There are journeys we undertake by choice, and there are others which seem to await us-as though the destination itself has issued a silent call. My journey to Gangbal and Harmukh in September 2026 belonged to the latter.For me, it was Bhagwaan Shankar ka bulaava-a call of Lord Shiva-made possible also by the persistent encouragement of my long-time friends Vinod Pandita and Vinod Tikku.
But Gangbal-Harmukh is much more than an arduous Himalayan trek. It is a journey into the sacred geography of Kashmir, where mountains, lakes, springs, forests and ancient temples are woven together by centuries of history, faith and collective memory.
The Nilamata Purana, also known as the Kasmira Mahatmya, is among the important ancient texts associated with Kashmir. Generally dated between the fourth and eighth centuries CE, it contains references to Kashmir’s geography, religious traditions, sacred places and folklore, and was among the sources known to Kalhana, the author of the Rajatarangini.What emerges from this ancient tradition is a fascinating conception of Kashmir-not merely as a geographical valley surrounded by mountains, but as a consecrated landscape.
Its rivers, springs, lakes, forests and mountains acquire identities through history, pilgrimage and memory. Long before places were defined by coordinates and administrative boundaries, Kashmir possessed another kind of map-a sacred map drawn through stories, shrines, pilgrimage routes and traditions handed down through generations.The numerous Nag springs of Kashmir are part of this heritage. Names such as Verinag, Anantnag, Kokernag and Naranag continue to preserve the intimate relationship between water, landscape and sacred tradition.At the foundation of this civilisational memory lies Satisar, the primordial lake from which the Valley is traditionally believed to have emerged. Beyond it, Kashmir’s high-altitude lakes acquired their own spiritual significance.
