Srinagar’s Qayaam Gah offers a stylish nature retreat with Sufi vibes

SAUMYA ANCHERI, TRAVELLER: Four villas stand on a ridge backed by the green carpet of the Zabarwan Hills, overlooking the shimmering crescent of Dal Lake far below. Sitting in bed in my villa named after Habba Khatoon, the Sufi mystic and wife of the last emperor of Kashmir, I am flanked by windows that open out to sunset views of the Dal on one side, and an elevated panel that frames peaks lit by the rising sun on the other. Anchored between valley and peak, sky and lake, the sun and moon, Qayaam Gah has a mystical air by its setting alone.

A seven-key property spread over three acres, the hotel is a nature retreat for those who want to experience mountain solitude with access to the city’s sights, a 40-minute drive away. Built of cedar wood, glass and stone from Pandrethan and Manasbal, and made sumptuous with rugs, delicate deodar woodwork and freshly plucked flowers, Qayaam Gah exudes a sense of spaciousness and an easy indoor-outdoor flow.

While each villa has its own secluded view, the three suites rest on a lower terrace that looks out on the lake, and they can be interconnected for a family or group travelling together. An outdoor infinity pool, the deck Qalb (which means “spiritual heart”) where live music is played by a local troupe at high tea, and a canopied pavilion for private dinners take in the 360° views. The panorama stretches from the Zabarwan Hills to the Pir Panjal and Shamasbari range to the middle Himalayas, and the play of light on the Dal at sunset and the suffused afterglow is mesmerising.

For a more intimate sundowner, lounge by the sunken fire pit beside an ornamental pool. The adjacent restaurant Ruh (or “soul”) offers alfresco seating under fretwork eaves, while the indoor seating matches the panoramic windows with a khatamband ceiling, jali screens, bookshelves and a bukhari wood-burning stove Design lovers will appreciate the contemporary framing of Kashmiri craftsmanship, for instance, marrying the latticed pinjrakari wall panels that cast starry patterns of light on the floor with the solidness of stark black walls.

The medley of sensibilities extends to the table, where a basket of crisp Kashmiri breads served with creamy walnut and sweet radish chutneys can be followed by a shot of fresh apple juice and a pomegranate and cheese canape, garden-fresh salad, a nourishing bowl of chicken saffron broth and a plate of trout in lemon butter garlic sauce, and finished off with coconut rice and mango. That said, the famous traditional traami, or Kashmiri thali piled with rich preparations including kebab, rogan josh, yakhni, rista and goshtaba alongside homestyle, slow-cooked maaz ras (mutton soup) and haak saag (collard greens) is prepared by Tabassum, one of the hotel chefs who lives in the nearby village and learned the art of the Kashmiri wazwan from her uncle who worked as a waza (cook).

The produce is local, with sweet cherries and crisp rocket leaves from the garden, and poultry and eggs from the village where their cows are tended. The focus on sustainable luxury extends to the Kama Ayurveda bath amenities in refilled ceramic jars, and the cherry, plum, apple and pear orchards that are lush with wildflowers rather than exotic plants.

Surrounded by such natural and cultural bounty, there’s a lot to do around the property. With local guide Nisar Malik, we stop at the nearby shrine of the Sufi saint believed to have blessed the village with natural spring water, which also channels to the resort’s heated infinity pool and bath tubs. In a few hours around the Old City, we take in the tangled weave of monuments and buildings, the bakeries and bazaars, the ghats and crafts that speak of Srinagar’s layered past. My favourite experience is a lavish picnic in the Dara mountains, sprawled on gorgeously embroidered rugs by an ice-cold stream over a lunch of trout that had been prepared the night before, shallow-fried and boiled in a delicious paste of spices and sun-dried tomatoes.

One early morning in my villa, I am startled by the deep and reverberating call of a hangul—it’s the closest I’ll come to the critically endangered Kashmiri stag whose last resort is the nearby Dachigam National Park. Qayaam Gah offers a variety of walks, from a seven-hour trek up into Dachigam to a contemplative stroll around led by the yoga teacher. Archana Shekhar, trained in the Bihar School of Hatha Yoga, helps me empty my mind and open up to my calming surrounds during a meditation session, and leaves me with food for thought: “I’m from Jharkhand,” she says, “and I want people to know that Kashmir is different from what is portrayed in India. They don’t see any religious differences here, everyone is welcome.”

Perhaps it is this ease with faith that led Altaf Chapri to draw on Sufism to build Qayaam Gah in Srinagar, as he drew on Shaivism to construct Neeleshwar Hermitage in the Kerala temple town of Nileshwaram. “Kashmir had been an example of communal harmony,” he observes, as Nisar elaborates, “In the cosmos, there are no barriers, the only barriers are down here. Whosoever is a Sufi is a traveller in his heart. Sufism is about the inner heart. All the rituals take you on an inner journey where the end is knowing yourself and your relationship with God. We are all from the same source.”

Qayaam signifies the highest mystical state in Sufism, Altaf explains, the next level after “sukoon” or unshakeable peace. It is no coincidence that the resort is sister to a grand restored houseboat on the Dal that’s named Sukoon. If Sukoon embodies the feminine essence of a richly decorated vessel on the lake, Qayaam is the masculine counterpart with its dark colours, solid shapes and clean lines against the rugged peaks. The details appear at a closer look—like the black wall behind the reception desk that beautifully echoes the Kaaba—and the retreat offers a five-day journey for those who want a mystical deep-dive. Even for those who don’t come seeking, a casual weekend can leave a traveller feeling tranquil.