Srinagar: Under a soft November sun, the vast saffron fields of Pampore are awash with a purple glow. Dozens of tourists, armed with cameras, wander through the rows of blooming crocus flowers. It’s harvest time — and for the first time in years, the scene is as much about visitors as it is about farmers.

Groups of tourists can be seen kneeling beside local women, carefully plucking the delicate saffron flowers that are ready to be harvested. “It feels surreal,” said Rohan Mehta, a tourist from Mumbai, gently holding a saffron flower between his fingers. “You see these purple carpets in photos, but walking through them and feeling. The aroma makes you realize how much patience and care go into every gram of saffron.”

The Pampore plateau, often called the “Saffron Town of Kashmir,” is wit

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