So, it all started when I was on call with my mum and she was keen to visit Vaishno devi. For Hindus, Vaishno devi is ultimate place to get blessings of goddess. Finally, she ordered me to book tickets and I ended up with a plan of sight seeing in Patnitop and Jammu along with Vaishno devi!
I started my online research for places to visit in and near our targets and my trip started on a drizzling friday evening when I took flight to Delhi. Mum, dad and bro met there and we took train for Jammu. Train was late and we reached Jammu by 5 PM. We planned to stay in Katra for two days. Rain welcomed us at Jammu Tawi and due to hotchpotch in commuter buses we decided to take a taxi for Katra. We reached there at around 7.30 and for one night ,our booking was in Niharika, an accommodation by Vaishno devi shrine board. Place was fine but when we asked for continuing our stay they said it is online. So, after our dinner we searched for hotel and found a cozy hotel Tridev.
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| Hotel Tridev |
After talking about our stay from next day morning and a taxi for Patnitop, we shifted next day.
Taxi came next day at 8 and we left for Patnitop by 8.30. After crossing town we took Srinagar highway and our first stop was Bhairav nath temple.
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| Bhairav nath temple |
It seemed newly constructed and JK Tourism board marked it as an important place to visit. Along with Lord Shani, there are idols of Goddess Durga and Lord Hanuman also. When I came out and saw Trikuta mountains on which Vaishno devi temple is situated , it was full of snow on top portion. This was my first time to see snow in reality.
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| Snow view of Trikuta hills |
Though I was in a hurry to reach Patnitop but driver was not too worried. When I asked him, he said we have enough time. Road to Patnitop is a bit narrow and not too suitable for driving by inexperienced drivers of plains. He stopped car at Tawi view restaurant for breakfast.
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| Tawi view restaurant |
When we asked for some local food waiter suggested us to try Kalari. He said, "veg hota hai, dudh ka banta hai bread ke sath" but when we tasted we found it was cheese. I won't say it was so tasty but yes you can definitely try at least once.
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| Kalari |
Mountains with snow were visible and sometimes Army trucks were crossing us. Step farming, the term which I read in my social studies ,had live examples there.
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| Step farming |
River with muddy water was flowing. We again started and told driver not to stop before Patnitop since I thought we were getting late. But, fate had some other plans for us and we encountered a jam due to big vehicles coming from opposite side. It took about half an hour to cross that jam and after few kilometers we switched to road dedicated to Patnitop only. Government has made separate road for Srinagar and this has helped a lot by diving load of road. We crossed Kud and soon entered in the town of Patnitop. All the flora was covered with snow and it was like as someone has spread light cotton balls all around. Driver said, " You are lucky to see snow since they have opened this route today only" I wanted him to stop car so that we can touch snow but he took us directly to the roadside shop which gives clothes and shoes for snow on rent. It was situated on the way to Nathatop. We checked but route to Nathatop was closed due to snowfall. We rented clothes and rubber shoes and sat in car to reach a snow park. A local vendor was selling
Kulcha outside the park. They call dish made of bread and gram beans as
Kulcha. We entered park and I felt as if I am in some foreign location.
People were playing with snow. Mum was extra careful while walking on snow and suddenly brother made a snow ball and hit her. She didn't actually expect that and laughed. Dad saw one snowman made by someone at a corner and after inspiration made a Shivaling with snow. There were few vendors with sleigh and offering ride. We took around 200 meter ride on that and then after spending sometime we saw one cafe. I had never felt cold like that. We rushed inside it and ordered tea and coffee. I had seen this much beauty only in movies. We came out after finishing tea and booked four horses for snow ride of around 1 kilometer towards a guest house.
Everything was happening first time that day. Horse riding on snow was an unforgettable moment. Snow was falling from tall
deodars. Few drops fell inside my clothes and I felt an electric current. Though people were enjoying but there was a kind of serenity there. Voices were not so loud like cities. We clicked few pics after reaching to the end and then returned. After paying for horse ride we tried our hands on skiing. Mum and dad were not interested so me and brother took off our rubber shoes to wear special boots for skiing and then started trying to adjust over skis. My brother was a bit curious for ski poles but vendors told they are for experts. One of them supported us in 200 meter skiing by giving us speed and teaching us balancing. After spending few hours in snow park, we came back to taxi to visit Nag temple.
Nag temple is around 3 kilometers from park and road is so narrow that only experienced drivers can make two vehicles cross each other on it. I saw people in hotels were enjoying tea on roof. Few were playing Carrom. Nag temple is on a cramped walkable path but before we got down from taxi, few local vendors started insisting us for having a look at
Chingu : Bulbul ka bachcha. Later we found they were advertising a locally handcrafted quilt. We walked down the slippery road and entered Nag temple.
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| Nag temple |
"Baba Gabah temple is hundreds of year old..." I read what was mentioned on a notice board. My legs were not ready for extra cold floor but I took off my shoes. One can see a lot of snake idols in this temple.
We drank tea outside the temple and moved back to return rented clothes. While going back I noticed beauty of forest with snow. Serenity was mesmerizing.
We returned things and our while our taxi was leaving that beautiful place but I my heart was not ready to leave it. Though my eyes captured all scenic beauty ( of course my specks helped in it) but I capture few more pictures for my remembrance. Snow on the mountains was so similar to the clouds that my mum asked me couple of times whether it is snow or cloud?
After around half an hour, we left snow potion and still my head was turned back to fill beauty in my eyes. We came inside Kud, a town famous for its sweets. Driver stopped at Arora sweets and we purchased famous Kud chocolate and Patisa.
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| Kud special chocolate |
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| Patisa |
When mum & dad started exploring market for dry fruits I walked to take a panoramic picture of Kud
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| Kud garden view |
We stopped at
Neelkantha restaurant for food.
Sun was about to set and this time surprisingly driver was driving faster than morning. At around 7.30 in the evening, we reached katra for our
darshan of Vaishno devi ,next day.
It took us whole day to return from Vaishno devi temple so we took rest and next day we headed towards Jammu for sight seeing.
http://raghavs1003.blogspot.in/2017/03/tour-de-jammu.html
Trip credit: Mum
Pic credit: Me
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