Srinagar, May 26 -- Spring washes away winter's monotony and breathes new life into the world. Rivers, streams and waterfalls swell with crystal torrents of gushing water as warm spring sun-rays penetrate deep into the thick snow hoarded by majestic mountain peaks. Song-birds lend honeyed sweetness to the air with their melodious chirps and twitters. New shoots rise from the earth's bosom, and branches don cloaks of green, proclaiming that the spring's breeze holds the charm to revive and resuscitate what once seemed lifeless. In Kashmir, spring unveils a bloom of countless flowers and fruits, cradling the valley in a symphony of colors, tones and shades.

While most fruits ripen in the peak of summer, cherries and mulberries arrive in la...