Asia's biggest snow igloo café has come up at Gulmarg, one of the Asia’s premier ski resorts situated in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 2,650 m (8,694 ft) and about 56 km from capital Srinagar.
Set up by a local group of hotels on the lawns of its property in the cup-shaped valley, the igloo is 45 feet wide and 37.5 feet high from inside and can accommodate about 40 odd diners at a time. It is also said to be Asia's biggest such igloo. Colourful crockery offsets the icy interiors, while the seats have sheepskin-style rugs casually thrown over for a rustic look. Most visitors have been coming here to grab a selfie or two, along with some steaming cups of kahwa. It also features an ice carving in the centre of the structure. An igloo, also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of ‘suitable’ snow. Gulmarg like many other parts of the Valley received several spells of major snowfall in recent weeks and has recorded below-freezing temperatures.