As more and more tourists troop in, the remote valley is poised for a cultural and commercial transformation The evergreen fever dream of Kashmir as the subcontinent’s enchanted Eden might have its antecedents in older travel musings of European raconteurs—often mountaineers, preachers, doctors, and high-ranking officers of the British Empire. These men drew eloquent comparisons between this unheralded wonderland and familiar delights back home. The English rock climber Oscar Eckenstein recalled London’s Hampstead Heath upon seeing a blooming garden in Srinagar, while the adventurer Dermot Norris’ 1932 guide was titled…
Read MoreTraditions meet travelers: Gurez Valley prepares for cultural exchange in Kashmir’s tourism boom
