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Text and photographs: Nilesh Korgaokar

The Kashmir Valley, though tainted by tourism and maimed by militancy, still retains the mystique of the mountains, that I so love. One of the most beautiful regions of the Himalayas, ensconced in these lofty heights are some of the most pristine and picturesque meadows, verdant with wild flora.

There are mountains and meadows that have attracted people from almost all over the world. People like me who want to be alone with nature… who find joy in scaling steep slopes and love scampering down forested ridges and sinking their feet into grassy vales.

Though insurgency in the Kashmir Valley has presented a grim picture of this idyllic state… there is another side of this wonderful valley. A tale of breathtaking beauty that even the scourge of militancy could not rob. I had a memorable chance to visit the babbling brooks and meadows of Bod Bangas.

Tourism in the valley has been quite dead for a while now. But when I went to Kashmir, shortly after the parliamentary elections a sense of normalcy seemed to be creeping in. Well known tourist spots like Pahalgam and Gulmarg were being frequented again. Till now apart from the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave, driven more by religious fervour and politics, the outsider has generally avoided venturing to any other locations in the Valley. And here I was, one of the few outsiders daring to be different. To me, it seemed as if militancy was seemingly on the wane. And I was grabbing the chance to visit this fascinating land and explore places other than the well trodden routes of Dachigam, Pahalgam, Gulmarg and the Lidder Valley.

The Bod Bangas is a meadow located at a high altitude, in the Naugam area about 100 km north of Srinagar at the northern tip of the Kashmir Valley. Sandwiched between the more well known areas of Tangdhar to the north and Uri to the south, it falls in the Kupwara district.

A mid summer’s day in July found me trekking up a slope towards Bangas Gali at the eastern end of he meadow. The gushing waters of the Nildori Nar was a constant companion. Dense fir trees of the adjoining Mawar forest provided succour from the sun. The steep scrubby slopes soon gave way to a gentler, grassy hillside. The multiple hues of green carpet were dotted with a plethora of wild flowers, resplendent in their colours and glory.

The cool breeze and the verdant slopes pushed tired feet onwards. More promising landscape and views beckoned. Sure enough, the trail soon veered to the west. And as I approached the Bangas Gali, the gateway to the meadow, the bleating of lambs and mooing of cattle heralded the first visions of a vista rarely seen on earth.

The track graduated to an open grassy col between two mounds. I had reached the Gali. Soon I stood at an altitude of about 3,000 meters --approximately 10,000 ft -- above sea level looking down at a meadow about 1 km wide and 3 km long. A rivulet in the centre meandered away to nowhere. The gentle slopes on both sides were densely forested with fir. Livestock grazed peacefully on the fresh grass and plants that had sprung up after the melting snows had receded.

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