Telly couple Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Chaudhary braved the biting cold of Kashmir in December last year
Telly couple Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Chaudhary braved the biting cold of Kashmir in December last year. They had a thrilling experience in Pahalgam riding down the valley in darkness. Debina shares her Kashmir-Amritsar photo album with CS:
Mountain mama
We went on a trip to Vaishnodevi, Kashmir and Amritsar from the first week of December. It was very windy and cold in Kashmir, almost minus four degrees. We nearly froze but there was no snowfall in Srinagar. We stayed on the Dal Lake in a shikara (houseboat). There was a lot of snowfall in Gulmarg, and our car couldn't take us to the last stop. We walked in the snow wearing gumboots tumbling every now and then. Both of us had never tried skiing but there we went all out to conquer the slopes. It was great fun!
An evening to remember
The trip to Pahalgham was unforgettable. Gurmeet, who had studied in Kashmir for three years at the Army School near Pahalgham, wanted to pay it a visit. But by the time, we reached Pahalgham, it was late afternoon. We took a pony to go to the sights. It was a steep climb, 900 feet above sea level.
Finally, we reached a plateau that was surrounded by snow clad mountains. It was amazing but we soon realised that it had become quite dark and there were no people around. But the moonlight was so strong that we could see everything clearly. I was really scared while returning as the slope was steep and there was wildlife around. I was constantly turning to check whether we would get attacked. Now, I know that horses like dogs or cats also have night vision. When we came down the slope, I gratefully gave a big hug to my pony, Mastani.
Shopping spree
We visited all the major sightseeing spots in Srinagar, including the beautiful Shankaracharya Temple. We also went to the hot springs that have healing properties. I purchased nearly 800 g of saffron from different shops across Srinagar. We went to the Sattar Bazaar in the Badami Baug Cantonment area. Shopping was quite cheap in the army stores, and I went berserk buying handloom mats, almonds, apricots, blankets, etc. Gurmeet loves to experiment when it comes to food; he tasted all the Kashmiri dishes and desserts.
Traveller's tips
We roamed around during late evenings when everyone else was indoors. Though I think it is quite safe, people shouldn't be foolhardy and take risks like we did. My mom was furious on hearing about the Pahalgham escapade!
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