Trip to Holy Amarnath Cave – July 2013

தனிச்சிவேம னித்தவேம தத்வேம இமயகிரிப் பனித்களாய் இனித்தம் ஸ்படிகமணி அமர்நாதா பார்என்ைனப் பார்என்ள் பார்உன்ைனப் பார்என்ற ேபர்கைணத் ேதறேத ெபமாேன அள்வாேய!

O Shiva, the eternal alone, ever meditative, principle of all entia, at the apex of Himalaya, in icy form as the most revealing effulgence of Shivam, as Sri Amarnath Is it for me to see You, and see in You to see Me and see in Me, O infinitely merciful, expanse of sweet enlightenment, O Lord, let your compassion prevail!

Trip to Holy Amarnath Cave – July 2013

Every time I think of my previous trip to Mount Kailash, my joy finds no bounds! I have been thinking of making another trip, by the grace of God to perform the inner parikrama. But a different plan was on the cards. It was Sundar’s email in mid June

2013 that has changed my plan.

Sundar, a friend of mine who lives in Boston, resonates many of my interests. With strong links in India – both for his business interests and spiritual pursuits, Sundar is a frequent traveller. His email this time was about a trip to the holy cave ‐

Amarnath.

I took the offer at once; as I could not avail long leave from work, the option to take a shorter route – about 12 km of total trekking instead of the traditional 48 km route was ideal. Uma, the silent force behind of my pursuits, was quick to push me towards the decision; she suggested that I ask her brother/wife (Anna/Manni) from

Bangalore and also my Sister (Akka) from Trichy to join me. That would be a great opportunity to share; I checked and all of them at once took up the offer; knowing their age and physical demands for the trip, I did have some fear but there was certain confidence too that they would all do just fine. That was it; the plan was hatched; we all would meet in Bangalore and fly to Srinagar for the trip. Amarnath yatra is the primary goal and sight‐seeing around Srinagar would be the bonus.

Amarnath is part of the Himalayan range. Located roughly at 3960 meter above sea level, the holy cave is a large lime‐stone structure in which magnificent icy formation of Shiva Lingam exists during a short period every year by the naturally dripping glacier waters from the mountains. It is considered to be holy and of spiritual significance. Great Seers say that Mount Kailash in the North is the abode of Lord

Shiva, Thiruvannamalai in the South is Lord Shiva Himself and at Amarnath, Shiva imparted the eternal truth or ‘Shiva rahasya’ to His escort Shakti. Every life‐form is only seeking this eternal truth. Our ordeals and efforts are only leading us towards the realization of this eternal truth. Paradoxically, the truth is within us and so the

2 process of finding is simply the shedding of our ignorance. In our Sanatana Dharma, infinite are the ways to reach that infinite potential. Yatra or pilgrimage is one such approach, in which destination is merely a symbolic goal, journey the penance and yatri the ultimate benefactor.

Physically, there are three approaches to go to Amarnath. The traditional route starts at the base camp at Pahalgam.

This is about 96 Km from

Srinagar. From here, Amarnath cave is about 48 km., passing through some of the beautiful mountain ranges, glaciers and valleys. Instead of trekking all the way, there are also Helicopter services between Pahalgam and Panchtarani, the base camp from where the holy cave is only 6 km. Another route is to go Baltal, a small town 30 km from Sonamarg. Sonamarg is about 80 km from Srinagar. From

Baltal the holy cave is only 14 km but trek is supposed to be steeper and more difficult. There are also helicopter services between Baltal and Panchtarani. So in any case, the trekking from Panchtarani is mandated. Both routes, from Pahalgam and Baltal merge at the place called ‘Sangam’, which means the last leg between

Sangam and the holy cave would have more yatris on the trek. This part of the leg is also difficult.

We decided to take the helicopter route via Baltal. I told Anna, Manni and Akka to start preparing for the trek. Any such high‐altitude travel requires good preparation, both mentally and physically. Brisk walk for an hour or so every day is mandatory. Such walking should be dedicated; One cannot equate such dedicated walking with that of going to shops or work etc. Everyone was obliging. Akka reported to me on a weekly basis that she was walking at good pace around the

Rockfort temple in Trichy. Anna and Manni are usual walkers around the track within their condominium in Bangalore.

Few other things are also needed to be checked prior to the travel.

Firstly there is a need for travel permit, known as ʹYatri Permit’; everyone who plans to trek from Baltal or Pahalgam to Amarnath must obtain the permit through specific application form with due payment at nominated agencies (branches of certain

Indian banks). Without the permit, no one is allowed to start the trek at Baltal and

Pahalgam. Luckily, for those who plan to take the helicopter trip, no such yatri permit is required. So, we ignored this formality.

However, everyone must get a health certificate from a nominated medical practitioner. Again, there is a fixed format prescribed and there are specifically nominated doctors in the major cities of India, who should be approached to obtain the health certificate. The Indian government assures medical cover to the extent of

100,000 Rupees to any yatri and therefore, to minimize the risks, certain level of fitness is required and so the imposition of compulsory certificate.

As Sundar and I are not resident in India, we obtained the certificate from our local medical counsel. That was fine. Akka, Anna and Manni had to undergo formal medical tests before obtaining the certificates in India. In some ways, it was good.

For Akka, Anna and Manni such medical check‐up was timely and also reassuring their fitness for the travel. The checkups showed all clear, doubly boosting their confidence. We were all fit for the journey and eagerly awaited the day to take‐off!

Anyone who plans to take the yatra must not ignore the health certificate requirements. It is a must. I saw a person at the Helipad at Baltal without the health certificate only to be flatly rejected!

Also do not forget to take your photo‐identification; It can be Passport, Voter‐

Identification or Driving licence that are valid at the time of travel.

