As the first light to moderate snow of the season floated down and covered the landscapes and the mountains of Kashmir, something warm and familiar took flight.
The region’s premier tourism destinations, the popular Gulmarg and damning Sonamarg, came alive not with the silence of isolation, but with the chatter and joy of thousands of locals and visitors enjoying a holiday together.
This early round of winter has, in fact, greeted us with a wonderful gift – the valley is still wrapped in gorgeous white snow and winter-time possibilities and happiness are here once again.
There is something magical about that first snow. It can transform any landscape into a postcard scene, and this year, we received it early. This means a better window into winter amazingness.
Gulmarg offers some of the more spectacular scenes of children and families, enjoying the excitement of building the first snowman(s) of the year, couples on the gondola across the newly dusted pine trees, adventurous skier’s sampling the new ski season. These images represent the timeless charm of paradise.
This early season arrival represents a powerful economic and psychological elixir. From small to large tourism businesses – hotels, shikars, taxis, artisans – our early snow is a positive precursor to this season’s prospects.
It provides an extended tourist season, which provides significant revenue to support many households. Visitors’ appearances in the valley is not only an economic metric, it played a part in the rebirth of Kashmir, a confident, friendly environment that is excited to share its beautiful features with the world.
The images from the venues of tourism are a beautiful confusion of dirty, outside, and local character. And, while visitors marvel at the early snow, the Kashmiri home has joyful thanks for early winter percussion.
This is celebrating their own connection to culture, and the opportunity to live, at least partially, in the beauty their environment gave them again.
