On a sweltering summer day, the gardens at the Vivanta Dal View, Srinagar, burst with colour despite the oppressive heat. Bright yellow and pink dahlias, fiery orange roses, and pale blue hydrangeas stand resilient, their edges beginning to brown like they’ve been sunbathing too long. Below, the Dal Lake stretches across the city, glittering and winking, unfazed by the temperature
Inside the hotel, the Khanyari and Sheikh families are gearing up for the functions of the day. As the afternoon softens into early evening, Diyana, the bride, appears in the garden wearing a shimmering blue Falguni and Shane Peacock creation for her maenziraat–the engagement ceremony. In keeping with Kashmiri custom, the groom’s family arrives bearing gifts and the all-important mehendi for the bride, symbolising the union of the two families. It’s an ethereal setting as the sun vanishes behind the mountains, and Kabul Bukhari’s live Sufi renditions take over, his voice enhancing the experience of being in Jannat-e-Kashmir.