1st July

Anna, Manni, Akka and I were at Bangalore Airport. Swathi, Uma’s sister who was returning to Pune after a short visit to Bangalore was with us. We parted from

Swathi at the departure gate. I was still

looking for Sundar to join us. He was

coming from Sringeri after a couple of

nights stay at Sri Sringeri Mutt; His plan was

to meet a friend in Bangalore at dawn, and

then join us at the airport. Suddenly my phone rang and it was Sundar who was trying to locate me. I just turned around to see him, just there at Gate 9. It took few moments for both of us to recognize each other. Last time, he had a saintly beard and a steely look of a distant traveller; this time, his head is shaven (tribute at Dharmasthala), beard is gone, only the usual smile unchanged. Perhaps I too looked different to him. Even before I could complete the quick introduction, he was feeling at home and everyone was talking to everyone else… so, there was a team, I thought.

Spicejet – now owned by Sun Group of Kalanidhi Maran – was utterly efficient on board. The seats were neat, services swift and the flight was almost full. However, when we landed in Delhi, confusion struck. We needed to change aircraft to go to

Srinagar but for some reason, the ground staff decided to take us for a long walk – across airport terminals from one gate to another under the scorching heat of Sun.

Although it lasted only about 15 minutes or so, the heat was unbearable until we took refuge on board the flight to Srinagar. We thought by reaching Srinagar, we would escape the hot Sun. How foolish we were! When we landed in Srinagar, the temperature was 30 degree C. I looked at Anna and Manni and their bulging suitcase, which was full of woollen, caps, gloves etc. Surely this luggage would be kept intact till return!

Srinagar airport is small but neat. We looked for our driver in vain. We took turns to go around the waiting escorts and read and re‐read the sign‐boards, every time carefully avoiding the eye‐contacts with the holders of the sign‐boards, out of

5 embarrassment. Nope…. the driver was not there. We called the travel agent in

Delhi to inquire, which turned‐out to be a daily ritual through the entire trip as one way or the other there were complaints to make and help to be sought.

After few panic driven calls, we located the local agent who introduced our driver

Niaz Khan. Niaz was a stuffy, short fellow with a cheeky smile. He escorted us to the car, loaded our luggage on the roof of the car and drove us towards Dal Lake

Gate 1. Today we were scheduled to stay on a house‐boat.

Although we were promised a different House‐boat (named Cutty Sark) at the time of booking, Niaz said that it was a house‐boat called Greenview. It is typical of travel agents in India. One may not get exactly what was promised at the time of booking. Nothing one could do. The travel agents take cover under the ‘fine‐print’ of the contract which in the smallest of small font proclaims their right to alter the accommodation depending on availability. Anyway, hoping that we would find something decent, we waited at Gate 1 of Dal Lake.

To transport to the boat‐house, the boat‐house owner must send a boat to the gate. If you are like me thinking that a boat‐house is a boat which moves, you would be wrong. A boat‐house or house‐boat is a fixed structure resembling a boat. There are

Shikaras, small boats, which ferry passengers over the lake. We waited for 30‐ 40 minutes at the Gate, ample time for Anna and Sundar to caricature the travel agent in

Delhi to be a vicious being. Suddenly a young man, who was fair, slim and tall with very obvious zeal and energy appeared at my window of the car. Knocking gently on the window, he asked us to leave quickly. We followed on to a Shikara and in 10 minutes we reached Greenview – our home for that night.

Greenview is owned by Mr Farooq Khan. A sort of gentle and laid‐back fellow who could easily draw trust in you. In fact, I would say Kashmiris in general are like that; very nice hosts and great shop‐keepers; even when you attack them with intense bargaining – just ask Sundar about it – they remain cool! Great bunch!

Greenview is nothing to talk about. It is a basic house‐boat with couple of bedrooms with en‐suite facilities. We were hungry by then. Farooq asked what he could offer…. When Anna said anything of South‐Indian would do, Farooq summoned his boy to make Upma. There was Upma ready within 30 minutes. It was absolutely delicious and sumptuous. We thought we would settle down for few minutes before taking a Shikara ride on Dal lake. No chance…. As soon as guests check‐in at a house‐boat, vendors invade the site. First came a man who had a look of respectable Imam; he introduced himself as someone like my ‘uncle’, a pre‐emptive charm offense before the bargain; and he spread his items! Suddenly you see on the floor glittering pieces of jewellery. As expected, Akka and Manni started to veer through; I joined; so did Anna and Sundar. Intense consultations and negotiations were going on. I picked up few pieces for Uma and Children. I looked at Sundar; he gazed at me and said, ‘see, I do not buy anything when I travel; no one is expecting me to buy presents, so I will pass!’. I was shocked. Have I been taken for a ride all these years? How come, even though I keep buying presents, I still get progressively challenging milestones for the elusive satisfaction index at home! How come Sundar remains victorious and is able to boast so easily that he does not waste time buying things! As I was contemplating, Anna came to my rescue, by buying a few pieces for his daughters. Akka did her part too, telling Sundar that he must take something for his family too as he has come on holiday to Srinagar. That was it! The mountain of Sundar suddenly melted as the glacier under heat! For the next 30 minutes or so, there was intense analysis of which one to buy and what price to pay! I devilishly smiled inside and said to myself ‘welcome boy!’. As soon as the uncle left, another one came with the purest of pure saffron; then there was One with the best of hand‐woven Kashmiri silk dress materials and then One with Saris. We decided to stop these intrusions and so left on the Shikara and sailed along the beautiful Dal

Lake.

Dal Lake is so wide. It is approximately 20 sq. km and divided into four causeways namely Gagribal, Lokutdal, Boddal and Nagin. The Nagin Lake at the foot of

Shridhara mountain is the most beautiful part of the lake. Although the water is not crystal clear, it has a beautiful bluish green colour; it does not have well maintained

7 banks or decorated pavements! It is just a naturally long and beautiful lake. As you sail on the Shikara, you see other house‐boats, other Shikaras with tourists, or vendors. It was late evening, the golden Sun was reflecting tranquil yellow lights on the surface of the greenish water. The house‐boats were glittering and boasted extra brightness with the reflected Sunrays. Breeze was on our face as if it was there to gently wipe our worries. The Shikara moved slowly but steadily, almost noiseless. I looked down on the water; there was no splashing by the paddle but only a gentle clap; Lilly and lotus leaves were spread across the lake. The artificial water‐fountains were switched on, which sprayed jets of water which was shaken by the slow wind as if it was a dance show.

