Mohan: Greetings,
Ashok. Where have you been all these days?
Ashok: Greetings,
Mohan. I have been sight-seeing.
Mohan: Well,
what (places) did you see?
Ashok: Just
three or four places. I saw Hazratbal, Dal Lake, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam.
I am (now) thinking of visiting Tulmul.
Mohan: Yes,
you (must) do that.
Ashok: Yes,
that's what I came to talk to you about. Tell me, how far is Tulmul
from here?
Mohan: Tulmul
is about fifteen miles away, but it is not difficult to get there. From
Amira Kadal both buses and tongas (horse carriages) go there. Many people
go there in a large houseboat, but that takes a lot of time.
Ashok: Can
one return the same day, or does one stay there overnight?
Mohan: Yes,
many people go there in the morning and return in the evening. But they
also have provisions there for staying overnight.
Ashok: Tell
me, what is Tulmul
famous for?
Mohan: I
will tell you. Tulmul is a famous shrine of the Hindus. There is an idol
of the goddess bhava:ni: there, in the middle
of a spring.
Ashok: Do
people worship this idol?
Mohan: Yes,
the Hindus worship this idol. The pilgrims pour milk into the spring, drop
sugar candies ( )
into it, and light a  .
Ashok: Do
only Kashmiri Pandits go to Tulmul?
Mohan: Oh
no, Hindus and Sikhs come there from every part of India. Some Muslims
also go to Tulmul.
Ashok: Do
the pilgrims take a bath before entering (the shrine)?
Mohan: Yes,
near the gate everybody has to take a bath. After taking a bath, pilgrims
change their clothes and enter.
Ashok: Well,
is there any arrangement for food there?
Mohan: Yes,
there are many  (sweetmeat
sellers) shops. They sell  ,  ,
rice pudding, and cooked rice and vegetables. They also sell (various)
ingredients for the worship (puja).
Ashok: On
the way to Tulmul,
is there any other place worth seeing?
Mohan: Yes,
there are two or three very nice places.
Ashok: Which
are they?
Mohan: The
big mosque is very near here. After that, there are two places, Vicharnag
and Gandarbal.
Ashok: What
is there at Vicharnag and Gandarbal?
Mohan: Vicharnag
is a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus, and there is a spring there. People
eat their food at Gandarbal on the banks of the River Sindh. It is a beautiful
place and you must stop there by the bridge.
Ashok: All
right, I shall meet you after returning from Tulmul.
Goodbye.
Mohan: Goodbye.
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Chapter
28
