Srinagar – City of Lakes and Gardens

Rolling mountains, roads lined with majestic chinar (maple) trees and the famous Dal Lake wearing a placid face. The postcard perfect city – Srinagar. Indulgent houseboats, historic gardens, distinctive Kashmiri wooden mosques and a mild summer climate combine to make it one of India’s top domestic tourist attractions.

Srinagar is the summer capital (while Jammu is the winter capital) of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and the largest city in the Kashmir region.

The first thing that comes into mind with Srinagar is the beauty and charm of Dal Lake that defines most of Srinagar. Spread over 15 kms around, Dal Lake is Srinagar’s jewel, a vast, mirror-flat sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the Pir Panjal mountains. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir & from houseboats cruising along the lake in the colourful shikaras. During the winter season, the temperature sometimes reaches −11 °C, freezing the lake.

There are also other lakes such as Nagin Lake and Wular Lake – Asia’s largest fresh water lake.

On land, stroll through the terraced hillsides of the 400-year-old Mughal Gardens, created by Emperor Jehangir for his wife, and shop for indigenous crafts like hand-woven silks and embroidered shawls.

Near Srinagar, you can visit Awantipora which contains the ruins of Awanti Swami Hindu temple and the various cricket bat making factories nearby to Awantipora. The cricket-bat industry of Awantipora is a major source of equipment for India’s voracious sporting goods market.