Akka spotted a man selling corn‐on‐the‐cob. We summoned him to our Shikara, carefully selected the long, fertile stem of corns; roasted with a touch of lemon juice,

those were heavenly to munch. There was

calm and silence – as we were intensely

enjoying the scenery and immensely tasting

the corn. By the time we finished the corn –

those were big – the Sun had almost bid

good‐bye; On the surface of Dal lake colourful

reflections of the neon lights and sign‐boards were dancing. With the darkened sky and the distant shore of neon lights, suddenly the world looked remote and away, circling around us as if we are at its centre, all alone.

The Shikara‐wala brought us back to the reality. He wanted to take us through market street which is on the lake itself. There were house‐boats full of merchandise

‐ spices, nuts, dry fruits, jewellery, carpets, rugs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers….everything that Kashmir is famous for. We stopped and entered a houseboat. After a quick taste of almonds, walnuts, apricots etc., we purchased some saffron and walnuts. Manni bought a silk sari. Although the Shikara‐wala was

8 encouraging us to venture more for walnut based furniture, high‐density hand woven rugs, opal etc., we stood our guard! Straight to home – aka – Greenview

Houseboat. At about 10 PM, hot rotis and pulav rice were served, before our slumber.

2nd July

At about 5AM, when I opened my eyes, Sundar and Anna were sitting on their beds; both are used to getting up early and perform meditation; I came out of the room; the

lake was still. I saw a fragile looking

man on a small boat paddling fast to

see me. ‘Good Morning, How are

you!’ he said. I knew. Dawn of a sale?

I said good morning. He stopped and

started showing boxes of saffron. I

hastily refused, bid him good bye and

returned to the room. At about 8AM, when we finished our breakfast, I noticed the saffron man was still floating on his sail around the Greenview. I called him. With great zeal and gratitude he came, he saw and he conquered. Everyone bought few grams of saffron, trusting on his eloquence about the purity of his stock.

We then bid goodbye to Farooq and his house‐boat for a short ride on Shikara to the shore where Niaz was waiting with his car. We loaded all our bags onto the car. The plan was to have a day trip to Pahalgam and return to Srinagar for stay in hotel

Grand Habib. We thought we could leave our luggage at the hotel before going to

Pahalgam. We went to the hotel but the manager flatly refused to oblige; no luggage could be stored until the check‐in and the check‐in could be done only at 12 noon. Perhaps irrationally so, anger clouded our senses that wasted futile words of exchange; we made our daily ritual – calling the agent in Delhi to lodge the complaints. With the luggage on the top of the car, we hit the road towards

Pahalgam.

On the way to Pahalgam, we were wondering if Niaz could take us to Sri

Sankaracharya temple which is in the Srinagar city. Niaz was not warming up yet to our courtesy. He quoted the instruction from his boss that the plan was to drive to

Pahalgam only. We were bit upset. After seeing the Sri Sankaracharya temple from

Dal Lake last night, sitting pretty on top of the Takht‐i‐Sulaiman hill at the centre of

Srinagar city, we were keen to visit. Niaz’s refusal to take us there in the morning was bit upsetting. With heavy hearts, we left to Pahalgam. Needless to say, poor opinion on the travel agent and the anger at the inflexibility of the driver continued to grow.

The road to Pahalgam is NH‐1, yet it is not wide. On both sides of the road, there are beautiful villages, paddy fields, trees, apple forms, walnut trees etc. En route, Niaz stopped at Pampore, a place known for the most aromatic spices, especially for

Saffron fields. We only stopped at the highway ‐ to taste Kashmiri Kavala; it is a drink made‐out of green tea, almonds, saffron, elaiche and other aromatic spices; when you drink this hot, it is very soothing and supposed to be healthy. We bought dry fruits – blue berries, apricot and nuts for snacks. On the way, we briefly paused at Avanitpura ruins. The ruins are historic significance representing the remains for shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu by the late King Avanti Varman in

9th century. There is also a place nearby, famous for natural hot springs but Niaz did not know the location and so we decided to drive on to Pahalgam.

Eventually we reached Pahalgam at about noon. Pahalgam is a valley set on the confluence of Lidder and Shesnag streams, surrounded by massive mountains. It is a

famous trekking base camp. Although

not clean, the town looks green and

busy with tourists. We went straight to

a Punjabi Dhaba who served excellent

vegetarian food, including dosa etc.

After a quick lunch, we decided to

explore Pahalgam on the pony. I

wanted this; As Amarnath trekking may be difficult, Akka, Anna and Manni might have to take the pony ride. So by

10 taking the pony ride in Pahalgam, there could be some insight and experience. But

Akka and Manni panicked. I was to be blamed as I have failed to forewarn them about the pony‐ride requirements. Also the ladies were clad in saris and not in

Chudidar. Yet I persisted. Poni wallahs added to the pressure. Finally all of us got onto ponies. It was a great experience. The route was quite hilly and uneven. The horses were absolutely sincere and faithful. We spent an hour or so over the mountain before returning the base. Then we drove back to Srinagar via a different route which is famous for apple trees. Akka was keen to taste Kashmir apple but the season was not due till September. The bitter taste and pale green colour of tender apple were not much of interest to anyone.

We reached hotel Grand Habib at 8PM. This time, the receptionists were overly enthusiastic and kind. Perhaps the morning episode had kindled some warmth in their hearts! We checked in. Akka and Manni were in one room, the boys in the other. The rooms were big, comfortable and neat. We opened our windows… presto….right across was Sri Sankaracharya Temple! The hill is directly visible from the Hotel and the temple with all its beauty was quietly inviting our hearts. We decided to go first thing in the morning on the following day.

After a nice dinner, Anna, Sundar and myself went for a walk. It was about 10 PM.

