Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast

hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast

“Gar firdaus, bar ruhe zamin ast,
hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto.”

“If there is paradise on this earth,
it is here, it is here, it is here…”

Spoken in awe by the great poet Amir Khusrau, the stunning Kashmir valley continues to evoke this very sentiment even today in the heart of many travellers. The lush green meadows, the gently meandering streams merging into the Indus & Jhelum rivers, the verdant forests standing tall, watching over the valley for millennia, and the imposing Pir Panjal & Zabarwan ranges, all come together to form a soul-stirring landscape.

I'd been planning a solo trip to the valley almost since my birthday (march ’22) but the universe had better plans in store for me. An impromptu three-and-a-half-day trip with mom, dad, and my brother to the valley to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday which was on June 2, 2022!

They were the best ninety hours of my life (one of the best). Just three and a half days in the valley but a bagful of memories!! A whole lot to share so my subsequent posts will only be in tune to -

“Gar firdaus, bar ruhe zamin ast,
hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto…”

As soon as you step out of the flight and enter Srinagar airport, this is the first sign that welcomes you to the Heaven On Earth.

This bridge was probably just a kilometer before our resort but we didn't know it. We just got down, mesmerized by the beauty all around...the endless meandering road intersected by a gushing stream, jumping, dancing, gurgling over the rocks...demanding the passers-by to take a pause!

A Pause Before The Golden Meadow

The beautiful, Sindh river winding parallel to the road we were driving on our way to the Sultan Resort kept teasing me throughout as if urging me to stop the car, step down, taste the air, and get the feel of being in the paradise.
That's me, living an eternity in a moment, at the first bridge I came across!

The First Bridge