Srinagar, Sep 22 (NationPress) The autumn sun casts its warmth over the golden yellow landscape, filled with grain-heavy paddy fields as Kashmir's farmers rush to harvest their crops.

The nomadic goatherds, known as the ‘Bakarwals’, descend from the alpine meadows with their families and livestock, preparing to spend the next seven months in the milder climate of the plains.

In rain-fed regions, locals are gathering the maize harvest, using loud calls to scare away bears that venture into the fields to feast on the sweet crop. As humanity encroaches on wildlife habitats, the frequency of man-animal conflicts has surged alarmingly in the Valley.

Wild animals retaliate by damaging maize crops, injuring people, stealing poultry, and devouring livestock to remind humans to honor the boundaries set by nature.

The rhythmic, high-pitched buzz of the cicada perched on willow trees serves as a reminder for residents to seize every sunny opportunity.

Apple growers are busy harvesting their fruit, packing it into cardboard boxes for transport beyond Jammu and Kashmir. The sporadic closures of the Srinagar-Jammu highway have led to substantial losses for the growers this year.

However, life continues as apple farmers learn to accept their losses as part of fate.

In places like the renowned Rapore village of Ganderbal district, luscious grapes hang from vines, known for their exceptional quality.

As evening falls, flocks of domestic ducks and swans near lakes return to their coops earlier, having learned to avoid danger from jackals.

Leaves on the magnificent Chinar trees are beginning to shift to shades of crimson before transitioning to amber and yellow, eventually falling to the ground. Folklore tells of a Persian traveler who, upon seeing the Chinar trees ablaze in autumn colors, exclaimed ‘Chi Naar’ (What Fire!).

The experience of walking on a thick carpet of fallen Chinar leaves rivals the finest cushioned surfaces in palaces and manor houses. The dry leaves provide essential charcoal for impoverished families to light their earthen firepots, woven in willow baskets known as ‘Kangri’.

Carrying a Kangri filled with glowing charcoal under the traditional tweed overgarment called ‘Pheran’ remains the most reliable source of warmth for Kashmiris, even as modern heating systems gain popularity.

As electricity availability fluctuates during winter, locals have learned to stockpile charcoal for the colder months.

Along with the Chinar leaves changing colors, the cicada's song, farmers’ haste to gather paddy and maize, and the arrival of migratory birds in protected sanctuaries signal the onset of autumn in Kashmir.

The clear skies and gentle autumn sunlight, the crispness in the morning and evening air, and the transition from summer attire to light woolens are comforts that locals cherish, preferring them over the best amenities found in warmer climates.

The traditional dish ‘Shabdeg’, rooster cooked with turnips over a gentle fire on an earthen hearth, is a cherished meal for Kashmiri families, valued more than gourmet offerings from luxurious hotels.

Tomatoes, brinjal, and pumpkins are meticulously sliced and dried in the autumn sun, preserving them for the long winter months ahead, when temperatures in Dal Lake can plunge to minus 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.

It’s often said that if a tourist hasn’t experienced Kashmir in the autumn, they truly haven’t discovered the region’s full beauty.