Sundar made a call to Boston to speak to Sudha, his wife. It was obvious because

Sundar was kept saying ‘yes’ or ‘Ok’ only! What surprised me after the call was the rejuvenated Sundar! He now needed to buy few things! Silk Sari, Chudidhar, perhaps a good quality shawl! To prove his intensity of purpose, Sundar walked into a shop which was about to be closed. Few minutes of looking around, a dress material was bought with the promise to the shop keeper of his next day return for more! Anna said with a curious smile ‘Welcome to the club’. I felt now, not so deflated!

3rd July

A quite sleep on the previous night meant that we were all agile and ready to go to

Amarnath. But our helicopter tickets were only for 4th July. The plan for today was to visit Sri Sankaracharya Temple and see around Srinagar and by the evening to reach Mammar, a place near Sonamarg.

Previous night, as part of the daily ritual of calling the travel agent in Delhi ‐ we

have made sure that Niaz provides flexibility

and offer services as we expect. The travel

agent in Delhi committed to speak with local

agent and also instruct the driver. So there

was Niaz, ready to take us to Sri

Sankaracharya Temple. We had breakfast

and decided to visit the Temple and other few local sights and return to the Hotel for check‐out before 12 noon.

Sri Sankaracharya temple is on top Takht‐i‐Sulaiman hill which is about 1000 ft. above the ground at the centre of the city. The hill was previously known as Gopadri hill. Historically, this site was erected by Emperor Ashoka’s son Jaluka in 200 BC and served as the apex of Buddhist school. Subsequently, it represented the place where lofty philosophical doctrines were debated among various schools of Indian thoughts. Various scholars have indicated that Adi Sankaracharya, a great philosopher ‐ a saint of high order, visited Kashmir in first quarter of 9th Century.

He engaged in spiritual discussions and philosophical debates against various schools of thoughts to finally establish vedantic doctrine. By that victory,

Sankaracharya was credited to ascend the ’sarvgyanapeetha ‘– throne of supreme knowledge – at this hill. That time Kashmiris were culturally and spiritually much advanced with various schools of philosophies in currency. Buddhism had a strong influence; Saivism was also at its prime; the great seer Vasugupta propagated his

`Shiva Sutraʹ, which was revealed to him by`Shivaʹ himself, as engraved on a big stone at the foot of Mahadeva Mountain. Shakti cult was also dominant in Kashmir.

When Buddhism was dominating in India, the great Sankaracharya launched a

12 vigorous campaign in the south and popularized the cult of Bhakti, to reduce the influence of Buddhist domination. He made a sweeping tour of the country and defeated Buddhist Scholars with his powerful logic. He checked the tidal wave of nihilism (denial of all reality). Historians also say that only after his visit to Kashmir,

Adi Sankara endorsed Shakti cult. The legend says that Sankaracharya, when he was camping outside the city of Srinagar, met a young girl in spiritual debate, who was none other than Shakti. Learned say that Adi Sankaracharya composed Saundarya

Lahari, the most acclaimed master‐piece in Sanskrit literature at the hill which was known at that time as Gopadri hill.

We reached the temple after a short drive. The site is heritage‐protected and so no cameras, phones or videos are allowed. The temple is clean with about 350 steps to the top. At the top, there is a small cave where Sri Sankara Bhagavdpatha was once performing his penance. The main temple has a beautiful and large Shiva lingam.

The place offers absolute bliss for anyone who opens the heart and seeks. We spent about an hour and returned back to the car. By the time, there were lot of tourists and the traffic was heavy.

We then went to Mughal gardens which include Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh.

These gardens are beautiful with

attractive flowers and water

fountains. But the temperature was

rising above 30 deg C and the time

was nearing 12:00. Niaz

recommended Kashmiri Faluda – a

sweet drink with lot of sticky things

inside but delicious; after enjoying the

Faluda, we rushed back to the hotel to check‐out. Within 30 minutes or so, we were back on the road again. This time we went straight to another Delhi Dhaba for fabulous lunch before travelling towards our hotel in Mammar, part of the Sonamarg district.

Causal look at the city map showed that the temple ‘Kheer Bhawani’ is on the way to

Mammar. Niaz has agreed to take us – it would cost another 500 Rupees. We obliged. At about 3PM we were at the temple. What a beautiful place it is! The temple is located at a village called Tula Mula and dedicated to Goddess

Raginia Devi. The presiding deity is symbolised as a holy spring and is fondly known as Kheer Bhawani, as devotees offer ‘milk’ and ‘kheer’ at the spring.

Legend says that Sri Raginia Devi was worshipped by

Ravana in Sri Lanka; but when he lost his virtues,

Devi left Sri Lanka with Hanuman and resided in

Kashmir, unknown to everyone, until one day by divine instruction, a devotee had the vision of Shakti as Kheer Bhawani. The temple is serene, surrounded by huge trees that were providing cool shade over the vast grounds. There were hundreds of birds making joyous noises all around. We spent about an hour before leaving for Mammar.

The drive to Mammar was beautiful. By this time, Niaz was turning very friendly and was eager to show more and talk more. He was pointing out walnut trees,

Jhelum River, Indus river etc. At about 6PM we reached Mammar, a small place 30

KM before Sonamarg.

We noticed that while booking the tour package, we were booked at ‘Snowland

Resort’ at Sonamarg; but we were confirmed at ‘Snowland Resort’ at Mammar,

Sonamarg District; although this hotel is not bad, it is not the same grade as the one at Sonamarg. More importantly, as we needed to drive to Baltal to access the helipad early next day, staying at Sonamarg could be lot more easier than at Mammar. But, hey, what is life without tensions and surprises!

We checked‐in at the hotel. Behind the hotel is the beauty of blooming valley and the incredible Indus river meandering through the valley, rolling down stones and spreading the pebbles all around. We were all drawn towards the stream. I usually find extreme peace when near the flowing water or the towering mountain. We all

14 sat down for some contemplation. After about 30 minutes, we walked back to the

Hotel. Niaz who was sitting at the side road, came to us and said, ‘please check

with your travel agent about the

helicopter ticket’. I said it should be

with the Mammar Hotel manager as

promised. Perhaps I spoke too soon.

