shimmering shikaras
Kashmir is truly a dreamscape of verdant undulating valleys, softly lit pastel skies, and shimmering waters.
This photo was taken on my birthday as I sat with a dear friend I had met after half a decade on the edge of the lake. My favorite memory in all of Kashmir was indisputably the Shikara ride. To be at leisure with a cup of qahwah as the boat traverses the still waters of the lake is an inimitable, magical experience.
Kashmir’s immense beauty sadly melded with its immense conflict that has become inextricable from its identity as a Union Territory in distress. To me, this photo will forever bleed both sadness and pain through its heartbreaking beauty amidst the silence of the place and its people.
July 22, 2023.
6:34 PM, Srinagar: Boulevard Road, Old Gagribal Suri Mohalla.
Shot with my iPhone 13.