Looking for a new place to visit
We were guided to try Naranag in Kangan.

After a bumpy and sinuous drive through Kangan
We torturously limped our way to Naranag.

Naranag turned out to be fabulous, serene, and awesome,
Shimmering white-water of Wangath River
frolicked around huge boulders,
While the majestic Harmukh Mountain stood guard sternly.

The Ashoka temple complex comprising of several temples
Was a ruin making one reflect how grand the original must have been,
Time, the ever destroyer, had done its irredeemable work.

The river danced frivolously, without purpose or panache,
Producing the drunken white-water in its wake.

Noor served us food with tender care
While Aziz talked with the neighborhood kids,
Coaxing them to sing,
Javid and I just enjoyed the scene.

After lunch we bare-footedly walked up to the river
To see its scintillating agitation.

The whole scene silently mesmerized us,
Making us wonder why god had planted the civilization
In ugly areas of the earth, while leaving the beautiful areas
In remote and deserted places.

After three hours of picnicking we reluctantly left Naranag
Wondering if god had more such beautiful places in store for us.

Notes: Naranag is in Kangan, Kashmir, India.

Suffern, New York, Sept. 9, 2013; Revised: June 19, 2015.
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