| |
 |
| |
| |
| |
| Best
Time to Visit |
: |
|
In Summer - June
to November |
| In
Winter - December to February
|
|
|
| |
Srinagar, the crowning glory of hill
stations, is the celebrated capital
city of Jammu & Kashmir. Srinagar
is called the city of lakes, which has
facinated tourist's from centuries,
with its beautiful picturesque Himalayan
backdrop, glittering lakes that are
surrounded by houseboats and Shikaras
and the grandeur of Mughal architectural.
Apart from this, Srinagar is the largest
city in the state, famous for its canals,
houseboats and Mughal gardens. The city
itself is quite unlike most other large
Indian cities for here you are much
more in Central Asia than on the sub
continent. It's a city full of intriguing
alleyways and curious buildings. A place
where it's very easy to spend a few
hours simply wandering - particularly
along the old city streets near the
Jhelum river. |
| Best
Attractions |
| Srinagar
is a popular hill station among tourists
mainly from the plains of northern India.
The hill station has pristine beauty,
peace and pleasant weather, which attract
the tourists. |
| Dal
Lake - The Dal is famous not
only for its beauty, but for its vibrance,
because it sustains within its periphery,
a life that is unique anywhere in the
world. The houseboat and Shikara communities
have lived for centuries on the Dal,
and so complete is their infrastructure
on the lake, that they never have to
step on land! Doctors, tailors, bakers-
one can see them all in tiny wooden
shops on the lake, near picturesque
vegetable gardens and acres of lotus
gardens. |
| Nagin
Lake - Nagin Lake, which is
usually thought of as a separate lake,
is also divided from Dal Lake only by
a causeway. The causeways are mostly
suitable for walkers and bicycles only
so they make a very pleasant way of
seeing the lake without having to worry
about traffic or Shikaras. The main
causeway across the lake carries the
water pipeline for Srinagar's mains
water supply. |
| Mughal
Gardens - Kashmir was a favourite
of the Mughal emperors who visited it
as often as they could. Cool and refreshing
after the plains of North India where
the business of governance kept them,
they planted gardens with stepped terraces
and flowing watercourses. 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. |
|
Hazaratbal Mosque
- Located at a distance of 2 km from
Shimla is Jakhu Hill. It is the highest
peak in the area with a height of 8000
feet above sea level. On top of the
hill is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated
to Lord Hanuman. The surrounding area
is heavily infested with monkeys. |
| Summer
Hill - At a distance of 5 km
from the Ridge lies the township of
Summer Hill. This calm and mellow area
is 6500 feet high on the Shimla-Kalka
railway line. This is the ideal place
to escape to away from the hustle and
bustle of central Shimla. While here,
you can tour the campus of the Himachal
Pradesh. |
| Adventure
Sports in Srinagar |
|
Canoeing & Water Skiing
- Kashmir has various lakes
- Dal, Nagin, Mansbal and Wular. These
are excellent spots for canoeing - whether
it is a Shikara or a racing skull. No
OIIC has tried canoe-ing in these lakes
so far. These lakes are inter-connected
as also the river Jhelum which flows
through the entire length of the valley
and connects with all the lakes. An
interesting sport is what is locally
called 'Water Trekking'. One can have
a three to four day trip along the river
to various lakes in a Shikara with all
the camping gear. There are lovely spots
to camp for the night. The lakes are
also famous for water skiing. |
| Shopping
in Srinagar |
| There
is a whole string of Government Handicraft
Emporiums scattered around Srinagar
but the main one is housed in the fine
Old British Residency buildings by the
Bund. Here one will find a representative
selection of reasonably good quality
items at reasonable prices. Even if
one doesn't buy anything, and take advantage
of the government's quality guarantee,
it's a good idea to familiarise oneself
with what's available here. |
| How
to reach |
Srinagar
can be easily accessed through air,
train or road.
By Air :
Various airlines fly to Srinagar from
New Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu
and there are flights operating from
Srinagar to Leh and back. Flights are
more frequent during the summer Tourist
Season; at that time there will probably
be several flights a day between Delhi
and Srinagar. Some services are direct,
while others operate via Chandigarh,
Amritsar or Jammu. Flight time duration
from Delhi on the direct flights is
about an hour and ten minutes.
By Rail : Srinagar's
railhead is Jammu, which in turn is
connected to all parts of the country,
including Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai
and Kanyakumari. The distance is about
876-km from Delhi to Srinagar although
almost everybody coming up from Delhi,
or other Indian cities, by land will
come through Jammu from where the buses
run daily to Srinagar.
By Road : Srinagar
is connected by an all weather road
to Jammu, which in turn is connected
to many parts of North India. One can
catch buses from Delhi but people making
the trip by road should take up the
route via Chandigarh, Amritsar or from
the Himachal Pradesh hill stations. |
| |
 |
|
|
