Srinagar, Oct 5 (IANS): Turtle doves picking fallen grain from Paddy fields, Cicada chirping on willow trees and the cackle of migratory birds in the night sky, these are all indications that Kashmir’s golden yellow season of plenty—autumn has arrived.
Farmers have gathered their Paddy crop and apples are being picked by the orchardists, grapes, ‘Nadrus (Lotus stems)’, Sweet Chestnuts and vegetables are aplenty in the markets.
The sky is now a clear blue and the fear of cloudbursts, thunderstorms, hail etc is over. People love to bask in the early sunshine although the days are still hot.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31.2 degree Celsius on Sunday, marking the city’s second-highest October temperature on record.
This exceptional reading, driven by an unprecedented autumn heatwave, surpassed the previous October high of 31.1 degree Celsius set 18 years ago on October 2, 2008.
Despite the day heat, mornings and evenings are getting cold as locals wear a layer of warm clothes in the evenings.
The turtle doves have come down from the mountains to feed on fallen grain in the harvested Paddy fields. They have to gain enough weight before they brave their flight to the plains to ward off the winter cold.
Cicada bugs are chirping on willow trees as their natural camouflage makes them absolutely indistinguishable from their surroundings.
The cackle of migratory birds in the night sky announces the first flight of these avian visitors to the Valley.
Thousands of these birds including bar-headed geese, mallards, Pochards, shovelers, Pintails, Wigeons, Sheldrake ducks, teals etc spend their winters in the water bodies of Kashmir to ward off the extreme cold of their summer homes in Russian Siberia, China, Japan, Philippines and Eastern Europe.
The hardy goatherds called the ‘Bakarwals’ are now moving down from the highland meadows of the Valley with their families.
They are going with their flocks of sheep, goats, watch dogs and load carrying horses to their homes in warmer Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua and Reasi districts of Jammu division.
The life of the Bakarwals is an enduring lesson in bearing hardships to graze their flocks in the meadows during the summer months. The Bakarwals move lock, stock and barrel to the meadows during the summer months.
Women carrying infants wrapped in a loose cloth around their back, utensils, clothes, bedding etc are loaded on the horses as the long journey to the plains starts for these families.
The diet of these families is a dietician’s prescription for keeping oneself fit. They take milk, cheese, ghee in plenty as they lead an active, hardworking life.
It is rare to see an obese Bakarwal male or female. They are lean sturdy souls although signs of some sedentary life and economic prosperity are showing in the protruding bellies of the elders left behind to tend for homes during the summer months.
Hundreds of labourers belonging to Bihar, West Bengal, UP and other states working as brick layers, masons, carpenters, electricians and labourers in orchards and Paddy fields have started moving down to their homes as the bitter winter cold becomes difficult for them to bear.
Days have started ending early and beginning late as markets, streets and workplaces start closing after the sunset.
Vegetable markets are full of locally grown turnips, spinach, tomatoes, brinjals, potatoes, etc. Interestingly, despite the availability of these local vegetables, their rates are higher than those brought in from outside the Valley, a paradox difficult to decipher for the common Kashmiri.
The leaves of the majestic Chinar trees have started turning yellow from deep green. These leaves then turn into brilliant shades of yellow, amber, gold, orange, and a striking blood-red before falling in the winter.
The water in rivers, mountain streams and springs is crystal clear as far off mountain tops acquire a tinge of white due to early snowfall.
For the nature loving tourists and locals, autumn is the best time to see Kashmir in all its natural glory and brilliance.
