Spring in Kashmir
Letter to the Editor
By: Kanchan Basu
The flowers and colours of spring in Kashmir are enthralling and a sight to behold. Kashmir, the ‘Paradise on Earth’ known for its snow-covered valleys, doesn’t disappoint its residents, visitors and tourists in this season as well.
As the mesmerising landscape comes back to life after a harsh winter, almond blossoms, in delicate shades of pink and white, especially at Badamwaer on the foot hills of Koh i Maran, and the flowers at the Tulip Garden on foothills of Zabarwan range is nature’s art at its best.
In the countryside, mustard flowers turn huge tracts of land into a yellow sea where people often become part of a painting and freeze the moments in their cameras and memories.
The arrival of spring is marked by the blossoming of cherry and apple trees that adorn the orchards with delicate blossoms. The famed Mughal gardens in Kashmir also attract thousands of tourists and local people in every day to view the emergence of a multitude of hues.
But amid all the colours and blossoms lie worries and concerns as unpredictable weather patterns take a toll on plantations along the Valley.
Almond and apple plantations are no longer as lucrative as they used to be, say the owners. Hybrid apples are flooding the market. With increasing demand for cheaper almonds, some people fear for the almond trees of the Valley.
But the season of spring puts the concerns away for a while.
Spring in Kashmir is a time of blossoming hope and local population welcomes the season of new beginnings as the Valley wakes up from winter’s embrace.
