Srinagar, Aug 7 - In his traditional Kashmiri clothes, Ali Mohammed rowed his bright yellow shikara in the clear waters of the Dal Lake. Suddenly he looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

Not long ago, he remembered, hundreds of thousands of visitors would flock to Kashmir Valley in search of mental peace. And now, he rued, they are scared of visiting the place that was once a paradise for tourists.

The 20-year-old insurgency has earned the valley the name of 'war zone' , but Ali Mohammed and many others, yearning for peace, think the description is a media hype.

Kashmir is no longer unsafe, is the common refrain of people here, disgusted with what they consider media sensationalism.

Notwithstanding the bloody conflict that erupted in 1989, peace is slowly returning to Kashmir Valley. But the tourism business, one of the pillars of the state's economy, is yet to regain its lost glory. Domestic tourists visit the valley,but foreigners stay away owing to warnings from many Western governments.

'It is a perception that has been created over the years,' Ali Mohammed, 45, told IANS, as he kept rowing his shikara, which could be a perfect lounge for lovers with full-length cushions to curl up on and side curtains to hide from prying eyes.

As the shikara glides with dozens of others around, Ali Mohammed's yearning for peace grows.