A quick check with the hotel manager

revealed that there were no tickets

yet. Panic struck again! We called

the agent in Delhi who promised that the tickets would reach us by 8:30 PM. But nothing happened at 8:30PM. 9PM passed and nothing yet happened. Then the Agent called again and said that the tickets would be delivered at the Helipad. Niaz warned that it could not be. There would be Police check‐posts before entering Baltal where we needed to show copies of helicopter confirmation. Panic calls followed. Mammar hotel manager and other locals also joined in our disgust. Everyone was empathising but none offered any solution. Akka piled up prayers to the gods. I was echoing my last minute visa experience during the Mount Kailash trip. Anna jokingly replied ‘perhaps I must reconsider taking trips with you’. We all laughed, but jokes were not easy at that time. It was 9:30 PM; the local agent called and said that the tickets were ready and the driver would leave Srinagar at 3AM and arrive before 5AM next day. He hung‐ up. I texted him saying that it would keep us on tenterhook but nevertheless thanked him for his commitment. He called back in a flash. He did not want us to stay tensed. He was sending the driver right‐away and the tickets would reach us before 11:30 PM that night.

That was great. Niaz started dancing. We went back to our rooms; prepared what we need to take for the yatra and laid our tired bodies on the bed. At 11:30, the doorbell rang; the hotel Manager and the driver from Srinagar were at the entrance with the pile of papers. Those were the tickets. I drew them all in, got the tickets, verified them and pressed a hundred rupee on the driver’s hands and said ‘Thanks a lot’. He left, hesitantly asking, if his taxi fare to be paid by the agent or us. I said it

15 should be by the agent. He left. Anna and Sundar who were watching the drama quietly said, ‘Good, we can sleep now. But why do you have to pay 500 Rupees...’!

Apparently I had paid 500 Rupees as the tip to the driver. He deserved it!

We went to bed to see if we could sleep for the next 3 hours or so.

4th July

We started from Mammar at 5PM. The Mammar hotel manager was very nice. He would safe‐keep all our luggage until we return in the evening. He also packed some breakfast for us. We started earnestly towards our goal. The Sun was yet to come out. The air was fresh and gently blowing. The passage was nice with curvy roads. Indian army personnel were stationed across many spots. They looked brisk and utterly professionals. Niaz was playing some Hindi music on the car radio.

We checked the helicopter ticket. My ticket was booked for departure at 6:15AM.

For others, the departure time was 11:00AM. No idea why it was done like that! It is always better to take earliest copter in order to return on the same day. We know

that for the return trip from Panchtarani

to Baltal, timing is not critical as first‐in‐

first basis is used. According to the

Internet, it is so in the case for departure

from Baltal also. So we assumed that as

soon as we reach Baltal, we could rush

to the Helipad and take the earliest

flight. We reached there about 7:15 AM.

Already there was a big queue. There was a huge car park where all vehicles were parked, behind which was the check post guarded by central reserve police force or

CRPF. One had to pass the check post to reach the helipad. At the entrance of the helipad, there was a gate where a man was checking the boarding time to allow passenger entrance. To control the crowd, only time‐based entry was allowed. I showed the 6:15 departure time and the others as 11AM; he obliged and let us in.

There was no further guidance.

We rushed towards the Helipad. The guards there checked us and asked to go back to different location to get the boarding pass. The guards asked only Sundar and I to go and others to stay at the helipad entrance. We reached the check‐in counter.

There was a tiny window, dressed‐up (messed up?) with a mesh of wires; behind was a man whose face you could barely see. You have to show your health certificate and the confirmation of ticket. He would have to weigh each passenger, even though the you have already provided the information, and depending on his weight arithmetic, he would allocate the helicopter number and time. As there is a fixed maximum weight for the copter, there is no guarantee that everyone in a group would go in the same flight.

Sundar inserted his hand through the small hole at the counter, pressing all our papers. Luckily at that time, as there was not much crowd, the clerk accepted the forms, checked all papers and started to look for confirming the boarding tickets. He looked at Sundar and asked if each of the passengers would stand up on the weighing machine; the weighing machine was just outside the counter. Sundar looked at me and shouted, ‘go and get all of them here, now’. I ran back to the helipad but our people were not there. When I finally spotted them, I rushed them to follow me to the check in counter. But it was not quick enough. Sundar was no more at the counter. Apparently, the clerk refused to board us now; we had to wait until 11:00 AM.

If one does not reach Panchtarani before 9AM, it is very unlikely that person would be able to finish the Amarnath Dharshan and return to the helipad to take the last flight to Baltal. For those who could not return the same day, there are tent facilities at Panchtarani and they can take the early morning copters on the next day, which would otherwise go empty to Baltal. We wanted to avoid this. We wanted to reach

Baltal before 9AM. That was not meant to be. So we waited. There were so many people like us. Free tea, biscuits, food were being served nearby. Two helicopter companies (Global and Himalayan Trekking) were making sorties after sorties, each lasting less than 10 minutes. It was a very impressive operation. We just sat there until our turn came. It came. Manni was booked on first for the next available copter; other four of us on the following. When our turn came, Akka and Sundar

17 sat comfortably next to the pilot but for whatever reason, Sundar was asked to dismount and wait for the next copter. A ten‐minute flight across the mountains was fabulous. We could see the long winding slopes of trek from the sky which we needed to embark soon. It was thrilling. After about 30 minutes, all of us were together at Panchtarani – finally to begin the yatra.

We started walking. It was already 11:45AM. It could be difficult to make the return by 5PM to catch the helicopter back to Baltal. Sundar suggested pony or palki

for all. I wanted to walk. After few

minutes of discussion and bargaining

with the pony wallahs, Akka, Anna

and Manni were all set‐to go on the

ponies. Sundar and I have decided to

walk. The yatra started. There were

hundreds if not thousands of people nearby. The march started, slowly, steadily, along the swinging path, rising gently as we moved. People were chanting ‘ Bhol Bhol Mahadev’ and ‘Nama Shivaya’.

