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To see and do in Srinagar

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Travel Guide » Asia » India » Srinagar
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Srinagar
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(Jammu & Kashmir)


In a Picturesque Valley

When you return from a holiday, you usually wax eloquent about what a great time you had. After a holiday in Srinagar, you need say nothing. People look at you with envy as they try to picturise the snowclad mountains, the emerald green valleys, sky skimming chinars, the pretty gardens and lakes, and of course the heavenly weather. Such is the region's beauty that when Jahangir, the Mughal emperor, set sight on it, he exclaimed "Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto (If there is a heaven on earth, it's here, it's here, it's here).
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To See & Do
Must See, Must Do
  • Book yourself into a houseboat and get ready to be spoiled royally!
  • Thank the Grand Mughals as you walk through the romantic gardens laid out by them.
  • After the long walk, get to Ahdoos for some delectable kababs or to Glocken Bakery for the sinful plum cakes.
  • Visit the Hazratbal Mosque that displays a hair of Prophet Mohammed (only on religious occasions).
  • Do at least one trek to see nature at its prettiest and harshest.

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Lakes
  Dal Lake Srinagar's pride and everyone's dream! The lake is not just a water body, but rather like a city in itself. The houseboat and shikara communities have permanent homes on the lake, complete with patches floating vegetable and lotus gardens. Doctors, tailors, bakers, and grocers dot the edges of the lake in compact wooden homes. Quite unbelievable!The Dal stretches over 5 km and is split into Gagri Dal, Lokut Dal and Bod Dal by a series of causeways. The main causeway across the lake carries the pipeline for Srinagar's water supply. Nagin Lake This deep-blue lake encircled by towering trees offers all the privacy and calm that you could ask for. No wonder it's a hit with honeymooners. You can rent boats from the camping site here to simply row around the lake or to look for a houseboat. The causeways are a convenient route for walkers and bicyclists to get to their destination without having to worry about traffic or shikaras.

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Mughal Gardens and Palaces
  The Mughal emperors' lasting gift to this land is the delightful gardens. With stepped terraces, gurgling watercourses, stone pavilions, and rows of neat shrubs and flowering plants, this was their vision of the Garden of Heaven. The sky-skimming chinars are a recurring motif of these gardens. If not pruned, these can grow to a height of 100 ft. With its brown five-lobed leaves and flowers on double stalks, the tree is a symbol of Kashmiri culture. Interestingly, the large hollow trunks of the chinar have served as meditating spots for spiritual leaders and philosophers over the ages. Shalimar Bagh A tribute of love from Emperor Jehangir to his wife Nur Jahan, Shalimar Bagh is also known as the Garden of Love. This is where the emperor and his queen enjoyed moments of solitude. There is a pavilion made of black stone in the middle of a tank, supported by black marble fluted pillars. This was used as a banquet hall. The entire garden is structured around four terraces with an ancient but still operable system of water channels passing through them.A sound and light show is put on here every evening during the May to October tourist season. Nishat Bagh The Nishat Bagh, built by Empress Nur Jahan's brother, Asaf Ali has a unique theme: its 12 terraces represent the 12 signs of the zodiac, which descend gradually and seem to almost merge into the Dal Lake. Its flowerbeds, trees, fountains, pavilions and gazebos make it the prettiest and the most crowded of the all the gardens. Chasma Shahi Small certainly is beautiful! The smallest of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, it has only three terraces, in addition to a natural spring enclosed in a stone pavilion. The waters of the spring are believed to have medicinal properties. And right through his prime ministership, Jawaharlal Nehru ensured he drank only this water, as all others were bitter compared to this nectar. Parimahal Pari Mahal, the 'Palace of the Fairies', is an ancient Sufi centre, just a stone's throw away from the Chasma Shahi Garden. You can easily approach Parimahal via the garden. Graceful arched terraces are its striking feature. This too has a sound and light show every evening between May and October.

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Religious Places
  Hazratbal Mosque Pristine white, it is one of the touchstones of Islamic faith, because a hair of Prophet Mohammed is said to be preserved here. This is displayed to the public on days of religious significance. Hazratbal is unique for another reason too, it is the only domed mosque in Srinagar, in contrast to the regular mosques with pagoda-like roofs. Friday prayers see a huge throng of faithfuls gathering at the mosque. Shankaracharya Temple Built on the highest hill in Srinagar, it has a hoary past dating back to 2500 BC. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple was from where the philosopher Shankaracharya commenced his efforts to revive Hinduism and spread the Advaita philosophy over ten centuries ago. Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara This gurudwara is revered, for the sixth Sikh Guru stayed here briefly to preach and share his wisdom.

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Festivals
  The Urs (or Ziarats) is a traditional Kashmiri festival, celebrated in different parts of Srinagar by not only Muslims but other religious communities too. It is held annually at the shrines of Muslim saints on their death anniversaries. An interesting feature of the Urs celebrations is that both Muslims and Hindus abstain from taking meat during the course of the festival. Shab-i Mairaj followed by Shab-i-Barat are two Muslim festivals. During Shab-i-Barat, Muslims keep vigil, believing that God sets foot inside every home on this night and heals people of their afflictions.
 
 
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