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Kashmir Houseboats |
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One of
the unique charm of Kashmir 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 in Srinagar. There are about
1300 houseboats moored on the waters of the Dal 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 in Kashmir. |
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There is an interesting story about the
origin of these houseboats. Once, the British had taken a
fancy to Kashmir and wanted to come here for a holiday during
summer. But the wily Maharaja had different ideas. He did not
want the British to come in large numbers and indulge in
conspiracies to dethrone him. Therefore, he forbade the
non-state subjects to own landed property in Kashmir. But, the
British had a clever idea. They built houseboats which were
located on the waters of the Lake and invited their friends.
They trained the Kashmiri cooks in the western cuisine. The
British enjoyed their cruises on water in tiny hand-pedalled “Shikaras”,
the little boats with giant mattresses, cushioned seats and
curtains. Now, most of the old British houseboats are not
there, but still there are some better and roomier houseboats
which could surpass the comforts of a 5-star hotel. |
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The
houseboats are grand with hand - carved furniture and
rich Kashmiri carpets. 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. A
houseboat boy is always on call and three meals are
served daily from a menu of western, Kashmiri or Indian
cuisine.
You can
travel anywhere from the Shikaras or tiny Kashmiri boat
with cushioned seats |
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and curtains.
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.
Book a
Kashmir Houseboats Tour with us and spend your holiday
in a luxury style ! |
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