SONAMARG

Sonamarg is a charming valley, 51 miles to the north-east of Srinagar. It is about 9000 ft. above sea level. There is a legend that somewhere in the valley lies a well, the water of which has the property of turning anything into gold; this is the origin of the name Sonamarg (golden meadow).

The road to Sonamarg runs through the rich Sind valley drained by the Sind River, flanked on one side by the densely forested mountain slopes and on the other by a bank covered for the most part by the bush, Indigoferra hereantha. Often the passerby hears the note of the pale bush-warbler which cannot be mistaken. The road is now open to wheeled traffic and in the near future Sonnmarg will be a rival summer resort to Gulmarg and Pahalgam. There are two rest houses on the road, one is at Kangan and the other at Gund, where there are catering arrangements. The tourists' committee is doing its best to open up the country extensively, making it easy for visitors to reach every delightful nook of the valley.

There is a short-cut to the marg which saves at least 15 miles, via Shalamar and Dwara across the Hayan Pass. It starts from Dwara and is a pony track. The Sind slope is well forested and there are many varieties of Alpine flowers on either side of the road. The view of the Dal Lake, the city and the peaks of Pantsal Barrier from the top of the pass is charming. Some of the flowers are Lillium Polyphyllum, large yellow Potentillas, Strobilanthes alatus (Acantheacea family) and asters. There is a forest hut on the other side of the pass in the Sind valley commanding a fine view. The path meets the general road exactly at the Ganiwan Bridge. The river abounds in fish and trout, a joy to the angler.

The valley is encompassed by mountains ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 ft. above sea-level. A well forested hillock, the spur of Thajiwas Range, divides the valley into two parts, Sonamarg and Thajiwas.

Sonamarg is drained by the Sind River which rises from tbe glacier and springs of the Amar Nath Range. It is an extensive meadow. Clover is very common all over it. Alderberry is also abundant. It is a valley in which avalanches work havoc. The mountain slopes are obviously responsible for this.

Thajiwas is an excellent camping site. It contains miniature plateaus naturally separated into distinct compartments. It is also well shaded with pines. It is watered by a lovely spring, and a torrent which is fed from the adjoining snow- field and glaciers on the mountain range. The banks and islets are not devoid of floral beauty. Corydalis and Pedicularis grace the shady nooks.

It is worth while to pay a visit to one of the glaciers. I specially recommend the one which lies on the extreme end of the valley beyond the snowfield. Outside the camping area there is a level spot containing a sheepfold and further on there is a grove of birch trees. The path to the fourth glacier leads along tbe right bank of the stream on to the snowfield which is littered over with pieces of ice broken from the avalanches which sweep down the glaciers from time to time. Great care should be taken that the snow over the stream is not loose or else a watery grave with a yawning mouth awaits the traveller. Climbing over the sandy and shaly ridge profusely covered with Allardia tomentosa (a kind of pink daisy with ashy leaves) one may be able to reach the glaciers. The snowfield continues right on to the col called Hapat Gand (Bear's Knot) which possibly leads to one of the peaks of the mountain system. If the traveller walks through the valley with a watchful eye he may be rewarded with pieces of crystal, sometimes seen among the pebbles dislodged from the mountain slope.

In contra-distinction to the geological theory about the formation of crystals, there is a belief among the people here that crystal is formed from the ice imbedded in the earth for a considerable period through chemical changes. A snowflake being hexagonal, the crystals also have the same shape.

A delightful diversion for an afternoon is a climb over the ridge which separates Sonamarg from Thajiwas. The Sonamarg slope of the ridge is steep and densely covered with firs and birch trees. The ascent on the Thajiwas side is gradual and the path begins just opposite the first glacier. It passes through the alder-berry plants, then under the sycamore trees, the leaves of which bear a striking resemblance to those of the chinar tree. Higher up the path continues under trees, turns a little to the left, and leads to a settlement of Bakorbans. As we climb higher and higher we seem every now and then to see peaks which are not real peaks. As we leave the tree belt, we find ourselves on the grassy slopes of the mountains. The slope is really a lovely flower garden. A stretch of Marino coulteriana with its lemon-yellow flowers and prickly leaves gracefully decorates the margin of the slope. Every variety of Alpine flowers is there; of course edelweiss not excluded. From the highest point of the ridge on a clear day the view is superb. The sight of glaciers which cover the Thajiwas Range and the water flowing from them in silvery streaks, as if falling through sieves from the slippery rocks above, is highly pleasing. The ring of conical ashy-coloured peaks appears like a flock of herons pecking the sky. A snow peak peeping through a hole in the clouds is a thrilling sight. The soil on the slope is yellow, hence during rain it is muddy and sticky.

While descending we saw an animal larger than a jackal, with a long tail, brown colour a white band over the back and tail, running over the ridge with a tilt of the hind legs. We were told that it must have been a wolf.

There are a few places round about which are worth visiting.

Nilagrad (not a Russian village) is a settlement of Baltis, about four miles from Sonamarg. This village will give an idea of life in Baltistan. Some of these people in times past built a few huts on the area between Sonamarg and Thajiwas. A woman died there. Every winter this woman would appear to them wrapped in a sheet and shroud. The people got frightened and deserted the village. The foundations of the huts are still there.

A small stream falls into the Sind near Sonamarg. The sediment of the stream is red. Every Sunday morning Baltis come here to bathe. They believe bathing here cures some diseases.

Baltal (Under-mountain) is nine miles from Sonamarg. A route goes from here to Amar Nath cave. It is passable only during June when the snow pavement over the torrent is still hard. Later on the snow becomes loose and going over the ice is dangerous. It is not a pony track.

Another route from here goes to Har Nag and thence to Arau and Pahalgam. The third route runs over the important Zoji La Pass to Baltistan. The path, though comparatively low, is supposed to be the most perilous of all the Himalayan passes. In winter heavy snowfall and avalanches block it for some time. In summer the floral vegetation is magnificent. How refreshing to a traveller from Baltistan is the sight of the green valley drained by the serpentine, silvery Sind! There is a rest-house under the trees on a raised piece of ground. The sweet music of the gold-finches, cinnamon-headed finches and bull-finches is most thrilling.

The Rudrawas side is infested with snakes. One of us went in search of a shepherd with a guide who killed six small and two biggish snakes. While we were having a camp-fire with big dried tree trunks, an adder came out of a hole in a tree. It was dark grey with chequered back and thin tail. It was about two feet long and two inches thick in the middle.

There are some charming lakes, Vishna Sar, etc., about two marches from Sonamarg across the Zoj Marg which are worth seeing. There is a metalled road to Sonamarg now and extended to Baltal, engineering skill will surely finish it at the Amar Nath Cave, and it will then be irresistibly alluring to the hiker to go by Sonamarg and return by Pahalgam.