On the final leg of our stay in Kashmir, we left Srinagar for Sonmarg. Sonmarg is located in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir. The distance from Srinagar to Sonmarg is approximately 81 kilometers. To reach Sonmarg, you travel via National Highway 1 (NH-1). Sonmarg is the last town of Kashmir, and beyond it begins the border of Ladakh. The mountains in Sonmarg are very high.
The snow-capped and cloud-covered mountains, along with the dense forests around them, create an extraordinary view. Near Sonmarg is Baltal, the gateway to the holy Amarnath Yatra’s alternative route. After a three-hour car journey, we reached Sonmarg. The snowy mountains of Sonmarg, when struck by the sun’s rays, resemble a valley scattered with golden gleams. Hence, Sonmarg is also known as the Meadow of Gold.
Around our hotel, we could see tall mountains with cotton-like clouds spread across them. After resting for a while, we planned to visit the famous Thajiwas Glacier in Sonmarg. We had to travel to the Thajiwas Glacier on horseback from near our hotel. Due to the glacier and the rain near Sonmarg, it was extremely cold. The horseman provided us with special warm clothes and boots for rent to protect us from the rain and cold.
Now, we slowly started moving towards the glacier. Compared to the paths traversed by horses in Pahalgam, the route in Sonmarg was somewhat easier. We had only seen horses grazing on sloping green meadows in pictures on walls before.
As we were walking along the mountain paths, the horseman showed us many spots where Bollywood films had been shot. After a while, we saw a river flowing with a strong current. Our path required us to cross this river to continue. We were looking for a way to cross when the horses started wading into the river. We felt a bit scared, but it was a routine task for these horses. After a while, we could see the Thajiwas Glacier in the distance.
The river flowing from the glacier was also nearby. There were some temporary tents set up in the valley with fires burning inside. Due to the intense cold, we sat by the fire for a while. There was also a provision for Maggi noodles and tea, and we were very hungry. So, we first ate Maggi and drank tea. This replenished our energy significantly.
Stepping out of the tent, we began to take in the surrounding views. Everywhere we looked, there were mountains, all covered in snow. Directly ahead was the Thajiwas Glacier, with a river flowing towards us from it. Right next to us was a small but incredibly beautiful wooden bridge over the river. We took various photos on and around this bridge.
The scenery here was straight out of a movie: a river, a small wooden bridge, snowy mountains, and forests all around. What could be a more beautiful natural sight than this? When I tried to touch the river’s water, it felt as if I was touching ice. The river continued to flow rapidly, crashing against the stones as it moved forward.
To see the Thajiwas Glacier up close, we had to walk a bit further, trekking on foot. We began to climb the mountain in that direction. The water from the glacier was flowing down in numerous streams. Carefully crossing these streams, we reached right next to the Thajiwas Glacier. In front of us, the mountain was covered in snow, which was melting and forming rivers.
Until now, I had only seen glaciers on television, but seeing one so close with my own eyes was amazing. Watching how the snow melts and turns into a river was happening right before our eyes. We took some photos on the snow near the glacier. Due to the cold, it was difficult to stay for long, and evening was approaching, so we started trekking back.
It was quite dark now, but we had to return to the town of Sonmarg by crossing the same hilly path and river on horseback. In the darkness, we saw some lights on the mountain ahead. The horseman told us that these were the tents of shepherds who come from Jammu every summer to graze their sheep in the meadows of Sonmarg and return to their homes in Jammu during the winter. We were astonished to hear this information. We were also amazed at how easily the horses could navigate the rocky paths in the dark.
These were trained horses, and they could see well even at night. However, we were a bit scared. Our fear reached new heights when the horseman mentioned that wild bears often appear in Sonmarg. There had been instances where these wild bears had attacked tourists. He also mentioned that a wild bear was spotted here just four days ago. This made the forest path seem even more daunting in the dark.
At one point, our horse stopped and refused to move forward. The horseman said that the horse might have seen something ahead. Our hearts started racing. Using his phone’s light, he went ahead to check and found it was a fallen tree that looked like a sitting bear.
After a while, the town of Sonmarg came into view. It was an incredible and thrilling journey. Seeing the Thajiwas Glacier in Sonmarg revealed how rivers are formed. In Sonmarg, the snowy mountains glitter like gold in the sunlight. If you want to witness these amazing natural phenomena in the glaciers, you should definitely visit the Thajiwas Glacier in Sonmarg when you come to Kashmir.
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➜ Don’t Miss in Sonmarg: Visit Thajiwas Glacier, horse riding, photography.
➜ How to Reach Sonmarg: The nearest airport is in Srinagar and the nearest railway station is in Jammu, 290 kilometers away, which is well connected to all major cities in the country. You can easily reach Sonmarg by road via Srinagar from Jammu, Leh, Delhi, Chandigarh, and other places.
➜ Best Time to Visit Sonmarg: Although tourists visit Sonmarg throughout the year, the best time to visit is from March to October during the summer. You can also enjoy the snowfall in Sonmarg in the winter months of December and January.
➜ Duration for Visiting Sonmarg: 2 days / 1 night
Information Source: Authentic information sources available on internet, Various Articles and books on the subject & Interaction with local public.
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