As we were progressing, the pace increased. However, at many instances, the parading ponies needed to stop either to give way for the on‐coming traffic or the palki‐wallahs to pass who were almost running with their passengers carried over the shoulders.

I followed Akka, Anna and Manni for the first mile or so; I just wanted to make sure they were comfortable on the ponies.

When a pony is going downhill, the rider has to lean backwards and when it is climbing up, to gently lean forward. It was funny watching how Akka and Manni were trying to oblige. Anna was seemingly comfortable on the horse but I felt he was always leaning to the right (pun unintended!). I wanted to move. At places instead of following the swirling trek, I climbed straight. This was something

I learnt from the Sherpa’s during the Mount Kailash trip. This would save time albeit some struggle for the ascend.

An hour passed to pass 2 KM mark. The pace of walk increased. The Sun was right above the head. I realized that Akka, Anna and Manni have nothing to drink. The small bag with Akka had some eatables but there was no water. I could not see them nearby. Sundar was also not seen. He must have gone in the front. I moved fast chanting the mantra ‘Nama Shivaya’.

When I passed the 3 Km mark, I saw a young Muslim boy selling soft‐drinks. I bought a Limca, had some sip; I looked around to see if our team was nearby. No! I marched on. The path kept on rising as if to reach the sky, suddenly turning; at many places, the passage was narrow. I noticed the passing horses were walking so close to the edge; scary! After 30 minutes or so, I saw at a distance, colourful tents and also long treks from adjoining mountains converging onto a single trek ahead.

I soon realized that I was nearing Sangam. This is where the treks from Pahalgam and also from Baltal merge. There I saw Sundar. He stood there waiting for me. I passed the Limca to him; we rested for few minutes before proceeding to the last mile which was most difficult.

Once we passed Sangam, there were hundreds of tents. There were merchants selling all sorts of things.... Tea, coffee, food, bed, rest etc. They also sell lot of photographs, god statutes, pictures, japa malas etc. Although many of the shops were operated by Muslims, there seemed no difference among humanity. There was absolute harmony; everyone was chanting ‘Bhol

Bhol Shivji’. Sundar ordered some tea.

We also bought walking sticks for each of us. From there on, the path was slushy due to the darkened ice; we were literally walking over the dormant glacier and piled‐up ice. Without a pole, it was difficult to maintain safe walking. We were able to see the Amarnath Cave; Tall and inviting,

19 the cave was clearly visible from where we stood. It appeared as the Srirangam temple entrance before its Rajagopuram was built! It is a kind of tall rocky structure with a big cave. Although it looked near, the walking did not seem to end. We persisted.

Finally we were at the cave. But to our disappointment, the police did not allow any electronic item to be carried inside the cave. So we had to deposit our cameras, phones etc. at the entrance. Unlike Mount Kailash – where there is no temple or authorities, Amarnath Cave looked like a temple. From the entrance, there are well laid steps to climb inside the cave. Everyone was chanting Shiva nama; the crowd was pushing; the atmosphere was electrifying. Sundar and I reached the top; I wanted to know if Akka, Anna and Manni were able to reach there. I mentioned my anxiety to Sundar. He said ‘just in time, look there’ and pointed to the other side.

There I saw Akka being lifted by four men on a palki; she was almost inclined as she was carried. I shouted couple of times ‘Akka, Akka’. She heard me; Although her face was completely fused with fear, my call and our presence at the top of the cave brought a significant spark to her face; She smiled and waved; Manni was right behind her in a palki and she waved too. Anna must have gone in the front. From the entrance, if you take the palki ride, then they could take you in a special route directly in front of the lingam. Others have to queue along a slightly longer path. It was good that Anna made a decision to take the palki. Sundar and I followed the queue, joining the chanting of Shiva nama with everyone. Suddenly, a man pulled me and Sundar out. He pointed out that we were wearing our shoes and these must be removed. We humbly obliged and re‐joined the queue.

Finally, we were in front of Lord Amarnath.

Grilled steel gates are installed from about 20 feet in front of the ice lingams. We could only stand behind the gate and see inside. There were the magnificent formation of lingams in solid ice;

One partly melted, the other two still solid

20 glittering snow white. The main lingam is considered as Shiva and the other two as

Shakti and Ganapathi. I had no prayers in my mind. Nothing I needed to ask. I gazed at the formation. I closed my eyes for a while. People were pushing each other. I looked at Sundar and he too was ready to leave. We both looked once again at the Lord as if to can carry all His glory within our eyes. We climbed down. The policeman dropped our shoes from where we had left. As we climbed down, I noticed all sorts of people were there. There were saintly looking nomads. There were also beggars sitting on each step. Half way down the steps, there is a beautiful silver statue of bull (Nandi). I saw a Tamilian sanyasi performing aarti and reciting songs. We came down, collected our cameras/bag etc. and began to descend.

It was 4PM. There is no way we could reach the helipad by 5PM. We needed to take the pony. Before that we needed to locate Akka, Anna and Manni. Sundar and I looked for them. It was difficult to locate them in crowd like that. How easy if only we had a family song like in the film ‘Ya donki bharat’... to get reunited! I was very worried. Sundar said that we should take the horse and go straight to Baltal instead of Panchtarani. His argument was logical as we could reach our car avoiding any set back at the helipad. I was concerned. If Anna et al have gone down to Panchtarani for the helicopter, they could not go without the tickets, which were with me. So I

said that we should take the

horse and return to Panchtarani.

We agreed and hired the ponies.

We were on our way. Suddenly I

had this worry. What if, Anna,

Akka and Manni were waiting

for us at the cave? I hoped not. I

trusted my instinct that Anna

would take the low‐risk option; he would have led Akka and Manni to take the Pony or Palki to reach Panchtarani.

It was my turn to petition the gods to make us all meet safely at the helipad. Yet, I tried calling Manni’s phone but in vain.

