Kashmir

The people of Kashmir are generally known as Kashmiris. Though the majority of people In Kashmir are Muslims as opposed to Jammu where Hindus form the majority, people of all beliefs live together in harmony. Though Urdu is the official language of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the other languages spoken here are Kashmiri, Ladakhi, and Dogri.

Kashmiri Embroidery (Kasida) forms the core of traditional attire, both for men and women. Men wear a kurta pyjama, with a vest like woolen embroidered overcoat known as the Pheran, and a skull cap with a turban on their head. The traditional wear for Kashmiri women is a loose salwar kameez suit usually embroidered and a scarf to cover the head and tied at the back of the neck. Kashmiri women are heavy on silver jewellery and usually adorn their head and hands with silver ornaments.

Kashmir is very popular for its Pashmina shawls made from the wool of the mountain goat. These shawls have intricate embroidery done on both the side in such a manner that the patterns appear in a uniform fashion on both sides of the fabric.

Kashmiri cuisine is famous for its non vegetarian dishes, particularly mutton. The meat is usually cooked with vegetables in a curd base, garnished with nuts like almonds and walnuts and is generally not as spicy as in other Indian States for its use of mild spices like cardamoms, cinnamons, cloves, aniseed and saffron. A Kashmiri banquet is known as 'Wazwan' and the chef in charge of it as 'Vasta Waza' and would consist of 36 courses with the majority of it being meat preparations.

Kashmiri tea known as the Kahva is green tea scented with spices and is taken after a meal.

Apart from its cuisine, Kashmir is well known for its local produce like Apples, Walnuts, Saffron, Almonds, Pears, Cherries, Strawberries, Plum and Apricots.

Dal Lake: 30 minutes from the Srinagar airport is the 60 km long Dal Lake, the banks of which are neatly arrayed by beautiful houseboats. Numerous Shikaras (Boats) await your arrival to give you a memorable shikara ride or as a daily means of transportation for the tourists and residents alike.

SHIKARA RIDE: Any trip to Kashmir is incomplete without a Shikara ride. It is peace and calm sprinkled with the striking beauty of nature. No roaring motors or blasting stereos to disturb the tranquillity of the area, just the sound of the Shikara man singing old Hindi/Kashmiri songs for your entertainment while he gently rows, the smell of clean air and of water with its dense floating gardens and rich underwater plants.
Along with floating gardens, houseboats and shops in the lake you will come across floating markets. Floating markets are stuff sold on Shikaras and cater to both the tourists and natives on the lake and have with them Kashmiri souvenirs, jewellery, fruits, vegetables among many others.
Must do: Complete your Shikara ride by trying on the local attire and photographing yourself in them. Whatever you may buy from the floating markets, remember haggling is a must!

HOUSEBOAT: Experience the Kashmiri hospitality by staying in a houseboat. Provided with English and Indian breakfast one will never feel away from home. With large windows heavily curtained and rooms carpeted wall to wall with exquisite wooden furniture and wooden walls, the feeling of waking up in a house on water to the sound of birds chirping, and of the oars as they softly lap against the fresh water is truly priceless.

GULMARG: Known as the meadow of flowers for its beds of daisies on either side of the winding mountain roads, this world famous skiing destination is a 3 hours drive from Srinagar. Due to the close proximity to the Line of Control it is common to see Border Security Force (BSF) in this area.

Enroute Gulmarg you can expect to see a lot of streams and large houses with sloping tin roofs and chimneys. Cable cars (Gondolas) transport you from Phase 1 to Phase 2 and higher to reach the peak at approximately 12,300 ft! Just the best place for a breathtaking view of the surrounding snow capped peaks and sledding and skiing for the adventurous!

PAHALGAM: A famous location for Bollywood movies, Pahalgam (Village of Shepherds) is known for its beautiful valleys and waterfalls. At approximately 4 hours from Srinagar you can try water rafting just before you reach the destination. Though it is a very good spot for trekking, it is advisable to use the local guides and their horses for a memorable ride up the mountains and its valleys one of them also known as the Switzerland of Kashmir for the striking resemblance.

The Mughal gardens namely Nishat Bagh, Chasm - e- Shahi and Shalimar Bagh are within 30 mins of the Dal Lake and atleast 10 mins from each other. These are popular weekend hangouts for youngsters and families alike built by Mughals in the Islamic style of architecture and are characterized by running water, pools, flowering and fruiting trees.

Kashmir is known for its saffron, pashmina shawls, paper mache items, embroidered clothes, wood crafts and tea. Beginning from the Dal Lake where sellers come selling jewellery and other souvenirs in their Shikaras, Srinagar is filled with shops where you could pretty much get what you are looking for. Haggling with the sellers in Shikaras is a must or one would end up regretting on finding a better rate in the Srinagar market. Best option to buy your souvenirs especially Pashminas would be from cottage industries or fixed price shops within the market to ensure they are genuine. Another way of testing your pashmina's purity would be to conduct the finger ring test wherein a 100% pashmina should effortlessly be able to pass through a finger ring.

Kashmir can easily be accessed via a short one hour flight from the Indian capital of Delhi that takes you to the tiny airport in Srinagar. Upon arrival in this beautiful city, you will soon be accustomed to seeing security personnel of the Indian Border Security force in almost all the areas due to the Indo Pak border dispute. Best time to visit Kashmir would be from September to March when the fruiting season begins till the Skiing season lasts.