Kashmir Diaries : Trek to Hari Parbhat - A fort steeped in History (April 2016)

Kashmir Diaries : Trek to Hari Parbhat  

One of the very beautiful highlights of our Kashmir Trip in April 2016 was a visit to Badaam Wari(Almond Garden) in Srinagar, Kashmir, which rests in the foothills of Koh-E-Maran. This 300 kanal garden is dotted with trees, flowers and cascades which turn it into a beautiful and soothing sight.

Entry gate of Badaam Wari or The Almond Garden

This is another beautiful offbeat place in Kashmir and it is relatively less crowded compared to the other hot destinations like the various Mughal Gardens. So you can relax and enjoy this place to the fullest. Thousands of Almond trees grow all over Kashmir and for the local people the blooming of almond flowers indicate the onset of spring. The Almonds from these gardens are known for their superior taste and high quality.

Group Click at Badaam Wari with
 part of our group

Badaam Wari done, and loads of pics taken, we decided to check out the possibility of trekking the Hari Parbhat fort which was very close-by.

One of the sign posts on the way...

This fort is currently occupied by the army and tourists need to get entry permit from the Archeological Department's office at Lal Mandi in Srinagar to visit this fort. We were lucky that this fort was open at the time we went as many a time and for many years this fort has been closed to the public due to security reasons. So when we got to know that the fort visit was open for the day, the trekkers in our group immediately decided to jump in on this opportunity to trek this fort, as opportunities such as these are rare and not to miss and having come from so far and given the security situation in Kashmir.

Hari Parbhat Fort - History

And  you can see the Hari Parbhat fort clearly in view..

Hari Parbhat is the only surviving fort in the Kashmir region of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It stands over a hill also known as Koh-I-Maran and originally was a site of a fort built by Emperor Akbar. He had also built a large fortification wall at the base of the Hill, parts of which survive even today. The present structure was built by the Afghans, when Kashmir was part of the Afghan Durani Empire under Shah Shuja Durani. Ironically, Shah Shuja Durani was himself held prisoner in the fort by the Governor of Kashmir, Atta Muhammed Khan. Atta Muhammed Khan had invited Shah Shuja to come to Kashmir from where he could still go on ruling as the King of Afghanistan. Shah Shuja took up the offer only to find himself as Atta Muhammed Khan's prisoner at the Hari Parbhat fort. However a force of Durani Afghans in alliance with the Sikhs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh landed in Kashmir soon and the Sikhs got Shah Shuja Durani free from his prison inside the Hari Parbhat fort. The Sikh flag of Maharaja Ranjit Singh finally flew over the Hari Parbhat fort when the Sikhs under the able leadership of Gen. Hari Singh Malwa finally defeated the Afghans in 1820. After a brief rule of Sikh rule in Kashmir the fort changed hands and landed in the hands of the Dogras led by Raja Gulab Singh after the Sikh loss in the First Anglo Sikh war of 1846. The Dogra rule lasted for about 100 years and in 1947 it became part of India and since then the fort has been occupied by the Security Forces.

It is a lovely trek, about 1 km uphill and not too strenuous with some amazing views of Srinagar on the way to the top.

On the way up...

This fort still stands as proud as ever on the vantage point overlooking the Srinagar City.

An amazing view of Srinagar on the trek trail

An inside view of the Hari Parbhat fort...

A view of Srinagar through the Barricades...

The fort Hillside holds some important places of worship for various religious inclinations. There is the shrine of Makhroom Sahib, a saint held in great reverence by the Kashmiri Muslims. There is the Shakira Devi Mandir, who is worshipped as an Incarnation of SHAKTI. Then there is the Chati Padshahi Gurudwara, where the sixth Guru, Guru HarGobind had supposedly preached and stayed for a few days during a visit to Kashmir.

Another view of Srinagar
with a part of the Shakira Temple in view

On the Trek Trail

Trek Trail on our way back...

And our trek ends...

