SARTHAL TO KISHTWAR SECTOR
And we thought Kashmir was undeveloped – these roads don’t say that!
These are myths in your mind, fuelled by a rapacious media which hankers after sensationalism. India is a country of Ramas, the ever-do-gooder and the Ravanas, the vilest of them all.
One episode of a person getting killed in one corner of a large State like Kashmir gets more publicity in the national press than 10 people getting killed daily on the railway tracks of Bombay. The general impression that gets built up over time is that the entire region is unsafe. I have driven to some of the “unsafest” of places in the most “dangerous” of times – whether it is in Kashmir or the North East of India or Maoist regions of Central India, but I don’t remember feeling more unsafe than a pedestrian on Bombay’s streets!
Anyway, you can see for yourselves from Lalu’s photos that Kashmir is like any other part of India, teeming with people going out the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, no different from what you would see anywhere else in the country.
Lovely roads in places where it matters. For example, till 2-3 years ago, both the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar or the Bhaderwah-Doda roads were not great, but now you can see how they beat your city’s roads! Mobile connectivity, cyber cafes, jeep taxi services, advertisement hoardings for the latest Titan watches – all these are part of Kashmir life too.
What do people do here for a living?
The country side is green with paddy & corn fields.
Shepherds were tending to their cows & goats.
Sumos were transporting people all over the place.
Schools, hospitals, Government offices....
You saw us eat food at restaurants, stay overnight at hotels, download data at cyber cafes, buy biscuits at grocery shops.....
There is a robust economy out there....
Can I stay in Jai?
Apart from the tourist bungalows – fashioned like an igloo – there are no other places to stay at in Jai.
There are some who may warn you against staying at such remote places thanks to the lingering militancy – like Sarthal or Jai.
One thing that happens on most of these places is the annual yatras – the festival of some local temple. For instance, Gulabgarh is the base town for the Kailash Yatra, the annual trek to a temple nearby. Even Sarthal has some such day every year.
So many switchbacks in route – from Jai back to Baderwah?
Bhaderwah-Jai is currently a dead-end road. But they are building a direct road from there to Kishtwar, no idea which year it will be completed. After that, the distance to Kishtwar will be reduced considerably. And tourists will start flowing in.....................
Are these roads open through the year? Night drive restrictions? Militancy problems?
No.
Snow closes down the Bani-Sarthal-Bhaderwah road. But Bhaderwah & Jai are apparently open even in the deepest of winters, with lots of snow all around.
No check posts. No night drive restrictions.
Militancy? NO one can really say. The newspapers do not tell you the real story.
What is the guy doing on the bonnet?
This car was moving with the guy sitting on the bonnet priming the fuel pump. Must be a leaking fuel line taking in air so this is the only “jugaad” solution.
Only in Incredible India.
Eeks – you came back to Kishtwar – why?
Yes. We completed a full circuit that started in Kishtwar & ended in Kishtwar.
You did not stay in JKTDC in Kishtwar this time?
No. We found the Hotel Kishtwar a nicer place. New hotel. Good food. Same rates.
Time to show us the map of the round circuit?
Yes, coming....
Kishtwar-Gulabgarh-Tyari-Khillar-Bagotu-Sach Pass-Satrundi-
Bairavgad-Kothi-Langera-Kyari-Bani-
Sarthal-Chatergala-Bhadewah-Jai-Bhaderwah-Doda-
Kishtwar Let us assume I don’t have a car – or I am not confident of my small car doing it. What is the best way I can do this drive?
Very difficult. No taxi operator will know or ever go on these roads.
You have a small car – you have to have large courage!
Jeep taxis ply everywhere – you can always share a seat in Kishtwar-Gulabgarh, Gulabgarh-Khillar, Khillar-Chamba. But I did not see any taxi services in the Bani sector, which is KOthi-Sarthal-Bhaderwah. Bhaderwah is well connected with buses & taxis with Doda. And Doda even more well-connected with Kishtwar.
So many days of travel, I have forgotten when & where you started!
Don’t you guys ever get tired?
Let me recap:
Jul 20, night – Bombay-Delhi drive
Jul 21 - reached Delhi
Jul 22 – Lalu, Romin/Megha reach Delhi by air from Bangalore, we drive overnight Delhi-Jammu-Kishtwar
Jul 23 – Agent Vinod escorts us from Jammu, having driven there direct from Pune, we continue to Patnitop, Sanasar & Kishtwar
Jul 24 – Kishtwar-Gulabgarh-Tyari-Khillar-Sach Pass-Bairavgad, cliffhanger & glacier day
Jul 25 – Bairavgad-Langera-Bani-Sarthal
Jul 26 – Sarthal-Bhaderwah-Jai-Bhaderwah-Kishtwar
Tired? You saw the landscapes? You did not breath the fresh air? Feel joyous at the magnificent mountainscapes, greenery & beautiful country side?
Do you think anyone can tire from getting up early morning, eating 1-2 meals a day, sit in the car all day?
How can you feel tired? Try it sometime, you wll never travel any other way again.
Everyone was feeling fitter than what they do back home in their polluted cities, stressful professional & personal lives.
Great to be away from mobile networks, emails & Face Books.
Raining one day, sunny the next, gloomy after....
And a whole new world of discovery.....
What comes next?
Next comes the drive to Srinagar via the Sinthan Top.....
....but not before we see the route maps – based on our GPS tracks – and my drive details