Dadu Aur Madak
Pahalgam
| Pahalgam is
a pastoral area about seventy kilometers from Srinigar, and a popular
destination for short treks. Unfortunately, the area is also home to a
large Indian Army boot camp. One goes through no fewer than four
checkpoints in the last ten miles before reaching the town, and there
is a segment of about five miles where there is literally an armed
soldier stationed on the road every twenty feet. Taking pictures of
soldiers, or anything military for that matter, is seriously frowned
upon. Once beyond that obstacle though, both the landscape and the
people make it worth the effort. We were able to hire a couple of
horses for a few bucks, and climb past clear mountain streams through
pine forests to a beautiful open meadow. |
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| There was one unobtrusive
Army command tent off to one side, and another tent that served as one
of the ubiquitous "tea stalls". A cup of masala cha is a must. |
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| On the
way down we visited for a few minutes with this family of nomadic
Kasmiri goat herders. Their goats produce some of the most sought after
wool on earth--Cashmere. This young mom was proud to show off her
recent newborn. |
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