Termed as ambassadors of Kashmir, these iconic Houseboats offer a unique experience of living on the water in cedar-paneled elegant rooms.
These are the stationary types & they are usually moored at the edges of the Lakes.
These houseboats are made of wood, and usually have intricately carved wood paneling. The houseboats are of different sizes, some having up to three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen.
The greatest attraction of these houseboats is its balcony which faces the lake…..
…….with a breathtaking view of the calm waters & snow capped peaks of the Zabarwan ranges !!
Imagine waking up everyday to such a beautiful view……I envy these guys !!
Shikaras are not just the ‘transport boats’ for people of Srinagar……It’s their ‘tourism livelihood’.
Jewellery shop on the water !!
Like the Venetian gondolas, Shikaras are a cultural symbol of Kashmir
The famous Hazratbal dargaah – It contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, believed by many Muslims of Kashmir to be a hair of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
The high point of Mughal horticulture skills – famous Shalimaar bagh
The Bagh was built by Mughal Emperor Jahangir for his wife Nur Jahan, in 1619
It is one of the prominent visitor attractions around the Dal Lake & the whole place blooms during the autumn and spring seasons due to the colour change in leaves of the famed Chinar trees.
Chashm-e-shahi is another of the Mughal gardens built in 1632 AD around a spring by Ali Mardan Khan, a governor of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
The garden was constructed around the spring, which is active even today & supplies a part of the water needs of Srinagar
(If there is a paradise on earth…..it is this, it is this, it is this)
Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast ….. Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast
