KOKERNAG – A 70km drive from Srinagar to the Bringhi Valley in Anantnag district brings you to the pleasant environs of Kokernag—the centrepiece of which is thefabulous Botanical Garden and the spring. Surrounded by towering chinars and chestnuts, and beyond that the Himalayan ranges, the mosaic of jewelled-greens of the Kokernag Botanical Garden spreads over 26 hectares. It’s quite the haven for birders. You can wake up at sunrise and soak up the visuals of a multitude of avifauna scrabbling for room amongst the trees and hedges while occasionally swooping down for a drink in the stream that waters this verdant area.
What’s great is that you don’t have to venture too far as the tourist rest house lies in the embrace of this beauteous setting. For avid gardeners too this is an adventure as they explore the sprawl of ornamental plants, trees, bushes, topiary ornamentation, roses and wild flora sourced from across the Kashmir Valley. Of great delight too are the picturesque Japanese bridges set over the trout-rich roiling stream, the scattering of ponds, and well planned garden seats. The garden is a riot of colours in spring and mesmerising with the colours of fall as winter approaches.
Later in the day the garden fills up with picnicking families. You can also try your hand at trout fishing as Kokernag is also home to what is purportedly Asia’s largest trout fishery unit, operated by the J&K fisheries department. There’s a training institute at the site where you can explore the processes of breeding rainbow and brown trout in a protected environment. The Paspashudan Nag spring, Kashmir’s largest spring, is revered for its healing properties and is also the biggest one among the seven natural springs that abound at Kokernag.
