Floating on the Dal

Waking up on a houseboat to the sound of ripples is a meditative experience unlike any other. The Dal Lake moves slowly, deliberately, as if it understands the pace at which genuine encounters unfold. My Shikara walas — Mohammad and his son Tariq — didn't just row me around the lake; they introduced me to their world.

Kashmir isn't just about the beauty — the chinars turning gold, the gardens of the Mughals, the mountains watching from every direction. It's about the resilience and the legendary hospitality of its people who treat every stranger like a long-lost friend, even after decades of hardship.

I spent a morning with a Pashmina weaver in the old city who showed me how a single shawl can take six months to complete by hand. 'We do not count the hours,' he told me. 'We count the moments of concentration.' He sold me one that I still cannot bring myself to use — it feels too much like a piece of his time.