Srinagar: Story of Shikaras & Houseboat

Situated on the banks of the river Jhelum, Srinagar has been placed magnificently in between the lap of nature. And as you visit the beautiful North, you cannot ignore the glittery dal lake. Dal lake is known for its gorgeous houseboats and Shikaras that are present against the backdrop of the majestic Himalayan snow-clad mountains.

From many locals that stay in & around Dal lake, Shikara is a means of transport or a stationary shop that helps them to earn a living. When you see from the perspective of the people living on that lake, you will realise that Dal has its world. The lake feeds them by helping them grow crops, attract tourists and sell their service or product.

The Shikara ride allows you to explore the entirety of the lake. The boatman would take you around the best spots of the lake in a gorgeously decorated Shikara. There are some areas around the lake from where you can have a fascinating view of the Himalayas. You can float past a garden of Lotus flowers or shop some at the Dal Lake's floating market! Hourly rates of Shikara rides are INR 400.

My family and I took a Shikara ride for an hour after which it dropped us to our houseboat. And as we were enjoying the weather and the excursion, we came across many mobile shops like tea or food stalls, photo-studios. Some men were also selling pieces of silver jewellery, stones and pashmina shawls.

Even though there are plenty of great hotels in Srinagar, the experience of staying at a houseboat is always different. The houseboats have all the amenities ranging from a proper longing room, dining room & even bathrooms that have a bathtub.

And you will find vegetables, groceries, fruits and much more being ferried on the lake. And of course, you cannot just stop staring at the beauty of this lake all the while!

As soon I stepped into my houseboat, I was awestruck with everything. Beautiful wooden furniture with intricate carving, hand-embroidered curtains that represents every essence of Kashmir and elegant red carpet running through the houseboat floor. The sitting area led to the dining area, a small kitchen that offers steaming Kashmiri Kahwa, loaves of bread, and Nun Chai (salt tea). A narrow corridor connects to the bedrooms. It was one of those magical bedrooms that I had only heard in fairy tales. A large cosy bed, separated with silk curtains form the sitting area in the room.

At night the temperature dropped to minus seven-degree celsius. The owner took good care of us, and he kept the hot tea coming. Generally in winters, Dal starts to freeze at -15 degree celsius. The morning was so beautiful that I could not take my eyes off from the view. We saw ice sheets on the lake & saw locals making their way by breaking the ice.

Before leaving, I thanked the owner for being so kind. He smiled and said "I am happy to have a family at my house, we Kashmiris love it when tourists come and enjoy it. Do come again."

Well it's 2020 and I pray for a peaceful Kashmir everyday and someday when the light will pierce from the cloud and the peace will prevail on the beautiful water of Jhelum, I will go back and revive all the warm memories