The descent was slow. The traffic was high. My pony‐wallah was a lean, young

Muslim boy; He was gasping for breath than the pony. I felt sorry for him. When we were held at a peak for traffic flow, he looked at me in despair. I noticed someone selling soft drinks. I gave him money to get some soft‐drink for him. He quickly grabbed the note, bought a drink for himself and the pony wallah who was caring for Sundar. Soon I heard and saw the roar of helicopters making sorties. We were nearing Panchtarani. Suddenly my pony wallah asked me to get down; He needed to go to Baltal. He arranged another fellow to take me down. I climbed on his horse. It looked better and was taller. As we started climbing down, the pony wallah kept saying ‘Sundar chalo’. After of hearing couple of times, I queried him.

Apparently the horse I was sitting on was called Sundar. My joy found no bounds.

At last, I could take Sundar for a ride. I wanted to tell him once I reached

Panchtarani. I did!

As we stepped down from the horses at Panchtarani, we saw Anna, Akka and

Manni, all looking very tired but happy. I felt so relieved to see them. Anna had arranged a Palki to bring them all down. They had arrived 30 minutes earlier;

However, without any food or drink they were looking tired and weak. It was 5:15

PM. Our helicopter had left and the last one was due at 6PM. I went to the helicopter check‐in counter. The man rudely closed the door and said that we must try for the next day morning. There were other passengers like us who wanted to return the same day. We all waited at the counter, raising our voices. Finally, the man came out and looked at few of our tickets. Luckily ours got selected for the last two sorties for the day. At 6:05PM, the last helicopter to Baltal carried all of us safely.

While flying on the helicopter, we were able to see the path we treaded, the long, zigzag road across the mountains. I thanked Lord Shiva for His grace to allow us to visit the Holy cave.

As soon as the helicopter landed, Anna’s mobile rang. Niaz was calling from the car park at Baltal. The car park was just behind the gate cordoned by the police. Anna could not hear clearly and said to Niaz that he would call him in few minutes. We were walking towards the exit gate.

That was where a thrilling experience began to unfold!

As we were approaching, the gates were being closed and the policemen were rushing. We were asked to take another route but not to approach the exit gate or try to go to the car park. Suddenly, stones were being thrown; People were running in all directions; we too ran and took shelter at the nearby security control room which was closer to the gate. Apparently a driver was assaulted by a Police officer earlier during the day and mistakenly rumoured to be dead; that had created a pandemonium. There were hundreds of angry men charging towards the gate.

Akka and Manni were unable to contain the fear. The security men made us sit on the floor. At the same time a stone hit the roof of the building. Other local men were trying to pacify the yatris. With us, there was another family from Agra; they were totally shaken. We decided to leave the room. It was too close to the gate. We quickly ran towards another building where there were lot of young men. They were all friendly and trying to calm us down. Akka was trembling in fear. She said that her legs were weak and thirsty; We tried to contact Niaz. He texted saying that he was safe, stuck at the car park and would call soon. That was the last time we heard from him for that day. In the meantime, the travel agent from Delhi called; He could not understand the tension at Baltal; Anna told him to call back; His concern was about the hotel arrangement. We were supposed to return to Srinagar on that night to stay at Hotel Royal Batoo. If we were to be held at Baltal, should the booking be cancelled? That must be the agent’s concern. We were not in the mood to think about that. Anna received couple of calls from Uma but no outgoing calls were possible by then. We were simply waiting! The shouting was increasing. Now more armoured vehicles came. Police were firing shots in the air. Anna said that it was tear‐gas; the air was murky and smelly! We moved into a tent. There were lots of tents for Yatris. The Agra family followed us and we were all inside. We could hear a stone dropping on top of our tent. That was it. The lady of the Agra family uncontrollably sobbed. Her young son too joined the crying. The father was trying to control their emotions but in vain.

Sundar and I went outside to take a look. That was the time we saw the tent outside the police gate was on fire; Lot of smoke and commotions everywhere. We decided

23 to vacate the tent and go into the building which seemed to have lot of policemen inside. We all ran. In the following ten minutes, some hooligan ran across the street and kept breaking the tents. The tent where we were sheltering 10 minutes ago was sadly shrunk on the floor. It was dark. There was no electricity and no outgoing cell coverage. Occasional gun fire and stone throwing were slowly subsiding. What could we do? Sundar and I went out and talked to a policeman. He strongly advised against travel at night. We were told to find a tent and sleep for the night and all could be well in the morning. We resigned to the fact that it was the best plan. That’s when we realized for the first time, that we had not eaten anything since morning. It was admirable that Anna, Manni and Akka were coping with the ordeals so well. We could not wait. Sundar found out that there was a hotel called

Ajanta somewhere down the street. If we could find it, we could stay overnight.

Sleeping in the tent was considered to be little risky. We went around but could not find any hotel with name Ajanta.

Now there was calm on the street. There were number of places where free food was being served. These places were huge with colourful lights and welcome banners; Music was loud. We were slowly walking in search of Ajanta. Suddenly we saw a hooligan looting a small shop. People were running. Those who were offering free food, fondly invited everyone inside their halls and comforted them.

We too took shelter into one such food hall.

We sat down. There were hundreds of tables. People were sitting, some eating and some drinking milk; a man kept on announcing on the microphone not to worry about the skirmishes and everything would be fine; he kept on asking everyone to eat. We ate; The food was delicious and the serving was big. Obviously we could not eat all – we were too tired to eat and the big portions were too much to handle..

As I attempted to leave the plate for washing, some men came to me and said that wasting food was not allowed. We all meekly went back to our seats and forced ourselves to do justice; almost the plates were empty. Then hot, almond and saffron enriched milk was served. We drank them. Humbled by the generosity of such men serving the yatris, we offered a token contribution and slowly strolled along the street. In the meantime, Sundar and I have arranged with a man for the tent. It was

24 right opposite to the police room. We thought that should do. The tent was exclusive for us only. It was 11PM. Anna tried in vain to contact the driver. Anna was getting texts from Divya, his daughter in Bangalore. Uma had left messages for

Anna. But with no outgoing call capabilities, we could not respond to any. We were too tired to even bid good‐night to each other. We fell asleep.

