Kashmir

At a certain point I lost track of you.
You needed me. You needed to perfect me:
In your absence you polished me into the enemy.
Your history gets in the way of my memory.
I am everything you lost. You can't forgive me.
I am everything you lost. Your perfect enemy.
Your memory gets in the way of my memory.

I am being rowed through Paradise in a river of hell:
Exquisite ghost, it is night.
The paddle is a heart; it breaks the porcelain waves:
It is still night. The paddle is a lotus:
I am rowed- as it withers- toward the breeze which is soft as if it had pity on me.
If only somehow you could have been mine, what wouldn't have happened in this world?
I am everything you lost. You won't forgive me.
My memory keeps getting in the way of your history.
There is nothing to forgive. You won't forgive me.
I hid my pain even from myself; I revealed my pain only to myself.
There is everything to forgive. You can't forgive me.
If only somehow you could have been mine.
What would not have been possible in the world?

Agha Shahid Ali

Agha Shahid Ali is considered the most insightful and gifted contemporary Kashmiri poet. Known for his often poignant and searing imagery with words, Ali died peacefully, in his sleep from brain cancer in December 2001. He was just 52.

It's the time when Kashmir bursts into a riot of colours and millions of flowers carpet the landscape. Meadows turn emerald and the wind whispers through the majestic Pine and Chinar trees..

(photographs courtesy of Intie)

We had heavy snowfall in march. Consequently, this time around we've had a late spring. (picture courtesy: my friend, Intie)

Spring is nearly here and quite naturally it's the favourite time of the year for me. I love it when spring announces it's arrival with a fresh, chilly breeze that makes you feel alive. There's a buzz in the air! The snow dusted peaks look so fresh and so full of life.
Soon Kashmir will see a million blossoms carpeting the ground in the backdrop of some awesome chilly, yet pleasant weather and I'm looking forward to that.

Kashmir is famous for its four distinctive seasons, each with its own peculiar character and charm, each extravagantly beautiful. Spring sees a million blossoms carpeting the ground and in summer the valley turns into a mosaic of varying shades of green. In autumn the green shades turn gold, and then russet and red as the season advances. Winter presents Kashmir in an entirely different mood as the landscape becomes bare, soon to be covered by the white mantle of the first snowfall. Kashmiris celebrate the first snowfall of the season by socialising over a barbecue. They relax in the cold crisp evenings with a cup of warm 'Kahwa'... a black tea brewed with cinnamon, cardamom and honey. Also a perennial favourite is the pink coloured 'Nun Chai' made with a special salt. Rich and redolent with the flavour of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron, Kashmiri food is suitable for all palate. Predominantly non- vegetarian, "Wazwaan" as it is known has been aptly described by the author Salman Rushdie in his book Shalimar the Clown as "banquet of thirty-six courses minimum and fifty courses maximum." Wazwaan also has some interesting vegetarian options like dum-aloo and 'chaman' (cooked cheese). Among the popular non-vegetarian ones are curd based Gushtaba, chilli-flavoured Rista and Roganjosh.

For a truly adventurous holiday try your hand at kayaking, canoeing, water surfing and angling. Angling at Aharbal is a delight for every angler with a spirit of adventure. Aharbal, a quaint little village located at a mere 3 hour drive from Srinagar city is full of freshwater rivers, streams and waterfalls. The imposing Aharbal Fall is the biggest waterfall in the area and a sight to behold. Finish your holiday with a round of shopping in the local markets for gorgeous handicrafts.