Srinagar, May 25 -- A recent social media post by senior journalist Bashir Manzar quietly asked a disturbing question: did people once visit Gulmarg to experience Gulmarg itself, but now come only for a Gondola ride?

The question deserves more than a casual reaction. It deserves reflection.

There was a time when Gulmarg Gondola was meant to complement Gulmarg. Today, Gulmarg itself seems to exist merely to feed the Gondola.

And that is where the decline begins.

Earlier, Gulmarg was not consumed. It was absorbed slowly. People walked through wild flowers. They sat silently under pine trees. They hired ponies not for selfies but for journeys. Children rolled down slopes. Families spent entire afternoons doing nothing except breathing mo...