5th July

‘Rajja, the cell phone is working, shall we try to call the driver and escape?’ ‐ Anna whispered at 4AM in the morning. Sundar was awake too. We decided to do so;

Niaz was called; He responded quickly; The poor chap was held at the car park for the whole night; He did not have money and could not come inside to get free food;

He was waiting to find us. We decided to leave immediately. We hastily brushed our teeth and took our items and walked to the car park. It was such a haste, I later realized that I have lost my pair of glasses somewhere in the tent.

Niaz started driving towards us. After few minutes we located each other and were on our way to Mammar. We would go to Mammar, take our luggage and drive straight to Gulmarg, our last resort before returning to Bangalore.

There was relief on everyone’s face. Dawn was breaking. Niaz put some old Hindi music on the stereo. The car was heading to Mammar. At about 7AM we reached the hotel at Mammar. The hotel manager welcomed us in the early morning. He asked us to use the rooms to freshen ourselves as needed. We did; we also had some hot chai; the luggage were loaded on top of the car. At about 8:30Am we left

Mammar towards Gulmarg. We aimed to reach Gulmarg before noon. On the way, we had breakfast at a roadside restaurant.

Gulmarg is a hill resort. It is about 56 km from Srinagar. Known for the world’s highest cable car facility, Gulmarg is favourite with honeymooners and movie makers. We arrived at Gulmarg Resort just about mid‐day. Niaz has organized a guide who would buy the cable car tickets and be our guide. He said that he could not stay but will return the next day. He left.

We rested for a while and then decided to take the cable car ride. It was about 10 minutes’ walk from the resort. Apparently tourists are encouraged to walk or take the pony while visiting the attractions within Gulmarg. Cars are discouraged. That was the message we got from the Agent. We went to the cable car. There are two phases. First phase takes about 5 minutes. Nothing exciting about this. Second phase takes about 10 minutes where it passes through two mountains and reaches about 13000 feet. It was stunning. But the queue to get into the cable car was very very long. The tickets also expire in certain times. Logically you would expect the queues to be arranged by the order of the ticket timing. But it was not a place for logic. Emotions were running high as tour guides, like ours, were trying to smuggle their customers on to the cable car, by beating the long queue. It was frustrating and sometimes shameful. Anyway, we managed to get onto the cable car and reached the summit.

Although it was 13000 feet high, it was a hot afternoon. Akka, Anna and Manni decided to sit and enjoy. Sundar was not keen on trying out the sledge or ski. I was! The apex of the mountain did not have much snow. The hardened ice on top of the peak had few soft layers of snow. I sat on a sledge which was pulled by two men to the top. From there I could see the line of control (LOC) with

Pakistan. After few minutes, I was driven down to the bottom of the peak. That was it. We spend about an hour there and joined the long queue to catch the cable car to come down.

Once we reached down, we decided to go back to the hotel. There was not much to see by walking around; Pony rides were of no more interest to anyone. We gently strolled, took a break in a local cafe and ultimately reached the hotel. The dinner was excellent. We simply chatted and rested in our rooms. Next day we were to depart Srinagar.

Bags have been repacked. Sundar said that he had now emptied a bag. I looked at him. ‘Tomorrow, we need to do some more shopping – Shawl, Saris etc. at

Srinagar’, he said, seeing me smiling.

6th July

We had early breakfast at the hotel. Niaz was back and about 8:30, we left the hotel.

As we were driving down the

Gulmarg, Niaz showed us a beautiful small temple; This temple had been in many

Bollywood movies. We wanted to go. Niaz took us there in the next 15 minutes or so. It is a beautiful temple.

Inside is Shiva Linga decorated by lot of leaves and flowers. The priest was sitting calmly chanting some slogams.

Devotees enter the temple and they can touch or embrace the lingam.

We were so thrilled to end the trip by visiting the temple at Gulmarg. Anna also reminded that it was the actual first anniversary day of the passing of his beloved

father who lived 100 years

of beautiful life on mother

earth. We took some

pictures and bid good‐bye

to Gulmarg. Niaz was keen

to be photographed with

the group.

We were racing towards the

Airport. But we needed to finish the last minute shopping. As we were driving, we saw on both sides of the roads, boxes of fresh cherry, apricot, plums were sold; We

27 stopped and bought few boxes of fruit to eat. Niaz took us to a co‐operative shop that specializes in Kashmiri products; The next hour or so was a great drama; We had immense varieties of dress materials, rugs etc. to look at, followed by intense negotiations on the price. After spending considerable money on these last minutes gifts, we moved on towards the airport. Suddenly the idea of lunch came to our mind. Niaz cautioned that it would be futile to go into the town. He took us to a restaurant on the by‐pass road towards the airport. As we entered the restaurant, the tall, stocky Muslim man warmly greeted us with big smile. We ordered Kashmiri

Pulav and Kashmiri Biryani. We wanted to taste. Those were the best dishes from everyone’s view! The aroma, colour, texture, mixture of spices, taste and above all the warmth and careful serving by the restaurant staff really achieved top‐class certification from all of us. It was a nice way to end the journey.

Niaz drove fast to the airport. As we neared the Srinagar airport, the traffic piled.

Please be warned; the security checks for flight departing from Srinagar are quite severe. We had to unload our luggage from the Car at two check points; when we reached the airport, there were massive queues. Except Sundar who was going to

Chennai, we were returning to Bangalore. Spicejet officer came looking for us as we were the last four passengers to check‐in. We hastily but warmly bid good bye to

Sundar and rapidly followed the Spicejet officer who was making dents at every queue and gate to push us through to the aircraft. At 14:20, we were seated on the

Bangalore bound flight, which in the next 10 minutes made its leap on to the sky.

A memorable trip to Kashmir and Amarnath Yatra came to an end.

Mee. Rajagopalan [email protected]