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Srinagar - The Heart of Kashmir

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After almost twenty years of enforced isolation due to the horrendously long-dawn militancy, the Vale of Kashmir is once again open for business. There couldn’t be better news for anyone wishing to enjoy some of the most gorgeous mountain country in the world. The gateway as ever remains the capital city of Srinagar situated on the banks of the River Jhelum.

For the average person – Srinagar conjures up visions of dreamy Shikara rides on lotus filled Dal Lake, framed by the forested Zabarwan Mountains. From the 19th century, when the law forbidding sale of land or houses to non-Kashmiris, gave rise to the houseboats that now line the shores of Dal and Nagin lakes, this Kashmiri icon has become a centre-piece of the Kashmir holiday experience.

Whiling away the hours on the rooftop deck of a houseboat, watching the play of light and shadow across the delicate Mughal pavilions of the elegant Pari Mahal or “Fairy Palace” while kingfishers in lightning blue dive amongst the lotus flowers and elegant terns dip and pirouette in search of prey, has to be one of the most magically indolent ways of soaking up the soul of a country.

There is a warmly personal touch to the best houseboats and whether it is a cultivated affectation or just an inherent character trait that comes with the job, all houseboat owners are gentle eccentrics! It’s all part of the charm. The houseboats themselves are a wonder of craftsmanship, built from stately Deodar – the Himalayan cedar and decorated with the most profuse and beautiful carved screens and panels.

But Srinagar is much more than just houseboats. This is a truly ancient city almost 2000 years old. The old quarter is a hive of activity. Here is the grand Jama Masjid or Friday Mosque built in the 15th century and a little further away on the banks of the Jhelum is the joyously colourful shrine and mosque of Shah Hamden, who cemented Islam in Kashmir.

Follow your guide into the crowded lanes and a wonderland of fine craftsmanship is revealed. Here are the master coppersmiths; the weavers of the celebrated Kashmiri shawls, the bread makers, and the tea stalls selling kahwa who’s exquisitely delicate flavours can trigger an addiction.

Wazwan is one of the glories of Kashmiri cuisine – the special dishes some 36 in number that are served at Kashmiri feasts. During the wedding season citizens have been known to complain of the relentless richness of the food, but for a visitor this is some of the finest, most delicately flavoured food in the sub-continent.

The Mughal Gardens are of course a centerpiece of Srinagar’s sightseeing but venture a bit further out and you will be at the edge of the Dachigam National park that occupies a picturesque valley in the Zabarwan Mountains climbing east through temperate oak forests to alpine meadows.

This is the last great refuge of the Kashmir Stag – a close relative of the Red Deer; visit in early autumn as the acorns are ripening and any walk in the valley will present you with at least a dozen Himalayan Black Bears feasting on the seed of the oak. An unforgettable sight!

Kashmir is indeed the jewel of the Himalayas and Srinagar a fitting gateway to this exquisite land. Don’t rush through; stop a while and lotus-eat. And perhaps, watching the sun set from the arched pavilions of the Pari Mahal gilding the waters of Dal Lake you will understand why the Emperor Jehangir said of Kashmir “If there be a Paradise on Earth, it is this; it is this; it is this.”


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