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Is this anything?'s avatar

The newspaper that I kept from the day I landed in Srinagar

The ‘haider’ inscribed back of a car

The bhutta seller boys who were too shy to ask for money and kept waving us bye bye

The ‘sensitive’ area where we were ill advised to go, but we went nevertheless.

The house-gates with anti-india slogans on them

The magnificent maggi noodles we had at Pari mahal. Twice.

The casual remark by the hotel manager - ‘protestors stone our hotel first’, even though it is possibly the most secure hotel in all of Srinagar.

The bear cage at the gate of the hotel.

All this was in 2017.

This and a lot more came back to me but not as beautifully as you have written this post. Do find time to share the indie music album name. Thank you for this post S.

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Soumya Anand's avatar

Needed to write my version just to ensure I never forget it. Glad that it could bring your memories back too. Sharing the link of the indie album.

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Is this anything?'s avatar

Thank you for the link and for writing this.

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Soma Agarwal's avatar

Oh my GOD !! Very good description & I am feeling as if I am with Soumya on this trip.

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Soumya Anand's avatar

Thank you!

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Ayush's avatar

Lovely writing and photos. I also really liked the depth you added to your experience through history. Looking forward to going back to the valley and reading your next piece!

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Soumya Anand's avatar

Thank you Ayush. What we see is the sum of all that has passed before. Can't really travel without connecting with it. Especially not in Kashmir

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Ila Reddy's avatar

Beautiful writeup! Kashmir has been on my list forever and hope to make it there this year! Lovely photos too :)

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Soumya Anand's avatar

Thank you Ila! I'm already looking forward to your posts from there :)

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Sarthak Dev's avatar

Stunning. Enjoyed every line, the contours you layer every experience with. As a let's-go-to-Kashmir enthusiast, I am also jealous and found myself wandering on MakeMyTrip, so I guess that is testament to how good your essay was.

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Soumya Anand's avatar

Thank you so much Sarthak! If I were you, I'd wait till October for a fiery red autumn in Srinagar. Feel free to message for help with the itinerary :D

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