Srinagar

Srinagar, India

A low-angle view of traditional wooden houseboats on Dal Lake at sunrise, with golden light reflecting on the water and distant mountains.

Srinagar is a city of lakes, gardens and houseboats in the Kashmir Valley, and a slow few days on the water is its real appeal.

The place

Srinagar is the largest city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and its summer capital, set in the Kashmir Valley on the Jhelum River. Its shores take in Dal Lake and the Anchar Lakes, and the city sits between the Hari Parbat and Shankaracharya hills, so high points give a view over water and rooftops. At about 1,585 metres above sea level, the air stays cooler than in the plains, and summer evenings can feel sharp.

Most visitors come for the water. Houseboats moored along the lake edges are places to stay as much as sights, and shikara boats cross between the lake's islands and gardens. The city is also known for its crafts: pashmina and cashmere wool shawls, papier-mâché, carved wood, woven carpets and jewellery making. Dried fruit is another local speciality, and you will see it sold in shops across the centre.

Srinagar is busy in the main season, and the lake fills with boats and sellers by midday. Security is visible in the city and especially near the airport, because the wider region is disputed. Check current travel advice before you go, keep your papers close, and remember that foreigners must register on arrival at the airport, hotel or houseboat. Three or four days gives you time for the lake, the old town and a day in the hills without rushing.

Its story

Srinagar's written history starts with a chronicle. Kalhana's Rajatarangini, a history of the valley's kings, places an older capital at Pandrethan, a short distance south-east of the modern centre, and links it to the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The city proper is credited to a later ruler, Pravarasena of the Gonanda dynasty, who is said to have founded Pravarapura around the 6th century on the right bank of the Jhelum, at the foot of Hari Parbat. The chronicle describes markets, timber houses, grand temples and canals, and it mentions the lake and the river that still shape the place today. Pravarasena also built an embankment along the Jhelum against floods, and sections of it still stand. A Chinese traveller, Xuanzang, arrived in 631 CE and stayed in a monastery that Pravarasena's uncle had founded, offering an outside glimpse of the city in its early centuries.

Under Hindu rulers Srinagar remained the leading centre of the valley and a place of learning. Over the 1300s to the 1500s, the old quarter grew substantially, most notably during the Shah Mir line's rule, when its monarchs took turns basing their court in different neighbourhoods. The Mughals later added gardens and pavilions along the lake. One of the islands, Rupa Lank, was built by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin of the Shah Mir line in the 15th century, long before the Mughal period. Those layers are still visible: old wooden lanes, shrines from several faiths, and gardens set against the water.

What to see

Culture

Srinagar's religious life reflects the valley's long mix of faiths, and its holy places show it. Hazratbal Mosque is notable as the city's sole domed mosque, and Jama Masjid is one of the oldest mosques in Kashmir. The Khanqah-e-Moula Mosque is regarded as the first Islamic centre in the valley, and Pathar Masjid, the Stone Mosque, is another landmark. On Hari Parbat hill stands the Sharika Mata temple, and the Zeashta Devi shrine is holy to Kashmiri Hindus. Sikh, Christian and Sufi sites also belong to the city, including Gurdwara Chatti Patshahi, All Saints Church and the Khanqah of Shah Hamadan.

Many of these places are active, so a visit is more than sightseeing. Friday prayers at the mosques draw large crowds, and some shrines are busiest on festival days. Keep your voice low, step aside for worshippers, and ask before photographing anyone at prayer or in a shrine courtyard. Dress modestly, and if you are invited into a home or a houseboat, ask whether shoes should come off before you step inside.

Remove your shoes before entering any mosque, shrine or gurdwara, and cover your head and shoulders where asked.

What to wear

In Srinagar, traditional dress is closely tied to the valley's wool and weaving. The long woollen pheran, a loose tunic worn over other clothes, is the classic winter garment, and in cold months many people carry a kangri, a small firepot tucked under it. Kashmir shawls, woven from pashmina and cashmere wool, are the city's best-known textile, and embroidered versions, often called sozni work, have long been made here. Men may wear a skullcap, and women a shawl or dupatta over the head at prayer.

Day to day, people in Srinagar dress much as they would in any Indian city. Jeans, shirts and kurtas are common, and many young women wear western clothes alongside salwar kameez. In winter the pheran returns, and you will see knitted hats and heavy shawls everywhere.

For a visit, dress for the altitude and the time of day. Layers are the answer, with a light jacket for evenings even in summer. Cover shoulders and knees at mosques and shrines, and carry a scarf that can cover your head. Choose shoes that are easy to slip off and grip well on wet jetties and steps, since you will take them off often. A hat and sunglasses help on the lake.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. April to May for mild weather and spring flowers, and September to October for clear skies. Winter brings snow and cold, and flights can be cancelled because of weather. June to August is the busiest time, when the city is at its fullest.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Fly into Srinagar airport, which has a minibus to the Tourist Reception Centre near the lake, or take a taxi into town. The rail line into the valley is not yet complete, so many travellers take the train to Jammu and continue by taxi or bus, which is slower but safer.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources