farming, to do some shopping for dry fruits, and obviously saffron.
Then upon reaching Pahalgam, we got to know that the rest of the journey was needed to be done on a horse to Baisaran Valley.
The ride in itself was quite adventurous. Upon reaching at the top, we were so astounded by the remarkable beauty there. It was magnificent. We played there in the snow again and then got some of our pictures clicked.
We spent the night in Pahalgam and left for Srinagar the next morning.

We had reserved this day for local sightseeing in Srinagar and shopping.
We visited zyeshta temple, Pari mahal and chashm-e-shahi there. We also wanted to cover Hari Parbat fort and Shankracharya temple but both had been closed temporarily.
Pari mahal was built for Prince Dara Shikoh, has seven terraces and was built as a library. It is also said that it was used as a centre for interrogation by top secret agencies.

This was a Mughal Garden built under the reign of Shah Jahan. It is built around a spring, overlooking Dal Lake. In winters it was completely covered in snow. But it must be really beautiful if you visit in Spring. The next morning we had our returning flight. So, that was it. Adiós, Kashmir.