The Amarnath Yatra - How to go, places to visit, things to do

Amarnath caves are different from any other place. Hence, even this blog needs to be different.This time, there are no usual sections like places to visit, how to travel etc. It is more about the experience of the Amarnath Yatra. I have tried to concise as much as possible. Still, it has ended up as a very long blog. It has been a long time coming. Hope you read till the end. The joys, the pains, the thoughts, the moments, the ultimate experience of Amarnath Yatra. Enjoy reading :)

"Why is he running back?” asked a friend looking towards another friend. The other friend was running towards us, waving at something and screaming all along.

He huffed and puffed as he came near us. 

"What happened?", we asked. 

"There is a rainbow there", he replied. 

"So?" 

"Rainbows are lucky for me. Every time I see a rainbow, something good happens to me."

Even before we could react (read ROFL), everyone around us got out from their stationary cars and rushed to the spot to take pictures. Our friend had ignited a commotion there. And suddenly, the cars started moving. Everyone rushed back to their cars.

Srinagar - How to go, places to visit, things to do

Contd. : "Saab, Naashta, Coffee..", yelled the railway's tiffin wallah, waking us up from our not-so-deep slumber. Not sure if any of us got any good sleep that night.We were travelling from Delhi to Jammu via the ANVT JAT Special. As we woke up hesitantly, we were somewhere in the heart of Punjab. According to the train's schedule, we were supposed to reach Jammu at 11.00 am.The train had got delayed, so did our entry into the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Most of us spent time playing cards, joking around, reading newspapers, eating some snacks or just simply watching out of the window. Travelling in North has its own charm. The cool, fresh, northern breeze was blowing on our faces.  It offered a nice and pleasant view of the greenery all around. It had rained the previous night in most of Punjab, so it looked much greener. No wonder, this state has been the pioneer of the green revolution in India.If Punjab looked so beautiful, we couldn't imagine how beautiful Kashmir would be. The wait was intriguing us even more, as the train continued to move along in fits and starts. Meanwhile, we crossed Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Chakkibang. Most of us took a short nap, unable to take this suspense. And suddenly, the friend sitting closest to the window, yelled and called us all. There was this huge signboard that read, "Welcome to the State of Jammu and Kashmir". Cheers followed.

New Delhi - How to go, places to visit, things to do

Prelude: "Lonavala", suggested a friend. Another friend remarked, "Naaaah, been there many times, How about Matheran ?". Soon various options followed: Malshej Ghat, Ratnagiri, Shirdi, Tugareshwar. Then out of the blue, comes a suggestion, "Lets do the Amarnath Yatra". Everyone stares at the friend.Silence follows."Yeah, right", was the reply and the discussion moved to other topics.Obviously, chuckles followed later. Amarnath yatra....gotta be joking...!!!.