Hari Parbhat stands as a SENTINEL which silently watches over the myriads of events which have happened in this troubled land over the years.

A view from inside the fort...

And it still keeps watching....with the MIGHTY PIR PANJALS in the background.

Trekking in Kashmir - Offbeat Yusmarg (April 2016)

About Yusmarg

Scenic Yusmarg

There are a couple of legends surrounding the origins of Yusmarg’s name. One hints at ‘Yusmarg’ being a corruption of ‘Roosmarg’, or ‘meadow of the musk deer’. Another one comes from a belief that Jesus Christ spent some of his ‘lost’ years in India, and passed 
through Yusmarg, earning it the name ‘Meadow of Jesus’. It is believed by the natives that Jesus came to Kashmir and stayed at Yusmarg for some time. Located at an altitude of 2396 meters above sea level and set amidst the pristine woods and gorgeous panoramic vistas, this place reminds you of the painting you would have done as a kid in school. 

So Picturesque - Ideal for a painting. Lovely
cottages set amidst the meadows.

The drive to this place takes one thru breathtaking vistas being flanked by the orchards of apples, peaches and almonds.  It is an alpine valley covered with snow clad mountains and the meadows of Pine and Fir and located in the Pir Panjal Peaks, a sub range of Himalaya. It is situated at the bank of Doodhganga River which is a tributary of Jhelum River.

An Offbeat place away from the usual commercial touristy spots

This place looks pristine, hidden and unspoilt from commercial tourism. One can hardly spot any crowd here and there is only one restaurant in Yusmarg managed by the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department. 

The only restaurant built by the J&K tourism department

The Jammu and Kashmir tourist department has built lovely cottages on these meadows. In 2017, I had the opportunity to visit Scotland and Bhutan as part of my travels, and somehow, the beauty of both these places reminded me a bit about Kashmir. However its not fair to do comparisons as each place has its own unique beauty in different seasons and has its own culture.  

Lovely cottages dotted along the meadows.

My earlier visit to Srinagar as part of my Ladakh tour in July 2013 got curtailed due to a sudden civil unrest in the region and our entire group got caught in curfew and so we could do only a limited sightseeing in Srinagar in the evening after sunset for 3-4 hours when the curfew was relaxed. Luckily this was in the fag end of our main Ladakh tour which went off very well otherwise. So when I got an opportunity to do a full Kashmir tour in April 2016, which included Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Yusmarg, Srinagar etc , I opted for it.  

It was a rainy and misty trek for us at Yusmarg

After couple of hours of scenic ride by bus from Srinagar, we reached Yusmarg by 11 am. As part of the initial itinerary, we had planned on doing the Doodhganga trek also which is barely 2 km to the west of Yusmarg, and is a fast-flowing river named after the water that churns into froth when passing over rocks and an ideal picnic spot too. But as it was raining incessantly that day and so we decided to trek somewhere more close by. Actually it was an ideal day to sit inside cozily with such a scenic view around and just enjoy tea and other refreshments. And so though it was raining heavily, the trekkers in our group  decided to explore the place a little more while the others waited at the only Jammu and Kashmir tourist restaurant in Yusmarg having their tea and snacks. 

Our group taking in the beautiful vistas at Yusmarg

As we stepped outside the restaurant, we could see a few horses/ponies and their handlers waiting outside and pleading with us, the visitors, to take a pony ride. They are Gujjars - a nomadic community in the Himalayas who live in the mountains and rear sheep. During winters they migrate to the villages and in the summers they go back to the mountains. We were not inclined towards taking a pony ride but we decided to engage the services of the handler to lead us on a short trek thru the meadows. So it was the pony, the handler and seven of us who decided to explore this place a little more. 

Our Trek Leader(s) for the day

On the Trek Trail in Yusmarg

Part of the Trek Trail, with streams flowing..

On our trek path in Yusmarg 

One of our team members posing with a Gujjar..a really
misty and scenic day at Yusmarg

 

Oh..it's so misty..amazing vistas at Yusmarg...

