East.
Srinagar has been unable to show off the full extent of its
architectural heritage. Srinagar’s old houses on the Jhelum
river with labyrinthine alleys appears not to have changed
since the time of the Mughals. Srinagar is transformed into a
different world every season. It is snowbound and harsh in
cold winter whereas it is very beautiful during spring and
summers, when flowers bloom all over the valley, snow melts
and trees take a new shape. The roof-tops of the houses in
Srinagar are also turned into the flower gardens. June and
July are the two good months for trekking, trout-fishing and
water sports. |
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.
More... |
way of seeing
the city. There are various places in Srinagar which can't be
covered by foot. The horse-drawn “tongas” also offers an
alternative mode of transport to visitors.
Tourist Attractions in Srinagar
The various tourist attractions in Srinagar are the
Shankaracharya temple, Jama Masjid, Dal and Nagin Lake, Mughal
Gardens - Nishat, Shalimar and Chahma Shahi and Hari Parbat.
Besides this, Pathar Masjid, Shah Hamdan mosque are the famous
mosques in Srinagar. The Shankaracharya temple is the unique
landmark of Srinagar. 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. The Jama Masjid is the largest mosque
in Kashmir. The Hari Parbat Fort crowns the top of Hari Parbat
hill. 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.
More....
How to reach Srinagar
By Air:
Srinagar is connected to Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Amritsar,
Chandigarh, Jammu and Leh by Indian Airlilnes Services.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi which has direct
connections with Agra, Amritsar, Bhopal, Bombay, Calcutta,
Cochin, Delhi, Kanyakumari, Lucknow, Madras, Pune, Trivandrum,
Varanasi, etc.
By Road:
Srinagar is connected by road to Jammu, Leh, Amritsar,
Chandigarh, Delhi, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Kargil. |