DAL LAKE
AT
SRINAGAR
Dal
lake is situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the northern-most
state of India, strategically surrounded by four countries, on the East by
Tibet, on the North-East by China, on the North by Afghanistan and on the West
by Pakistan.
Dal Lake is a Himalayan Urban Lake, located in
the heart of Srinagar. The lake is known as a tourist attraction and it also
provides drinking water, fish and vegetables, – and recreational opportunities
to the local population.
The Dal Lake with
its sparkling quiet waters is
surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped mountains on three sides making the Dal
Lake one of the most beautiful lakes in India which is immensely popular
amongst tourist.
The stunning
‘shikaras’ loaded with fresh flowers look like some metaphorical version of the
gondolas of Venice. You can see these casually
decorated shikaras floating around the lake for transporting goods to
markets, children to school and travellers from houseboats to shore.
The dramatic
houseboats equally attract tourists for a peaceful and unforgettable stay on
the lake. These houseboats are well-equipped and well-attended and make for a very pleasant stay.
Both shikaras and
houseboats form an integral part of the scenery of the Dal Lake. To get a
glimpse of the life style of Srinagar a joy ride on a Shikara or a houseboat is
a must.
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.
By Air
Srinagar
is the nearest airport, connected by Indian Airlines daily (75mts). Jet Airways
connects Srinagar with mumbai and new delhi with daily flights. :
Jammu-Srinagar (13:35) and Delhi-Srinagar (11:15).
By Train
Jammu
Tawi is the nearest railhead(165km). Srinagar is well connected to Delhi by
daily trains like the JP Jat Express, Jammu Mail, Shalimar Express, Jhelum
Express and Malwa Express. Major Indian cities are also linked to Jammu by
train.
By Bus
The
lake is situated at the heart of the Srinagar City. Srinagar is well connected
by road to Chandigarh (630 km), Delhi (876 km), and Jammu (298 km). Jammu KSRTC
and STRCs of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh regularly run to Jammu
from all major northern cities. Route from Delhi-
Ambala-Ludhiana-Jalandhar-Pathankot-Jammu-Udhampur-Banihal-Srinagar
