Srinagar
City GuideSrinagar, the state capital, is situated
at an altitude of 1,730 meters above sea level. It is connected by Indian
Airlines and Jet Airways flights directly to Jammu and New Delhi, and hence
to every part of the national network. An all-weather road to
Jammu, which in turn is connected, too many parts of North India connects
Srinagar. Srinagar's nearest railhead is Jammu, which in turn connects all
parts of the country, including Delhi, Calcutta, Pune, Murnbai and
Kanyakumari, Kashmir receives most of its rainfall in spring. If you've
longed for the delights of a houseboat holiday, now is the time to try one
out Srinagar is a unique city because of its lakes - the Dal, Nagin and
Anchor. The River Jhelum also flows through a part of the city.
Most
houseboats on the Nagin and the Jhelum are situated on the banks of the
lake, and can be accessed directly from land without the help of a shikara,
while all those on the Dal require a shikara to get to and from them. Most
houseboats on the Dal are situated in long straggling rows; some face the
Boulevard, Srinagar's most exciting address, while others are situated
singly or in groups of two and three.
The location of a houseboat
tells us nothing about its class, but before checking into one, there are a
few factors, which you may like to consider. A honeymoon couple may want to
be away from it all, and may choose a houseboat with few, if any, close
neighbors. To them, it will be an advantage to stay in the interior of the
lake, accessible by a half-hour long shikara ride. A family with young
children on the other hand may find themselves better served in an area,
which overlooks the Boulevard where a crossing takes just five minutes. When
your houseboat is in a busy area of the Dal, it is enjoyable just to sit on
the balcony and watch the world row by.
Each
houseboat has anything between two and four bedrooms in it with attached
bathrooms and a common sitting and dining room. The charges of a houseboat
always include all meals and a certain number of crossings by shikara to and
from the houseboat. Houseboats offer far more personalized service than
hotels because of the far higher host guest ratio. On the other hand, fellow
guests at the same houseboat tend to interact much more than if they were
staying at the same hotel. Which is why houseboats are ideal for a large
group of eight or more adults.
The Dal is famous not only for its
beauty, but for its vibrance, because it sustains within its periphery, a
life that is unique anywhere in the world. The houseboat and shikara
communities have lived for centuries on the Dal, and so complete is their
infrastructure on the lake, that they never have to step on land! Doctors,
tailors, and bakers - you'll see them all in tiny wooden shops on the lake,
near picturesque vegetable gardens and acres of lotus gardens. A shikara
ride is one of the most soothing, relaxing aspects of a holiday in Kashmir.
It can be an hour-long ride to see the sights of the Dal, a shopping-
by-shikara expedition to visit handicraft shops within the periphery of the
lake; or a whole day trip to visit important city landmarks. Because the Dal
is so central to the landscape of Srinagar, many places of tourist interest
have, over the ages, been built in its vicinity.
Nishat and
Shalimar gardens as well as Hazratbal mosque are directly accessible by
shikara.
Mughal Gardens: Kashmir was a favourite of the
Mughal emperors who visited it as often as they could. Cool and refreshing
after the plains of North India where the business of governance kept them,
they planted gardens with stepped terraces and flowing watercourses. When
they rested in their gardens, they dreamt they were in paradise.
Cheshmashahi is the first Mughal garden you will pass after Nehru Park.
Built at a height above the city, its views are as stupendous as its layout.
The smallest of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Cheshmashahi has only three
terraces in addition to a natural spring of water enclosed in a stone
pavilion.
The
next garden along the road that encircles the Dal is the
Nishat,
built by Empress Nur Jahan's brother Asaf Khan. The largest of the gardens,
Nishat has several terraces, a central watercourse and a majestic site
between the Dal and the Zabarwan hills. Jehangir, the Mughal emperor, whose
love for Kashmir was legendary, planted the third Mughal garden -
the
Shalimar -. Shaded by magnificent chinar trees, the Shalimar is a series
of stone pavilions and flowing water with paint-box bright flowerbeds.
Across
the Dal from Shalimar is the mosque of
Hazratbal, the only one of
its kind architecturally in Kashmir. Made of white marble with a dome and a
mina- ret, Hazratbal is the repository of a single hair of the Prophet
Mohammed, exhibited to the public on certain days of the year.
Srinagar
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