On our trek trail...Sheeps grazing in Yusmarg..

On our trek trail..lovely Gujjar Girls posing for us

Loved the rainy and cold trek here in the middle of beautiful meadows with ponies grazing, crossing streams, slush etc due to rains, not to forget the hot tea that we had after the trek at the only restaurant here. But we had to cut short our trek due to incessant rains and didn't want to keep the other group members waiting endlessly for us. So we returned to the restaurant for tea and snacks which we relished more in the cold weather. After that we decided to head back to the bus and back to Srinagar where we were put up for the night.

On our way back we stopped by to click some beautiful pictures along the way of 

shepherds handling their flock of sheep.

The Sheep and their handler - They are Gujjars who
are a nomadic community.

The sheep and their handler..another shepherd
 handling his flock...amazing sights along the way at Yusmarg

We also stopped by to greet a group of Kashmiri children who were going to school. We asked them if we could take their snaps and they happily obliged and were also very happy to receive the chocolates we gave them in return.

These lovely school kids were as excited to see us, as
we were to see them

Lovely school kids posing for us on our way back..
and they loved the chocolates that we gave them in return

And thus ended one more of my lovely and scenic treks with amazing vistas and great memories to cherish for a long time...Happy Trekking...!!

Tip for my trek buddies : If you are planning a trip to Kashmir make sure to include this place in your itinerary.  YUSMARG IS A TREKKER'S PARADISE.

A Monsoon Night Jungle Trek, A Walk in the Clouds & A Fireflies Show - June 2015

Late Blog....
If the Monsoons are here can trekking be far behind! Ah...we not only love the rains so much but trekking in the rains as well! Sharing experiences from my Rajmachi Trek done in June 2015.

About the Place 

Rajmachi (Udhewadi) is a small village in the rugged mountains of Sahyadris in India and falls between Lonavala and Karjat. It can be reached from either places. The fortification at Rajmachi consists of the twin forts, namely Shreevardhan fort and Manaranjan Fort. There are many trek routes one can take to reach Rajmachi and depending on the route taken the trek duration can range from 4 hours to 6 hours. We took the shorter but arduous route which involves a steep climb via the Kondane Caves passing thru dense forests.

Monsoon Vistas..Clouds gather along the way to Rajmachi

Local Travel 
Part of the team met at CST and took the fast train from CST to Karjat where the entire team met. Some group members joined us in the train from various other stations as per their convenience.The train was jam packed that day and the other passengers were venting out their anger on us as we had our bagpacks with us and the train was too crowded that day. People from Mumbai who travel often in trains can relate to this scene. Once we reached Karjat, which was a great relief from the maddening crowded train, we took the local transport (local rickshaw) to get to the Base Village, Kondivide. As soon as we sat in the rickshaw the rains started splashing and the first rains are always an amazing experience where you see the greenery start to come alive. At Kondivide village we had our tea and refreshments and after that the usual round of introduction of the entire team. In all we
were around 60 trekkers. Tea, Refreshments and Introductions done, we started our trek to Kondane Caves thru the wilderness.

After Tea and Refreshments the customary Group Introduction Round

Trekking our way to Rajmachi

A glimpse of the trekking route

Reaching Rajmachi via Kondane Caves
It takes 3 hours to reach Rajmachi or Udhewadi village from the base village. It is advisable to carry 2-3 litres of driking water per person. In all we had three stopovers, the first being the beautiful and serene Kondane Caves located in a small village, Kondana, between Lonavala and Karla Caves. The caves were excavated in first century B.C. Took a break here and spent time here for some photo-ops. We started our trek again and as we approached darkness we were stopped in our tracks by tiny yellow lights blinking over our heads and as we reached a clearing we could see thousands of fireflies fluttering above.

A glimpse of Kondane Buddhist Caves, our first stopover

Another Glimpse of Kondane Caves

 

Nice  photo-op at the Kondane Caves

Heading towards Rajmachi

The Fireflies Show 
One of the main added attractions of Rajmachi is the fireflies show that you get to witness in the dark dense jungle. Its like an open air theater and feels like hundreds of small search lights popping out of the trees. Could also see some fireflies hovering above our heads and it feels like a small shooting star zooming over you. Its a must watch, but this phenomenon happens only during the pre-monsoon period. Best time is from June 1-15 before monsoon deepens. Make sure to put off your torches to get the best view (that's why I don't have a fireflies show pic as even cameras can spoil the show). I guess we went at the right time as the monsoon had just started and the weather was extremely pleasant for trekking and we could see the fireflies show as well. Probably a week later and we would have missed the fireflies show. But as the monsoon advances one can get to see awesome waterfalls. We reached Rajmachi at 9:30 pm. We also had a birthday celebration for a fellow trekker and that went past midnight.

Beautiful views along the way....

Night Jungle Trek 

An awesome experience trekking in the night thru dense forests with only searchlights..it is quite thrilling and exciting...should say, made me a fan of night treks.

Food & Camping at the base village 
Enjoyed the dormitory type camping experience and the food was APRATEEM(too yummy).  We were treated to some awesome Kande Pohe and Chai for snacks and an equally yummy Thali food for dinner. Typical yummy village food and that too in the rains....a perfect combination! We slept only for a few hours after midnight before we were woken up by our trek lead again at 5:00 am.

Kande Pohe and Chai time at the Base Village...Yummy! Yummy!!

Beautiful lake near the base village...beautiful views along the way...

A Walk in the Clouds to Shreevardhan Fort 
Next day we all got up by 5am and freshened up a bit before starting our trek from Rajmachi to Shreevardhan fort by 5:30am. The early morning trek from Rajmachi to the top of Shreevardhan Fort turned out to be a WALK IN THE CLOUDS. Perfect weather. Superb experience. We skipped Manaranjan fort. Reached the Shreevardhan top by 6:30am. View from the top was awe inspiring.
We could locate Lonavala, Pawna Dam and The Duke's Nose from the top.  By the time we descended we were engulfed in fog and it drizzled a bit every now and then. After a breakfast of Pohe along with Chai, we took leave and started our descent from Rajmachi. An appetizing lunch awaited us at Kondivide Village. Post lunch we started our trip back to Mumbai.

And there is The Dukes Nose, a favorite rapelling point with Trekkers.

View of Rajmachi from Shreevardhan Fort

On top of the Shreevardhan Fort! What a View!!

Clouds begin to envelop the Mountains..View from Shreevardhan fort..Amazing vistas...!!

Group click on top of the Shreevardhan Fort!!

And Finally the Grand Group Click..after the Trek!! Happy Trekking!!

A Monsoon Night Jungle Trek, A Walk in the Clouds in the Sahyadris and a Fireflies show. Can a trekking experience get any better...Happy Trekking....:)

Trekking the Sahyadris -- Trek to Siddhagad in Malshej Ghats

Siddhagad View from base village

Back from one of the most thrilling treks and my toughest one till now in the Sahyadris  at Siddhagad fort in the Malshej Ghats with an amazing group of 15 people. It was a steep ascent rock climb made very very slippery due to heavy rains. Trekking in the sahyadris can be very dicey during rainy season but the scenic view is supposed to be the best during this period. We, a wonderful group of like minded trekkers took a private bus from Mumbai picking up people from various locations till the base village of Narivali. We had arranged for breakfast to be packed and brought in by a co-passenger and had it in the bus on the way itself. We halted at a place in between to grab a cup of tea. We reached the base village of Narivali at around 10:30 am from where we started our trek.

