Tulip Time in Srinagar, Kashmir

Tulip Garden Srinagar Kashmir

“And in the end, love tastes like tulips having rain tea in a colored cup.” – Fathima Shamla

Kashmir is that mystical beautiful state that I had heard wonderful stories of but never had an opportunity to experience. When I read about the Tulip Festival in April, I decided to make time to visit the Tulip Gardens, which is the largest in Asia.

As a bonus I would get to explore Kashmir as well. With Eliyas my local guide and Umar my driver I spent two fabulous days cramming in all I could of this beautiful state.

The trip almost didn’t happen. My flight took off from Amritsar bound for Srinagar. After circling the snow-covered peaks for about forty minutes, we had to abort the landing and return to Amritsar. My time had been short to begin with and to lose a day was intolerable. Fortunately, I was able to get on the morning flight to Srinagar the next morning and took off running to cram all that I could.

As we headed from the airport towards my hotel, I craned my neck for my first glimpse of the wondrous Dal Lake which I had heard so much off. I am not quite sure what I imagined but at first glance it seems to be pretty crowded with houseboats, shikaras and people.

Too excited to even enjoy the complimentary Kahwa (Kashmiri tea) served as a welcome drink by the hotel, I dropped off my luggage and was raring to go. We went straight to the Tulip Garden where people were already wandering through the tulips enjoying the color and beauty.

It’s a good thing that we went to the Tulip Gardens early. We drove by the parking later in the afternoon on our way to Chasm Shahi and Pari Mahal to see a long line of people walking from far off parking since the nearby parking lots were full.

Against the backdrop of the mountains and weeping willows and spring blossoms the tulips were a beautiful sea of color stretching as far as the eye could see. I am so glad that I made it and was able to spend a few hours here.

Next my guide decided we should visit the Nishat Gardens with a scenic outlook of Dal Lake. As we climbed the twelve levels I kept wondering if it was going to be worth it since there were not very many flowers blooming in the garden. Also, the fountains were not yet running.

Apparently, it would take another couple of hours for the water to start flowing with enough force to power the fountains. I am sorry that I did not have the time to sit and relax and wait for the bubbling fountains which would have added another dimension to the beauty of the surroundings.

Pari Mahal had been on my list even though my travel planner told me that a lot of people don’t stop here.

Tired from my early morning travel and sightseeing from the day, we made it, but I was intimidated by the levels and steps. I stepped towards the exit and asked the guard if I could take a few photos.

Not without a ticket he said, so we bought a ticket for INR 65 and entered from the exit and walked along the terrace to enjoy beautiful scenic views of the lake and other properties along the lake. We were also able to see the famous Char Chinar structure from our vantage point.

After a stop at a carpet and pashmina weaving studio and some shopping we made it to the lake. This was a one of kind sightseeing and shopping experience, relaxing in the shikara as we were rowed around the lake and various vendors and sellers stopped by to sell us their wares. Stay tuned for more on the Dal Lake experience.

As I lay back and relaxed, I couldn’t help but let my mind and imagination wander to my visit to the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. I had entered the gardens after a rain shower and the sight of the flowers with raindrops is a sight that will remain with me as a beautiful memory forever.

Tulips are the harbinger of Spring, and they grow in many places. Before I had the opportunity to go to the Netherlands I visited the Tulip fields in the Skagit Valley in Washington State.

While I was planning my trip to Kashmir one of my friends asked me if the tulip garden in Srinagar is better than the Keukenhof.

To me each destination is distinct and unique and beautiful. The riot of color is a balm to the soul and oxygen for the heart. Let’s not forget there are many places where tulips grow wild sharing their burst of color with anyone who chances by.