The Dal Lake
The Dal LakeLocated to the western part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar, the place renowned as Godly beauty, preserves and take care of the Dal lake which is found hidden behind the valleys. The Dal lake placed at the heart of the Kashmir Valley still breathes the imprints of the mughal's and the legacy of the British can be seen in the luxurious houseboat that floats leisurely on the cold waters of the lake. 295 kms from Jammu, the Dal lake in Srinagar is the pride of the Kashmir valley and famous for its exquisite beauty.
The Dal lake with its beautiful picturesque Himalayan backdrop, glittering silvery waters, the crowning glory of hill stations, small fishing boats and the banks of the lake surrounded by houseboats , shikaras with the grandeur of mughal architectural all adds to a description that can be termed Paradise discovered on earth. "If there is a heaven on earth, it's here, it's here, it's here "exclaimed, the mughal emperor Jahangir on his first visit to this place of Srinagar and viewing the wonderful Dal lake, that changes to a complete skiing ground covered with ice during the winter seasons.
The Dal Lake is not only unique for its beauty but also for its pulsating surroundings,since it sustains a life on waters not found anywhere else in the world. Most house boats on the Dal Lake are situated in long straggling rows on the bank of the lake and can be accessed directly from the land without the help of shikaras. The houseboat and Shikara communities have lived for centuries on the Dal, and every possible thing is found nearby the houseboats itself including Doctors, tailors, bakers in tiny wooden shops on the lake. The picturesque lotuses and gardens adds to their mystic elegance.
Every necessary thing can be found in the banks of the Dal without any king of trouble or getting down from the house boats. From shop that sells traditional Kashmiri handicrafts, kashmiri clothes and dry fruits each and every household items are available on the banks of the lake or the sellers frequently visit the sikaras and the house boats for the comfort of the visitors .
House Boat ride on the Dal Lake
The magnificent lake comprises a series of small lakes, including the much talked about Nagin lake found to the eastern side of the city. Intricate maze of waterways offers a panoramic view of the landscape on the house boat trip around the Dal. It is called the flood lung of the Jhelum river and the famous floating Mughal Gardens can be spotted on the way. All coloured with greens with a large variety of vegetations, the mughal gardens was the out come of the labour of the mughal kings to develop a floating gardens on the Dal lake.
Houseboat Ride on the Dal LakeAs the visitors move around the Dal lake in the well crafted house boats sitting on the balconies praising the natural surroundings, they are mesmerised to discover two distinctive parts of the Lake. The small Dal and the bigger portion of the Dal separated by a swampy bund. Two artificial islands give more attraction to the lake and are named as Rupalank and the Sonalank island created during the times of the mughal rule. These two island too gives an attractive view of the Dal as the visitors reach near them on the houseboats. The visitors to the Dal are overwhelmed by a great portion of the lake separated and used for sports like water skiing. Motor boats zoom past the slow moving shikaras and the decorated house boats and the sight of young and the brave swimming and diving in the lake offers a great pleasure to the nature savvy eyes.
The Dal lake occupies the prime significance of Srinagar garlanded with the mughal gardens and the floating shikaras and the houseboats. The larger houseboats are embellished with all type of comfort and luxury from attached bath to balconies with dinning rooms and television sets with internet connectivity. The much larger ones are positioned near the banks of the Dal lake while the medium houseboats and the small shikaras move about the lake with the visitors on board.