Siddhagad View

Way to Siddhagad

Greenery at the base village

About Siddhagad

It was a very rainy day. From the base village we could see the formation of the siddhagad mountain ranges. We arranged for a local guide to guide us through the trek. With heavy rains lashing us we trekked thru a very rocky terrain which was made very slippery due to the rains and with one side of the terrain always exposed. We were intercepted off & on with some really beautiful waterfalls on the way, force of which was compounded due to the rains and trekking thru these was really awesome with the water being very chill due to the rains. We came across some thrilling rocky patches and a traverse which was very risky and challenging to cross as one of the sides was always exposed. This was my first trek in the Sahyadris and I was not used to the slippery terrain.  Due to the very slippery rocks our pace was a bit slow and some of us took time to trek thru these. Three and a hours into our trek and we reached a village (the only one) where we had our lunch in the only shelter available.

Glimpse of  the only village

Lunch done we proceeded with our trek which took us thru a jungle path. It was very misty due to the rains and the entire pathway was looking heavenly with the mist falling on us and was enough to keep one hypnotized. This was the only pathway or stretch which was not very rocky though. We reached more than the halfway mark at around 2:30 pm or so and after a brief rest decided to split into two groups where one group proceeded to the top of the summit while the others decided to start returning back to the base village as we had to cross the same difficult patches on our return journey before sunset. Since I was not very comfortable with going any further on the slippery rocky path, I decided to return back with the other group and we started our return trek downwards.

A Steep Ascent Indeed!!

Steep Climb to the top!!

Rains and Waterfalls!!

Rains and Waterfalls!!

Generally, climbing down is always more difficult than climbing up and I had my share of falls on the slippery terrain with a little bruises here and there. There were many stretches where we had to literally slide down the path due to the slippery & rocky terrain. There were many large rocks which had become loose due to the constant rains. Crossing thru the traverse was truly a hair-raising experience for me as I had never done anything like this before. There are many thrilling sports like bungee jumping, para gliding etc where its mostly the equipment that has to perform but rock climbing/trekking is something where clearly YOU HAVE TO PERFORM. There is no other way out. Getting a grip was next to impossible due to the slippery terrain and all of us had to really perform a perfect balancing act and a very risky one at that to cross the traverse. Just turn your eyes a little here and you could see a breathtaking 2500-3000 ft valley down. One mis-step and you go straight down. There was no other way out. Either you PERFORM or PERISH. My trek leader and other team mates guided me & other team members perfectly and with a lot of patience thru some of the most thrilling and risky patches including the traverse and we managed to cross the same safely. But I will never forget those hair-raising moments of my trek ever. These situations test your mental strengths more than your physical ones.

On our way back we reached the same village (and the only one) where we had lunch and we requested one of the families in the village to prepare tea for us. It was a much needed break for all of us and as we waited for the cup that cheers to arrive, pulled out our snacks to munch with it. Tea & snacks done, and a little rested now, we started our trek again. Three hours into our trek down and we were joined by the remaining team which had reached the summit. All of us managed to cross the traverse safely before sunset. 

View from the top

We were still on our way down and suddenly it started getting dark and within a short time it was pitch dark. Time to switch on our torches. Trekking in pitch dark in the slippery rocky terrain being lashed with heavy rains off & on was a great challenge in itself and required a tremendous amount of patience from the entire team. The rocky terrain never seemed to end...which set me to think aloud.."Yeh to Katam hi nahin honda' (This does not seem to end!!). With the entire team guiding one another we managed to reach the base village at around 9:00 pm. Hopped onto our bus and went in for a change of clothes as all of us were totally wet and muddy. We started our return journey to Mumbai by 10:00 pm. All of us got down at our respective locations from where we took other means of transport to get to our homes. I finally reached home by around 1:00 am. 

All in all an amazing experience which tested my endurance levels to the hilt!! Apart from bringing us closer to nature and exploring the flora and fauna, a trek like this helps to boost your confidence to a great extent. It also helps you handle extreme situations by testing you in different ways. It also teaches you to be self-reliant, be patient and at the same time be a team player. A Perform or Perish situation always tends to bring out the best in all of us!!