It has been more than a year, I have posted anything but there is a reason that finally pushed me and forced me to get back over here and write something. As you rightly read the title of this blog, the reason is ‘Gulmarg.’ The experience that I had over there is mesmerizing and I want you all to go and experience it over there.
Beginning with where exactly is Gulmarg? So, the answer to this is- “its in my heart.”
Okay, so now seriously moving ahead with its location, Gulmarg is a beautiful, a scenic and photographic place located 60 kms from Srinagar, India. Specifically, from Srinagar International Airport (also called Sheikh Ul Alam Internataional Airport) it takes 1 hour 45 minutes approximately to reach this location.
Gulmarg was earlier referred to as Gaurimarg, which was the name of Lord Shiva’s wife. Today when we say Gulmarg, it means ‘Meadow of Flowers’. So now if you are thinking why is this snowy place referred to meadow of Flowers, then we are definitely those few of curious people looking for answers and even if you didn’t think of this previously, then I am sure, you definitely wish to read answer to this now!
We all have read about the great Mughal Emperor Jahangir, it is said that he loved Gulmarg and he was so captivated with the region’s natural beauty that he once carried back 21 different kinds of flowers from there. However the place was renamed by Yousuf Shah Chak calling it the “the place of roses.”
When I mention about this place, what I specifically intend to write about is the Gandola Cable Car Ride and two breathtaking phases of Gulmarg.
Just to give you a quick idea about these two phases: The Phase 1 mountain is called as Mt. Kongdori which is at an altitude of 3050 m (10,006.56 ft.) and the ticket to there costs Rs. 800. The next and my personal favorite phase is the Phase 2, the mountain over there is called Mt. Apharwat, which is at an altitude of 3950 m (12,959.32 ft.) and the cost is Rs. 1000. So, the total cost of Gandola Cable Car ride two way is Rs. 1800 per person for both the phases.
(Make sure you first book Phase 1 and then Phase 2 ticket, or else you will end up wasting your money incase you don’t get phase 1 ticket, as tickets are not completely refundable!!! As per the new cancellation policy, tickets can be cancelled only upto 2 days prior to visit day with only 50% cancellation charges)
According to my travel itinerary of 8 days. The plan to leave for Gandola Cable Car ride was on sixth day (i.e. on 21 April, 2024). Tickets for this ride are to be booked a month or 15 days before going to this place. Dates and time slot for booking are posted on their site and you need to keep a check on it, as within few minutes all the tickets are sold out (I will add the site link at the end). However we didn’t have any tickets for this ride till 18th April, 2024. Luckily the link had open up in the evening of 18th April, 2024 and our tour managers quickly booked 21 tickets for our group. However the next challenge that we had to face was ‘weather’. The weather in Kashmir is very unpredictable. We had a news that Phase 2 of Gandola Cable Car ride had been declared shut past 3 to 4 days due to weather and we were skeptical whether we have a chance to get to enjoy at the phase 2.
As someone said rightly, “What is meant to happen, will happen!”
We did get a chance to enjoy at both phases. Let me guide you what all we did when we reached Gulmarg!
We reached Gulmarg via a bus at 7.00 am and then we sat in a rental car in a group of 4 to 5 people. This car took us to a shop where we had to rent fur coats/jackets and snow shoes. What I loved there is, each car or a group is allocated a shop number from where they can rent, so that all of them get some business. The cost inclusive of both fur coat and shoes was Rs. 300 per person, once done using it, the car on our return journey takes us to same shop and we wear our original shoes, pay and leave for our next destination. Later, the car drops us to the same place where we have left our bus at beginning.
However, note that, taking coat and shoes is optional. If you feel you can bear with the cold over there or if you already have your personal coats then you don’t need to buy but also remember that, once you leave those shops, there are no further shops near Gandola Cable Car Ride where you can buy those coats and shoes. So make a wise decision! Also do not forget to carry your sun glasses, wearing it really helped me over there.
From that rental shop to Gandola Cable Car Entry it took us approximately 20-25 minutes via car. We reached there at 7.50 am. The timings as mentioned on site is 8.30 am to 5.30 pm and we got entry by 8.40 am. However, sometimes entry time differs even more depending on weather and work force- like you may get entry after 10.00 am or so. We were quite early and hence we didn’t face any issues in getting in Phase 1 of Gandola Cable Car Ride. Things you need to show them before entry is your correct ticket and identity proof. It is mandatory to show this before entering both phases.
Fortunately, the folks there said that it was a sunny, bright day after long days. We arrived at Phase 1 by 8.50 am and made the quick decision to wait in line for Phase 2, since we would not have been able to see Phase 2 of Gulmarg if the weather had gotten worse later in the day. Phase 2 entry started at 9:30 a.m. We jumped onto those cable cars right away and took in the breathtaking scenery that Gulmarg had to offer. We had reached Phase 2 by 9:45 a.m.
You might think I’m exaggerating, but trust me when I say that it felt as though a little bit of paradise had touched the Kashmiri ground. There is nowhere else in the world that could compare to the breathtaking splendor we witnessed. The freshly white colored snow-capped mountains appeared as though the brightest white clouds had surrendered themselves. Not only was the snow there as soft as fur, but we were surprised to find that it wasn’t as cold as we had anticipated—we didn’t even need gloves to hold it. We had to take off our fur coats because the weather was so pleasant that we were no longer feeling cold.
Originally we intended to stay and enjoy at Phase 2 for maximum of 15 minutes due to its altitude. However, We ended up spending almost an hour and thirty minutes there. We took a ton of pictures, played in the snow, recorded a few videos, ate pizza while sitting on the top of mountain, and gazed at the beauty that nature had to give. Not one of us experienced breathlessness or cold symptoms. This was the place where we had all had the most fun. A small number of elderly individuals were also present, and they appeared to be quite content with the atmosphere.
The beauty there made me think of a quote that Amir Khusro, one of our nation’s greatest poets had written and that the Mughal Emperor Jahangir had recited. The lines read like, “Agar Firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast.” What it means is, “If there is a paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, it is this.” I would have never agreed to these line better than what my eyes had seen and my soul and body had experienced.
We choose to go to Phase 1 after enjoying ourselves in Phase 2. We rushed to dine at Kolahoi Panorama, a cafe in Phase 1, since we were really hungry and exhausted. The dish was worth the price because it was quite tasty and came in a large quantity. We ate till we were full, looked around Phase 1, and then at last deescalated in the direction of our exit. The reason we didn’t play as much at Phase 1 was that: a) we had already had our heart filling enjoyment at Phase 2, b) the snow wasn’t as clean as it was at Phase 2, c) there was a comparatively larger crowd at Phase 1, d) we had already enjoyed snow activities at Sonmarg and the cost of these activity over here was relatively higher and e) we were feeling tired.
This is up my entire experience of this breathtakingly gorgeous phase of Gulmarg!
If you’ve been here, please let me know if you had an equally enjoyable experience or a better one!
So by any chance you are in KASHMIR YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO VISIT GULMARG!!!
Link for Booking Gandola Cable Car Ride: https://www.jammukashmircablecar.com/
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