How did you spend your summer vacation
essay.
Answers
This time I got promoted to class nine from class eight. After the hard labor for the examinations, I wanted some rest and also some refreshment. Hence I put aside my books for a few weeks. Next day morning I went out to play with my friends.
It was a very hot and sunny day so we decided to play indoor games. In the evening I asked my father and mother to take me to any of the hill stations because I wanted to beat the heat. My father told me that we cannot go to a hill station because all the hotels and resorts are booked beforehand only.
It was too hot, the sun was scorching and the wind was deliberating. Fortunately my uncle had invited my family to Haridwar where he had reached two weeks earlier. Me and my parents reached Haridwar. My uncle, my aunty and my cousins were all very excited to see all of us. They welcomed us with a warm heart.
At Haridwar I went to the bank of River Ganga in the morning and it was very pleasant to see hundreds of men and women bathing in the stream of Ganga and then offering prayers in the different temples of its “Ghats”.
I requested my uncle to take us to the hilly spots in the vicinity. He was kind enough to take all of us there. The hill sights of Laxmi jhoola, Swargashram and many other spots fascinated me. I saw a large number of trees bearing beautiful fruits and flowers.
The peeping of Sun’s rays in the morning and evening was really very charming. The waterfall at some distances shone like flowing silver in the moonlight. The cool breeze was always felt. No heat or dust of the plain was felt here. I was very much pleased.
We remained there for two whole weeks. From there my father and my uncle planned to go on a pilgrimage. We left for Mathura and Vrindavan. There we had darshan of Dwarkadhish, Rangji, Behariji, and of many other temples.
We then went to Girirajji. We also went to Karoli and Mahaveerji, a place of Jain pilgrimage. The scenery and views of all these places was beautiful and breathtaking.
Of all the vacations in my life, this was my best summer vacation ever, mainly because my cousins were also there. We had collected memories for a lifetime. I told my parents that we will plan similar holidays for every summer vacation, in the coming years.
He firmly nodded to what I said. The vacation was over and I was back to school but my mind was still remembering the sweet memories of the summer vacation. I will await the next summer holidays and would love to go on this type of vacation again and again.
Answer:
It was quite a sudden decision to pack our bags for a short trip to Kashmir Srinagar during the recent summer vacation. My parents packed some quick snacks and we were off to Sealdah Station to catch the Akal Takht Express at 7.40 am.
The train trundled out of the station on time and gathered speed soon. There was no pantry car so we had to ration our snacks. However we got packed lunch and dinner on both days. It was an AC coach so we never felt the heat outside. But when we stepped out, the blistering heat of Amritsar scorched us. It was late evening when we strolled out for dinner. On the way we visited the Ma Durga Mandir built in the style of Vaisno Devi. It was like a jig saw puzzle inside.
The next morning we headed for the famous Golden Temple. It was immaculately clean and serene. Kirtans, holy songs, were heard all over. There was a long queue but the line moved steadily in a much disciplined manner. While we were crossing the waterbody we saw lots of colourful fishes. We spent a couple of hours there and returned to the hotel. We left Amritsar in the burning heat at two in the afternoon for Jammu-Tawi. By the time we checked into the Jammu hotel, it was almost nine in the evening.
On the fourth morning we left Jammu Tawi by car and reached Srinagar around evening. The entire journey was pretty unpleasant because of the dust and heat. Four-lane roads were being built all over. Even Srinagar was hot and sultry but the Dal Lake was a respite. Many colourful shikaras were floating all over. Just before sunset we hired one and rowed all over the lake. We saw the floating garden where all kinds of vegetables and flowers were grown. If you stamp hard on this floating garden it visibly moves. I was quite thrilled.
There was a swimming competition going on. Young college boys were taking part in it. The local salesmen in small boats with various merchandise like jewellery, flowers, dry fruits and clothes rowed alongside our shikara to sell their merchandise. We could not oblige all. A stationary floatilla sold hot tea and snacks. Most interesting were the photographers. They dressed us up in costume clothes complete with appropriate Kashmiri jewellery and a special flower basket for my mother. They took our photographs which were delivered to the hotel later in the evening. It was quite exciting.
The next morning we went up the hill to the Sankaracharya Temple for a bird's eye view of the place. It was a spectacular sight. The stretch of the Dal Lake extended deeper and deeper. It was quite visible that efforts were being made to keep the surroundings clean though there were settlements all along. It looked pretty neat from atop.
The following morning we hired a car and drove off to Pahelgaon. The roads were once again very dusty because of construction work. However, Pahelgaon was nice and cool. We strolled up and down the region for a while, had lunch and headed back to Srinagar. We heard from others that the newly-commissioned train from Srinagar to Banihal was quite interesting. Unfortunately we did not have the time to go for a train ride through the mountainous region. Perhaps next time we will. This was a very short trip.
On the last day, we purchased some Kashmiri shawls and wooden replica of the shikaras. There were plenty of wooden key chains made in the shape of the chinar leaves. Kashmir is known for its massive chinar trees. It was time to re-pack our bags. Our train was at midnight but we left early to avoid taking any chances of missing it. From Srinagar we drove to Jammu Tawi and boarded the Himgiri Express to return home.
I liked Pahelgaon and the shikara ride on the Dal Lake very much. I have to wait till next time for a more comprehensive tour. However I will surely cherish this trip to Kashmir for a long time to come.
Explanation: