Last month, I spent a good couple of weeks in Himachal Pradesh. On one of the mornings, we hiked up to an ancient temple called Giri Ganga and stopped by the neighbouring meadows for lunch. I was with my homestay’s host and a couple of his friends. The four of lunch sat on the open green fields, surrounded by tall deodar trees and hugged by gaugeable hills. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful. This frame was broken by a rhythmic stream and completed by a worn-down wooden hut.
I knew paradise looked a lot like that afternoon.
Simultaneously, I was in conversation with a few of my friends about where we should trek this year. Our choices—the Hampta Pass in Himachal, the Har-ki-Dun trail of Uttarakhand or the Great Lakes of Kashmir.
That afternoon made me wonder if Kashmir’s lakes would win over the mountains of Himachal and Uttarakhand. Through photographs I have been infatuated with the brilliant meadows, the contrasting colours of the landscape and the saturated composition of this trail.
To add to the enticing proposition is my love for Kashmir and its people. The first time I experienced Kashmir’s tourism was seven years ago. And the time between my first and second trip was a short five days. I couldn’t wait to go back to the state. From the sights, stories and food, there wasn’t one aspect of it that I didn’t embrace.
Our effervescent experiences make us pleasantly biased.
And even though I’m yet to decide which trail I climb this year, I know it will be a lot like paradise.
Which are your favourite meadows in India?
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Amrita Das
I have been a travel and culture independent journalist. My bylines have appeared in many publications worldwide including National Geographic Traveller India, Lonely Planet Magazine India, The Indian Express and World Travel Magazine. A fellow of Media Ambassadors India-Germany 2019 program by Robert Bosch Stiftung and Centre for Media Competence, University of Tübingen. Currently, I am the photo editor for RoundGlass Sustain, a wildlife and conservation e-publication. I live in India.
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My answer will be Kashmir anyday. My wish will be kashmir anyday. Perhaps also for the fact that I have not done any trekking ever.
But, but Uttarakhand and Himachal?! I suppose I’m still not in a condition to choose :p