It was the 7th day of our trip and we were heading from Gulmarg to Sonamarg on a sunny and warm day. We reached this beautiful small town at around 2.30 pm and post lunch we checked in the Hotel. It was 3 pm and the weather had started showing its charm. It started pouring heavily and was getting too chilly.
How to move around at Sonmarg:
We had planned only one night stay at Sonamarg so we were looking for the local Union cars for sight-seeing. Now you can either hire a Union vehicle or ride on a pony as tourist vehicles are not allowed to operate inside the town.
Finally, we had to bargain a lot for the rates and actually wait for an hour for the settlement. Meanwhile, the weather was getting very windy. However, nature showered some kindness on us and after a while, it had actually stopped raining. We all took advantage of it and sat in the jeep and headed towards Thajwas Glacier.
Our experience at Thajwas Glacier
It was around 5.30 when we reached there and the very first sight of it left us flabbergasted. Charming and alluring views all around, pine trees, crystal clear streams gushing all over, snow-clad mountains. It all truly epitomizes the beauty of Sonamarg.
Mainly this is a place that is just so perfect for a nature-loving person like me. My friends and I opted to have a conversation with 3 Kashmiri men who had a small stall and a hut and also offered sleds for rides at a cost. They made nice masala chai and Kashmiri Kahwa for us and clicked my pictures too. After admiring the beauty and clicking pictures of the stunning glacier we sat there for a while and started talking with them. They told us how they would live there for 6 months in the small hut in the summer, earn and during winters they would go back to their village and survive with all they had earned. The warmth, kindness, and beauty of their soul truly gave me a new perspective on life. How those men were happy, smiling, and content even with the simple and basic pleasures of life.
Apparently, the climax scene of the Movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” was shot at the base of Thajwas Glacier and the Kashmiri men revealed the places and the bridges where exactly the shooting had taken place. They all love our Bhai ‘Salman Khan” and we were equally thrilled and excited to know about it.
Some facts from the Indian express that made a headline- Salman Khan’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ climax shot at Thajwas glacier in Kashmir!!
Director Kabir Khan was determined to shoot the climax scene at a special unexplored location in Kashmir and handpicked the spot himself. It is said that the team shot for almost 45 days in beautiful locales of Kashmir. One did get a glimpse of the beautiful locales in the film’s first trailer.
“The Bajrangi Bhaijaan climax was shot at the base of the Thajwas glacier outside Sonamarg. Located at 10,000 feet above sea level… the 300-strong technical crew had to trek for an hour through the snow every morning to reach the location. Added to this was where the 7000 extras that we had on set every day. Transporting them in hundreds of buses and then embarking on the hour-long trek was a huge logistical challenge for the production. To add to their woes was the sub-zero temperatures and hail storms that would interrupt the shoot.
Few facts about Thajwas Glacier-
1) It is situated at a height of 3000 m above sea level and is covered with snow almost all year round.
2) It is the main attraction in Sonamarg.
3) Tourists can enjoy sledging here at a nominal cost.
4) The area around the glacier is very good for camping.
5) It is among st the most adventurous treks from Sonamarg and it gives one of the best scenic view.
6) You have to hire the local Union cars and there is a lot of scope of bargaining with the rates.
7) It is advisable to carry light jackets, scarf and gloves if you want to play with the snow.
8) Tourist places are safe and I highly recommend this place to all my readers and travelers.
