Information about Srinagar

Srinagar is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natural environment, gardens, waterfronts and houseboats.
Lying in the Kashmir valley, Srinagar is at an altitude of 1585 meters. Srinagar is dotted with lakes and beautiful gardens. With the sun kissed peaks of the mountains in the backdrop and the peaceful waters of the lakes, Srinagar is a paradise on the plane

Houseboats in Srinagar

One of the unique charm of Srinagar are the houseboats. The houseboats are the floating little hotels which can be seen on the edge of the Dal Lake or in the secluded areas of the Nagin Lake. There are about 1300 houseboats moored on the waters of the lake and about 1,000 are on the official approved list of the Tourist Department of the State Government. The government has fixed tariff for each houseboat depending on the facilities it offers. Living in a houseboat is an exotic way of spending a holiday in Srinagar. Some of the names of the houseboats are like White House, Washington, Love-in-the-Mist and Noorjehan. The owner and his family live in an adjoining separate houseboat where the members of the family provide service to the guest. You can travel anywhere from the tiny Shikaras. For the rest of the needs as well, you don't have to go anywhere as there are various vendors who sell the things on the boat. The families huddled in large vessels move up and down the river to transport timber
 

Tourist Attractions in Srinagar

Nagin and Dal Lake
Dal and Nagin Lakes are fed by natural springs. The waters in the Dal and Nagin lake are transparent. But, due to overuse of the Dal lake over the years for growing of vegetables, tourism and other purposes, its size has been reduced to almost half. Nowadays, the government is trying to clean the lake. The various houseboats are located along the banks of the Nagin and Dal Lake. Nagin Lake is clean and provides quiet solitude to tourists. The vegetable market is also located on the Dal and Nagin.


Mughal Gardens
Nishat, Shalimar and Chashma Shahi are the three famous Mughal gardens which are situated around the Dal Lake. These Mughal gardens are beautifully laid out with fountains and cascading streams and terraced lawns. These Mughal Gardens were the Mughal Emperors' concept of paradise and are today very popular places for picnic and excursion. The Chashma Shahi is the first Mughal Garden which is set into the slopes of its circling hills. This tastefully laid garden commands a magnificent view of the Dal Lake below and surrounding mountain ranges. Chashma


Nishat and Shalimar
Nishat and Shalimar are very large gardens, located much further down the boulevard. Both these gardens are built on a symmetrical plan of central waterways with fountains dividing a series of garden terraces. Nishat Bagh was designed in 1633 AD by Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jehan. Nishat is the larger of the two gardens and has an impressive plantation of Chenar trees on its highest terrace. The trees were planted during the Mughal period perhaps by the kings themselves. Nishat Bagh is situated on the banks of the Dal Lake, with the Zabarwan Mountains in its backdrop. This 'garden of bliss' commands a magnificent view of the lake and the snow capped Pir Panjal mountain range which stands far away to the west of the valley. The Shalimar Garden is the most famous garden due to its romantic association with Emperor Jahangir and his lovely queen Noor Jahan.


This garden was built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jehan. An interesting Sound and Light Show on the love story of the two has been mounted here. The central piece on the upper terrace of Shalimar is the Baradari. It was here that Jahangir relaxed with his beautiful bride surrounded by a million roses and the heady smell of all of them. Shalimar garden is a beautiful garden with sweeping vistas over gardens and lakes, and shallow terraces. The garden is 539 m by 182 m and has four terraces, rising one above the other. A canal lined with polished stones and supplied with water from Harwan runs through the middle of the garden. The fourth terrace is the best terrace, and was once reserved for royal ladies.


Shankaracharya Temple
The Shankaracharya temple is the unique landmark of Srinagar. This temple is located on a sharp hill called Takht-e-Suleiman, about 1000 feet high, a 5 km climb from Nehru Park on a metalled road, overlooking the city. There are stone steps which will take you right on top where a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva stands. This temple was built in the memory of the Shankaracharya who came to Kashmir from Kerala some 1200 years ago to revive Hinduism. From the top of the Shankaracharya Hill, you can have a panoramic view of the valley, city, lakes and their houseboats, waterways, gardens, the confluence of the Jhelum and Dal Lake and the seven original bridges spanning the serpentine flow of Jhelum river.

Hari Parbat Fort
The Hari Parbat Fort crowns the top of Hari Parbat hill. The Hari Parbat Fort is located beyond Nagin Lake. There is little left of its former glory, but the ramparts are still impressive and the old apartments within the fort, even though in a state of ruin, still convey at least a little of the grandeur of the Mughal's summer retreat. The fort was later developed in 18th century by an Afghan governor, Ata Mohammad Khan. The low wall enclosing the upper part of the hill was built by Akbar in 1592-98 AD. This hill is believed to have appeared at the spot where goddess Parvati killed a demon. The hill is surrounded by almond orchards, which make a lovely sight during April when the trees blossom, heralding the advent of spring in Kashmir. The hill is considered sacred to the Hindus due to the presence of temple of Sharika, which is believed to be a form of goddess Durga or Shakti.


Getting around in Srinagar
The most delightful way of getting around Srinagar is to go by Shikara, the little gondola. You can hire a shikara to go round the Mughal gardens, gliding on the placid waters of the lake. The shikaras have very beautiful names and cushioned interiors. From Jhelum, these shikaras glide gently into the Dal and Nagin Lakes. The another way of going round Srinagar is to hire a bicycle and go round the Mughal Gardens through Srinagar’s wide boulevards. It is also an inexpensive