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About Dal Lake

Dal Lake is situated in the hub of the
modern city of Srinagar, the summer capital of the State. The
urban lake which is the second largest in the state is
integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is nick
named as Srinagar' s Jewel.
The Dal Lake is famous of the World. Dal Lake at the foot of
the Zabarwan Mountains, with Shankaracharya hill in its South,
and Hazratbal on its West; is the lake Par-excellence- the Dal.
The lotus flower cover it in autumn, the Dal is ideal site fro
magnificent Houseboats, while "Shikaras" skim about with the
sails in the transparent waters of the Lake. Areas of the Dal
Lake are grouped with slanting roofed houses on islands, while
other parts seems lush green like well-planned gardens. As the
eye travels onward, houseboats, houses and vegetation conclude
unevenly and two huge sheet-like bodies of water - the Bod Dal
& Lokut Dal, come into view.
Floating Gardens
The lake is probably at its most beautiful when the lotus
flowers bloom in July and August. The floating gardens, known
as "Rad" in Kashmiri, are one of the stranger aspects of Dal
Lake. They're composed of matted vegetation and earth, which
are cut away from the lake bottom and towed to a convenient
location where they are moored. Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Melons
all grow amazingly well in these gardens, if one look
underneath one can see that they do literally float on the
lake. One can also approach the floating gardens by road; the
boulevard runs along the eastern edge of the lake, providing
fine views all the way. One will often see weeds being pulled
up out of the lake - this serves a double purpose. The lake
waterways are kept clear and the weeds are rotted until they
form excellent compost for the gardens. The shallowness of the
lake and its heavy growth of waterweeds is probably the main
reason there are so very few powered boats on the water. Dal
Lake would be nowhere near as pleasant if there were
powerboats rushing back and forth across its tranquil surface.
Popular
Tourist Destination in Srinagar
Mughal Gardens in
Srinagar
The Mughal Gardens with their terraced gardens, numerous maple
trees, refreshing fountains and blooming flowers, have
become the outstanding attributes of Srinagar. Situated in
the far eastern side of panoramic Dal Lake, The Shalimar
Bagh(garden) and the Nishant Bagh are the most beautiful of
all that are there in the city. Even Chashmashahi, though
small, has made its mark as a successful tourist spot due to
its spring of sweet and refreshing water which was once used
for drinking by the Mughals.
SHALIMAR BAGH
The Shalimar were built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur
Jahan, 'light of the world' in 1616. Although it is known
today as the 'garden of love' it was originally named the
Farah Bakhsh or 'delightful garden'. The garden is built in
four terraces with traditional water channel running down
the middle. The gardens measure 540 by 183 metres. During
the Mughal period the top terraces used be reserved for the
emperor and the ladies of the court and was the most
magnificent. It included a pavilion made of black stone in
the middle of the tank. Black Marble fluted pillars
supported the pavilion, which was used as a banquet hall.
Shalimar Bagh has an air of seclusion and repose, and its
rows of fountains and shaded trees seem to recede towards
the snowcapped mountains. A Son Et Lumeiere or sound and
light show is put on here every evening during the May to
October tourist season.
NISHAT BAGH
The Nishat Bagh is another lovely garden with its 12 terraces
representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which descend
gradually and seem to almost merge into the lake. It is
situated on the banks of world famous Dal Lake in the
backdrop of Zabarwan hills. With its flowerbeds, trees,
fountains, the Nishat presents a dramatic sight. The gardens
were designed in 1633 by Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jahan,
and follow the same pattern as the Shalimar gardens with a
polished stone channel running down the centre and a series
of terraces. It's the largest of the Mughal gardens
measuring 548 metres by 338 metres, and often the most
crowed. The walks beside the channel are bordered with lines
of cypresses and Chinars. Also found within its vicinity are
some remains of Mughal period buildings including a double
storey pavilion enclosed on two sides latticed windows.
PARIMAHAL
The old Sufi college of Pari Mahal, the 'palace of the
fairies', is only a short distance above the Chasma Shahi
gardens. One can easily walk from the gardens up to the Pari
Mahal then follow a footpath directly down the hill to the
road that runs by the Oberoi Palace Hotel. The Pari Mahal
consists of a series of arched terraces. Recently it has
been turned into a very pleasant and well-kept garden with
fine views over Dal Lake. It's attractively sited on a spur
of the Zabarwan Mountains. The gardens are beautifully kept
even today and a Son Et Lumiere show is put on here every
evening during the May to October tourist season.
CHASMA SHAHI
Cheshma Shahi is the first Mughal garden one will pass
after Nehru Park. Built at a height above the city, its
views are as stupendous as its layout. The smallest of
Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Cheshma Shahi has only three
terraces in addition to a natural spring of water enclosed
in a stone pavilion. Smallest of the Srinagar Mughal
gardens, measuring just 108 metres by 38 metres, the Chasma
Shahi, or 'Royal Spring', are well up the hillside, above
the Nehru Memorial Park. The fresh water spring in these
pleasant, quieter gardens is reputed to have medicinal
properties. The gardens were laid out in 1632 by Ali Mardan
Khan and include three terraces, an aqueduct, waterfalls and
fountains.
The Temple of Shankaracharya
The Temple of Shankaracharya is balanced on a high
octagonal plinth, on a hill called as Takht-i-Suleiman in
Srinagar district. The temple dates back to 250 BC and over
the time has become an important landmark on the face of
Srinagar. It is said that the legendary philosopher Sri
Shankaracharya stayed in this temple when he came to Kashmir
to spread Sanatan Dharma. The temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva and holds a lot of importance in religious as well as
architectural context. The temple is built up of specially
smoothened rocks which have been set at the peak of the hill
with unimaginable precision. From the height at which this
temple is located, you can have a scintillating bird's eye
view of entire Srinagar. |