A Journey Beyond Travel: Kashmir, Sharada and the Yogi Trails Experience
My journey through Kashmir with Yogi Trails from 25 September to 3 October was far more than a holiday or a conventional pilgrimage. It was, in the truest sense, a journey through faith, memory, history, culture and civilisational inheritance—and one of the most meaningful travel experiences of my life.
The heart of the journey was undoubtedly Sharada at Teetwal.
For anyone who approaches Kashmir merely as a scenic destination, Sharada may appear to be another sacred site in a beautiful valley. But for a Hindu, and particularly for a Malayali, Sharada carries a much deeper significance. The ancient Sharada Peeth was not merely a temple; it was one of the great seats of learning of the Indian civilisation, remembered in the tradition as a centre of knowledge and the Sarvajna Peetha. The association of Adi Shankaracharya with Sharada Peeth gives it an especially profound significance for Kerala: the memory of a philosopher from the southernmost reaches of the Indian subcontinent journeying northwards and ascending the seat of supreme knowledge is an extraordinary part of India's intellectual and spiritual history.
The Partition of 1947–48 transformed the historical landscape of Kashmir and placed the ancient Sharada shrine and the wider Neelum/Kishanganga region on the other side of the Line of Control. The centuries-old continuity of pilgrimage was consequently disrupted, and the larger Sharada intellectual and cultural tradition suffered a profound historical rupture.
Yet civilisations have a remarkable capacity to remember.
The efforts to revive the memory of Sharada, to restore its sacred significance and to reconnect the present generation with this ancient centre of knowledge represent something much larger than the construction of a temple. The Sharada temple at Teetwal in Indian-administered Kashmir has therefore become, for many devotees, a living expression of that civilisational remembrance.
To visit Teetwal and stand before Sharada is consequently not simply to complete a pilgrimage. It is to make a sankalpa—a conscious prayer that the historical and spiritual continuity associated with Sharada may one day be restored in its fullness, and that the ancient seat of knowledge may once again become accessible to devotees and seekers. Standing there, one feels that one is not merely looking at history; one is participating in its remembrance.
What impressed me particularly about Yogi Trails was the manner in which the entire group was introduced to this deeper meaning of the journey. They did not reduce Sharada to another item on a tourist itinerary. They succeeded in communicating its civilisational importance and brought the entire group towards Teetwal with a shared sense of purpose, reverence and understanding. That, to me, is what distinguishes a meaningful pilgrimage from ordinary tourism.
Yogi Trails approached the journey not merely as a commercial travel programme, but with the seriousness and commitment of an organisation that understands the spiritual and cultural dimensions of the places it takes people to. For that, they deserve special appreciation.
And then there was the human dimension.
I began this journey travelling with people who, for the most part, were strangers. Yet by the time the journey ended, it no longer felt like travelling with a group of strangers at all. The warmth, affection, camaraderie and mutual respect that developed among the travellers made it feel remarkably like a journey undertaken with an extended family. Those personal bonds became one of the most beautiful memories of the entire experience.
The darshan at Sharada itself was deeply moving. There are places one visits, photographs one takes, and memories one carries home. And then there are places that seem to call one back. Sharada at Teetwal belongs to the latter category. There is something about the presence of the Devi there—the silence of the mountains, the sacred geography, the history surrounding the place and the sense of an interrupted tradition—that makes one feel that a single visit cannot be enough.
The journey also offered an extraordinary opportunity to experience Kashmir beyond its familiar postcard imagery.
We witnessed the saffron fields of Pampore, experienced the region's walnut cultivation, visited a traditional cricket-bat manufacturing centre where Kashmir willow finds a distinctive expression, and explored aspects of Kashmiri and Pahadi culture through museums and local institutions. We also had the opportunity to understand the contribution and sacrifices of the Indian Armed Forces through war memorials and museums, and to see the changing landscape of contemporary Kashmir through visits connected with its developing hydropower infrastructure.
The spiritual dimension of the journey was equally rich. Visits to sacred places such as Kheer Bhawani, the Martand Sun Temple and Shankaracharya Hill, along with the opportunity to visit the ashram associated with Swami Lakshman Joo, opened windows into different layers of Kashmir's religious and philosophical heritage.
What made the journey particularly special was this remarkable confluence of experiences.
It was simultaneously a pilgrimage, a journey into civilisational memory, an exploration of history and heritage, an academic experience, a deeply spiritual journey, and, at the same time, a wonderfully enjoyable journey shared with a group of warm and inspiring people.
That combination is rare.
I came back from Kashmir not merely having seen more places, but having understood something more deeply about the civilisation that created, preserved and transmitted them. I returned with memories, friendships, historical questions, spiritual impressions and, above all, a renewed sense of connection with Sharada.
For anyone who wishes to explore Kashmir beyond the conventional tourist circuit—to encounter its sacred geography, civilisational history, cultural traditions and living spiritual heritage—I would strongly recommend experiencing it through a journey such as this.
Yogi Trails did not merely take us to Kashmir. They helped us experience a part of India that deserves to be remembered, understood and rediscovered.
For me, the journey to Sharada was not simply a journey to a place.
It was a journey back into memory.
A journey into knowledge.
A journey into faith.
And, above all, a journey towards a civilisational inheritance that continues to call us home.
I am deeply grateful to the entire Yogi Trails team for making this journey possible - and for giving me an experience that I will carry with me for a very long time.
