ABOUT SRINAGAR: Srinagar, the summer capital is situated in the
centre of Kashmir valley and is surrounded by five districts. In the
north it is flanked by Kargil, in the South by Pulwama, in the
north-west by Budgam. This extremely beautiful place tells the story
of the love of the Mughal emperors. It possess deep green rice
fields and river bridges, gardens in bloom, lakes rimmed by
houseboats, a business center and holiday resort.
Srinagar has the distinction of having multifaceted and unique
cultural blend, making it exclusive from the rest of the country,
not only from the different cultural forms and heritage, but from
geographical, demographically, ethical, social entities, which forms
a distinct spectrum of diversity.
Location: Kashmir Region, J&K
Main Attractions: Canals, Houseboats & Mughal Gardens
How to spend time/Attractions: Golf, Fishing, Shikara ride,
Handicrafts Shopping, Photography, Sightseeing, etc.
Best Time to Visit: June to Early November, December to February.
PLACES TO VISIT:
DAL LAKE:- The Dal Lake which has the length of 8 Km long and a
width of 4 Km, spreads over a total of 26 Sq. Km. The fascinating
Dal Lake is divided into two smaller ones the Lokut (small) and Bod
(big) Dal. The south western part of the lake has a maximum depth of
approximately 12 M. the Dal Lake gets some of its water from spring
but is also supplemented by water from the mountain lake, Mar Sar.
In the western part of the Lake one can glimpse a few islands, some
bigger, some smaller. Its shores are very fertile and surrounded by
willows.
MUGHAL GARDENS: - Mughal Gardens, as the name suggests, built in the
Mughal period is a marvel located in Srinagar. These gardens are the
major attractions of the tourists to Jammu and Kashmir. These
gardens are the nice example of the Mughal style of constructing
attractive places.
The name Mughal Gardens is given for the combination of three
renowned gardens namely the Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Gardens and
Chashmashahi. These gardens are tourists' paradise and are
beautifully decorated with bright flowerbeds, terraced lawns and
well maintained cascading fountains. No tourist can miss these three
nice marvelous gardens.
WULAR LAKE: - Wular Lake is about 16 km long and 10 km wide,
spreading over an area of about 125 sq. km. Wular acts as a natural
flood reservoir, drawing off excess water from the Jhelum River, 
which leaves the lake at Sopore. The lake changes character with
every few miles of its course.
Being devoid of any artificial feature, Wular Lake is home to an
enchanting variety of avian life. The extensive marshes surrounding
the lake support dense coniferous forests, alpine pastures and
orchards, adding to the natural splendor and biodiversity of the
wetland area. The lake serves as a wintering site for several
migratory waterfowl species like Little Egzet, Cattle Egzet,
Shoveler, Common Pochard, and Mallard, to name a few.
HAZRATBAL SHRINE: - The Hazratbal shrine lies at a distance of 25
kilometers from the Badgam district in Srinagar, Kashmir. This
pilgrimage destination is known by a number of names viz. the
Assar-e-Sharif, Madinat-us-Sani and the Dargah Sharif. Mughal
emperor Shahjahan's brother constructed the Ishrat Mahal at the site
of the shrine sometime in the year 1623, later when the emperor
himself visited the site he ordered the place to be converted into a
prayer house. The shrine as such was built by the Muslim Auqaf
trust. Before the Hazratbal shrine was constructed the sacred hair
was placed in the shrine of Naqshband Sahib. The architecture of the
shrine is a combination of Mughal and traditional Kashmiri.
SHANKARACHARYA TEMPLE: - The Shankracharya Mandir of Kashmir, India
is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is thought to be the oldest shrine in
the Kashmir valley. The temple, as it stands today, has undergone
many repairs throughout its life. The first repair is supposed to
have been done under the rule of Lalitaditya. The second repairs
were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in
an earthquake. These repairs were carried out during the
Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra
ruler, is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the
passage to the shrine. The electrification of the Shankracharya
temple was done in 1925.
JAMA MASJID: - The Jama Masjid of Srinagar is situated at Nowhatta,
in the middle of the old city. An important mosque in Srinagar, it
was built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400 AD. Later, the son of Sultan
Sikandar, Zain-ul-Abidin got the mosque extended. The attractions of
the Jama Masjid of Srinagar, Kashmir include beautiful Indo-Saracenic
architecture, a magnificent courtyard and 370 wooden pillars.
Another feature of the mosque is the peace and tranquility inside
it, standing out against the hustle of the old bazaars around it.
Thousands of Muslims assemble at the mosque every Friday to offer
their prayers. This Jama Masjid of Kashmir, India has seen a number
of destructions till date. It got ruined thrice in fire and was
reconstructed every time. The last restoration was carried out
during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh.
TULIP GARDEN:- Asia's largest tulip garden, which could also become
the world's second largest, was today thrown open to the public in Srinagar, the summer capital of the conflict-ridden Indian
administrated Kashmir. Situated on the banks of the world famous Dal
Lake and only a few minutes drive from the city centre through the
Boulevard Road, the tulip garden, also known as Siraj Baghhas around
300,000 flowers at bloom.
Even before the inauguration of the garden, the state authorities
have received requests from three major Bollywood film producers for
shooting in the garden this year. Director Tourism Farooq Ahmad Shah
today inaugurated the garden. "We engaged consultants from the
Netherlands and imported 50 exotic varieties of the tulips to be
grown here.