A Journey To The Lamas Land, Part - 12

A Journey To The Lama's Land,  Part - 12

I got ready at seven in the morning and came to the dining room and saw that everyone had come before me. After eating quickly, we got in the car. Today we will go to Srinagar via Dras and Sonmarg. The car was moving quickly along the smooth pitch road. Leaving the Indus River on the left side of the road, we slowly crossed Kargil along the random dirt road of the quiet city of Kargil in the morning. 

The road is running towards Dras. Dras recently won the title of the second coldest place in the world. Situated at an altitude of 10990 feet, this Dras city is the coldest city in our country. In winter, I heard that the temperature in this city sometimes drops to -36 degree Celsius. 

Our car came and stopped in front of the memorial site of the Kargil war in Dras. The Indian Army is in charge of maintaining the site. There is a very nice auditorium here. Here we saw a documentary film about The Kargil war for half an hour. Here an Immortal lamp in memory of the martyr is always burning in the fire place. Many young students from different schools have lined up to pay their respects to the memory of these great heroes.

There was prevailing a quiet emotional atmosphere. All the peaks of the surrounding hills have at one time or another been bloodied as a result of the greedy gaze of the neighboring state. It is thrilling to think that our generals have fought with infinite courage, patience and heroism to save the country and the people of the country from external enemies. Many of them have sacrificed their lives for the country even. 

After spending some time here, we set off again. We crossed Dras and headed towards Jozilla Pass. The surroundings are full of bright sunshine. The height of the Jozilla Pass is not very high. It is a little over eleven and a half thousand feet. However, this pass is always identified as a very dangerous pass. Due to the innumerable turn like a hair pin on the road and the landslides that come down from time to time, the drivers of all the vehicles always respect this pass. I heard that after being closed for two days due to the landslide, the traffic on this road has started again only on yesterday. Due to heavy snowfall in winter, the pass is almost closed. Although the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has worked tirelessly day and night to keep the road transport intact.

 

By this time we approached the Jojila pass. Driver parked our car on the side of the road to facilitate us to take pictures. There are also a couple of tea and food stalls in the area. Seeing our car to park, some shawl peddlers with big bags came to show us their belongings. We will not purchase anything, so there was no need to look at those things, but the sellers were not ready to leave us . One of them told me that this is the first time in the last seven days that a tourist car has stopped here. There was no sale for last seven days, he has five hungry faces at home, what he will feed them if we are not purchasing anything from him?.

I was very upset to hear that. I have no way to buy.  At the end, Faizu Bhai spoke in the local language and persuaded them to stop. After sitting on the car I was feeling very helpless. The complete sorrow of the universe, the complete poverty and misery who can diminish with just a little movement of his little finger, if he is so apethetic then who am I to think for all of this? Thinking like that once again I started concentrating on the beauty of the Himalaya.

    

What a lots of beautiful arrangements he has made to To keep us from the innumerable pains। "I desperately wants a lot from you, o' my lord, and every moment you save me by depriving. This grace of yours I stored for my whole life".

We were moving forward by taking pictures continuously. A lot of dust was flying from the wheels of the cars in front. It is now quite difficult our front side due to heavy smoke in the wind. On the right, I saw a road on the upper hill, probably for the heavy vehicle, which has been created by blasting the side wall of the hill.  We got stuck just turning the next turn. A long queue of cars was just in front of us. A little distance ahead of us, a land slide   had occurred and the upper road collapsed and came down into our lower road. People were busy to remove landslides with big equipment. God knows, how long it will take to repair the road. 

A little far away from where we are standing, a magnificent valley is clearly visible within sight. we were overwhelmed seeing the beauty of the lord Himalayas with his white crown of snow, the glowing rays of the sun after passing through the clouds just touched the white crown of the lord, the seven colors of this heavenly light as if coming down across the valley . What an extraordinary beauty, and by your infinite grace you are infusing this tasteless beauty into the whole universe.  Who can understand your glory, Lord? 

Faizu Bhai informed that the valley below is known as Baltal, Pilgrimage to Amarnath Shrine will take less time if someone takes this Baltal Route. After standing for about an hour, the road was cleared. This type of land slide is very common in this road.

To be continued.......................................................................................................................