The Ethereal

On By Mugdha DeshpandeIn Travel Diaries

Remember those extracts from our English textbooks and readers where authors wrote about culture or about some tourist destination of India? Well, I have always been fascinated by the writing style of these authors. And so, here is a new thread of writing- travel destinations in India! The first spot on our list is Aru valley.

Aru valley is a beautiful place situated close to Pahalgam in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. So let’s go!

The first glimpse at the spectacle before my eyes literally left me open-mouthed for a few moments. Such was the sight in front of me, that I couldn’t find the right words to describe it. There was green foliage all around. Grass occupied every surface of the ground. Shades of green blended with the surrounding so majestically, that the effect produced was something to feast one’s eyes on. There were brown and white ponies, some grazing, some dozing in the sun. Tall conifer trees with sloping crowns stood as if they were neatly arranged into rows. And the mighty Himalayas, their tops glistening opaline white with the snow looked at me from. Every peak reflected the pure sun rays that caressed it. Every peak was carved in such a way that when they stood together, they blended in perfectly. There was a light breeze in the air and the gentle wind whipping on my face was just perfect.

The place looked as if something ethereal had descended down on the earth. As we walked further we reached a lush green bower. There were wildflowers peeping through the grass. A river gushed down in torrents, splashing the rocks beneath that had been shaped beautifully by the river. As I sat down, I felt the dewy grass and absent mindedly picked up a flower. For a moment I envied its life, for it lived so beautifully, in this paradise. All around there was such beauty that I wished that I had two more pairs of eyes to capture everything in them. After spending around an hour, we had to leave. After one last glance at this place, we were ready to go. As we trudged back, my mind was full of fresh mountain air. They say that the call of the mountains is such that they keep beckoning you again and again. And I truly felt this that day..

~Mugdha Deshpande

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