The Mughal Gardens
The art of designing formal gardens which the Mughal
(also spelt as Moghul) emperors expended such time
and energy upon, reached its zenith in Kashmir. The
Mughal gardens in Agra or Lahore may be very fine
but only in Kashmir is the formal beauty of the gardens
matched by the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside.
The gardens follow a standard pattern with a central
channel carrying water through the descending terraces
in a delightful series of cascades, falls and pools.
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.
Islands
There are three main islands in the lake, each poplar
excursion points. Silver Island is at the northern
end of Dal Lake and is also known as "Char Chinar"
after the four-chinar trees, which grow on it. There's
a small snack bar on the island as there is also on
Gold Island at the south end of the lake. It is also
known as "Char Chinar" for it too has four
Chinar trees.
The third island is Nehru Park, at the end of the
main stretch of the boulevard and only a short distance
from the shore. It too has a restaurant although it's
a very run down, miserable affair. The children's
playground here has also seen better days. Often in
summer there are evening shows, dances and festivals
held at Nehru Park.
North of Nehru Island a long causeway leads out into
the lake from the boulevard just off its end is "Kotar
Khana", the 'house of pigeons', which was once
a royal summer house.
The Bund
From above Zero Bridge to below Badshah Bridge one
can walk along the banks of the Jhelum River on the
popular footpath known as the bund. It's a pleasant
relaxing place to stroll along and many Doonga houseboats
can be seen beside it. The GPO, the government handicrafts
emporium and a string of handicraft shops are all
close beside the Bund.
Shri Pratap Singh Museum
The Shri Pratap Singh museum is in Lal Mandi, just
south of the river between zero bridge and Amira Kadal.
It has an interesting collection of exhibits relevant
to Kashmir including illustrated tiles excavated near
Harwan.
The museum is open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm except
on Wednesdays when it is closed and admission is free.
Pari Mahal
The old Sufi college of Pari Mahal, the 'palace of
the fairies', is only a short distance above the Chasma
Shahi gardens. One can easily walk from the gardens
up to the Pari Mahal then follow a footpath directly
down the hill to the road that runs by the Oberoi
Palace Hotel. The Pari Mahal consists of a series
of arched terraces. Recently it has been turned into
a very pleasant and well-kept garden with fine views
over Dal Lake. It's attractively sited on a spur of
the Zabarwan Mountains. The gardens are beautifully
kept even today and a Son Et Lumiere show is put on
here every evening during the May to October tourist
season.
Nasim Bagh
Only a short distance beyond the Hazratbal mosque,
the Nasim gardens, the 'garden of tepid airs' or 'garden
of the morning breeze', were built by the Mughal emperor
Akbar after his conquest of Kashmir in 1586. He had
1,200 Chinar trees planted in the garden, which is
the oldest of Kashmir's Mughal gardens.
Hari Parbat Fort
The 18th century fort tops the Sharika Hill, which
is clearly visible, rising to the west of Dal Lake.
The fort was constructed by Atta Mohammed Khan from
1776 but the surrounding wall is much older, it was
built between 1592 and 1598 during the rule of Akbar.
The wall stretches for 5-km and is 10 metres high
and has two gates, the Kathi and Sangin Darwaza.
Burzahom
In the opposite direction from the Shalimar gardens
about 5-km to the northwest, are the even older excavations
of Burzahom. The archaeological dig here has provided
evidence of people living in the vale up to 5,000
years ago. The oldest excavations have revealed implements,
pots, animal skeletons, arrowheads and tools from
the Neolithic age. Much of the material taken from
this site is now in the museum in Srinagar.
