Early this summer as the Covid-19 lockdown restricted people to their homes, some started rebelling a month later. Unable to move into the city, most of them took refuge in the woods and this led to discovery of a new, hitherto unknown Kashmir.
On July 13, Jibran Khan, started his day early at 5:30 am. A restaurant owner in Sopore, he picked a hand sanitizer, face mask and other things and joined his friends waiting outside.
Khan’s 6-member group decided to explore new meadows and tourist destinations in the foothills of Harmukh in Banidipora. “Tough this Himalayan range is very famous but still normally people don’t visit,” Khan said.
The group’s exploration mission is an older fantasy. Last summer they could barely move because of the curfews imposed after reading down of Article 370. When they wanted to resume, it was the contagion fear dominating the world. Finally, they decided to move out with adequate precautions.
IN HARMUKH REFUGE
The group destination was Kudara village. “The scenery was breathtaking from the high-altitude and the countryside showed wide swathes of green,” Khan said.
The carpet of grassy slope led them to Sheerasar, a lake in the lap of Harmukh. Apart from some water bodies, this less explored range is blessed with towering peaks and verdant forests stretched to the steely sky adding charm to the place.
This story is from the November 21, 2020 edition of Kashmir Life.
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This story is from the November 21, 2020 edition of Kashmir Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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