Whether it be winter or summer, Kashmir is synonymous with being a breathtaking tourist destination, popular among people from across the world.
People come here to taken in the stellar sights Kashmir has to offer, but like the inseparable sides of a same coin, joy and sorrow go together here as well. Preoccupied with their own struggles, the troubled locals do not show any interest to enjoy the beauty of their own homeland, and lament the continuous loss of young lives due to conflict.
No doubt Kashmir is a place where you can inhale fresh air, and feel calmness all-around. So traditionally, like visitors from outside the state, in past the people of Kashmir also used to have the local family picnics to the nearby gardens in order to enjoy the summers along with their children and elders. But as disturbances have been caused by unfavorable circumstances, from many years you can hardly see the locals in a large number at picnic places.
The world famous Dal Lake surrounded with the green forests of Himalayan hills in the backdrop of flower laden Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, the gardens like Achabal, Verinag and Kokernag with extremely cold water springs, are the natural cool points for visitors, where they can refresh themselves and can enjoy the cool atmosphere even in hot summers. The cool air and the little droplets of cool water sprayed out of fountains mix together and refresh you, when it suddenly touches your face.
It is not all about the scenic beauty of Kashmir that fascinates the visitors here. Kashmiri cuisine is another trait synonymous with the states fascination. Tourists frequently indulge in local food items here. The Kehwa a special tea like hot drink prepared here is popular with tourist. In addition to cuisine traditional Kashmiri costumes are also special in their kind among which Pheran is a unique type of costume worn usually in winter.
However, people who are totally dependent directly or indirectly on tourism need to continue with their business and need to bring together all efforts in order to get a good income, despite abnormal circumstances all around. So every one wants to keep the tourism continue for the sake of thousands of those who earn their livelihood out of it and for those who want to visit Kashmir without any hindrance due to violence in the region.
Despite engulfed with desperation from all around, the locals still try to treat the visitors very well. The visitors are mostly offered a good hospitality by the local Kashmiris, so that they may not feel insecure at all. The tourists also acknowledge that the Kashmiri people are most cooperative with them.
Azad Hussain
azadhussaingaine9@gmail.com
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