Leaving Srinagar at the dead of the night was eerie,
\nBut the lonely layers of the night unfolded their baroque beauty,
\nAs we drove through several towns on our way to Baltal,
\nFirst step in reaching the mysterious Amarnath.
\nWhile the townsfolk were asleep the towns were wide-awake.
\n(If you want to see places see them when they are bereft of people)<\/p>\n
Gandarbal is a long bacon-strip town, congested and abuzz during daytime,
\nDuring night its street-dogs sleep fearlessly in the middle of the roads,
\nLone morning-walkers strip its silence momentarily in pre-dawn.<\/p>\n
Kangan greeted with pastoral abandon
\nFrom its sequestered mountainous perch,
\nStudded with fine water and trees.<\/p>\n
As our journey progressed the continuous company of River Sind
\nBecame our joie de vivre and intoxicated us
\nWith its scintillating and spirited flow.<\/p>\n
Entering Sonamarg the scene changed dramatically.
\nHorizon turned into a lacework of high mountains,
\nSerenity enveloped the time-frozen landscape.
\nOur life in the cities seemed to be a wasted opportunity.<\/p>\n
I meditated on the mystic beauty of Sonamarg
\nAnd the expansion of human mind,
\nBut I couldn\u2019t dwell too long on them,
\nAs I had a commitment to reach Amarnath in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
Suffern,
New York,
May 1, 2012
\nwww.kaulscorner.com
\nmaharaj.kaul@yahoo.com
\nNote: Sonamarg and Kangan are in Kashmir, India. The former is among the most revered\u00a0 religious places in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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