A Wintry White Experience in Kashmir

Similar to the majority of the tropical countries India too gives a warm welcome to the winter times with many places still using air conditioners and sunglasses. This time of the year offers relief from the heat and humidity of the summer and monsoon months with all the woolen clothes out to beat the sheets of icy cold winds in most of the regions. Kashmir too bears an inviting look with a spectacular view for visitors. Tourists visit Gulmarg in this region to ski and indulge in other adventure sports that the winter times have to offer in Kashmir.

Winter Holiday in Kashmir

For those of you looking to throw snowballs and utilizing your ear muffs, Kashmir is the place to be for a vacation. Gulmarg is the ideal place for winter sporting activities in the Indian Territory.

Among the various activities available in Gulmarg, you can opt for ‘gondola rides’, sledding, snowboarding and skiing which lasts from 15th December to 15th April every year. The frozen Dal Lake in Kashmir along with Pahalgam and Mughal gardens views are so amazing that they take your breath away. You can also visit the Sheshnag Lake, Betaab Valley, Chandanwari, Baisaran and Avantipur while you are touring Kashmir is the winter months for added wintry flavor.

Picturesque Setting

As the mercury drops to the sub-zero levels forming icicles on the roof-tops you will get to see snowflakes floating in the air in places like Gulmarg. Another fascinating view is the children skiing and indulging in other activities over the totally frozen Dal Lake in the cold months here in Kashmir.

Tourists crowd to visit Kashmir in the cold season only to get a first-hand experience of snowfall which is unavailable in other parts of the country even on the coldest day if the year. The white landscape offers unimaginable beauty as one sits under the roof sipping a hot beverage and relaxing in warm clothes. The first day of snowfall causes road-blocks, with most of the offices remaining closed, and governmental agencies working to remove the snow from the blocked roads.

Snow Use

Usually the local folks welcome the snowfall with a smile and you can see their happy faces as soon as the snow starts falling as this assures these folks that snow will cause glaciers to form which will melt all through the year to provide water that can be used for important activities like drinking and farming among others by the Kashmiri people.

As you go out for a stroll in the snowy ground you can see children making various objects from the snow fallen on the ground. During snowfall, these children stay indoors with the parents returning home early from work on such wintry days. ‘Kangri’ is used by most local folks to keep their bodies warm and the rooms are kept warm using kerosene oil or gas based ‘Bukhara’s’. The hotels offer central heating system and the newer houses use ‘Hamams’ to keep the rooms warm and free from cold.

Thus, you not only get to view a whitewashed picture of Kashmir but also learn about the lifestyle of the local folks of Kashmir in the winter months. Do not forget to sit by the fireside and talk to the other tourists in the evenings that are snow-free and opt for trekking in the daytime while the snow is still falling to make your experience more exciting and unforgettable.