Attractions

Aru The chirrup of birds, the gentle swish of the breeze, the sapphire coloured sky, and all at 2408m above sea level - this is Aru. Far far away from the routine urban life, Aru is a meadow bordered on one side by a ravine of the Lidder River. A little stream also flows past in the green-gold grass.

Avantipur Situated at the foot of one of the spurs of the mountain Wastarwan, this temple site overlooks the Jhelum, which wends its tortuous way gently by the side of the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Dal Lake Dal Lake is, initially, one of the most confusing parts of Srinagar for it's not really one lake at all, but three. Further more much of it is hardly what one would expect a lake to be like - it's a maze of intricate waterways and channels, floating islands of vegetation, houseboats that look so firmly moored they could almost be islands and hotels on islands which look like they could simply float away.

Gulmarg Biosphere Reserves The reserve area is located at a distance of 48-km from Srinagar, to its southwest. It is famous for retaining several rare and endangered species such as the musk deer, and a rich and varied avifauna.

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.

Hazratbal Mosque The most important Muslim shrine of Kashmir, that commands the reverence of the people beyond measure, is undoubtedly the Hazratbal Shrine, which is situated on the left bank of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. This unmatched reverence is anchored in the love and respect for the Prophet.

Khir Bhawani Temple Situated at Tullamula in the Srinagar district, it is an important Hindu Shrine. The temple is associated with the Hindu Goddess, Ragnya Devi. An Annual festival is held here on Jeshth Ashtami (May-June) when Hindus visit the place in large numbers to offer prayers to seek the blessings of the deity.

Kokernag Springs The great Mughal historian, Abul Fazi, has chronicled for posterity the benefits of the sweet water spring of Kokernag. This beneficent gift of nature is still regarded as having extraordinary healing powers .

Mughal Gardens Set some distance back from the lake, but reached by a small canal, the Shalimar were built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jahan, 'light of the world' in 1616. The Nishat Bagh is another lovely garden with its 12 terraces representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which descend gradually and seem to almost merge into the lake. Smallest of the Srinagar Mughal gardens, measuring just 108 metres by 38 metres, the Chasma Shahi, or 'Royal Spring', are well up the hillside, above the Nehru Memorial Park.

Nagin Lake Known as the 'Jewel In The Ring', Nagin is generally held to be the most beautiful of the Dal lakes. Its name comes from the many trees, which encircle the small, deep blue lake. Nagin is only separated from the Larer Dal lakes by a narrow causeway and it also has a number of houseboats moored around its perimeter.

Pandrethan Pandrethan 5-km to the southeast of Srinagar, is now within the Municipal limits of Srinagar itself. The modern name is derived from the ancient appellation Puranadhishthana, which literally means the 'old capital'. Thus, Pandrethan represents the site of the ancient capital, Srinagari, believed to have been founded by the great Maurya emperor Ashoka (Circa 276-36 BC).

Shankaracharya Hill Rising up behind the boulevard, beside Dal Lake, the hill was once known as Takht-i-Sulaiman, the throne of Solomon. The philosopher Shankaracharya stayed at this place when he visited Kashmir ten centuries ago to revive "Sanatan Dharma".

Tomb of Zain Ul Abidin One of the east banks of the Jhelum River, between the Zaina Kadal and the Ali Kadal, is the slightly decrepit tomb of King Zain-ul-Abidin, the highly regarded son of Sultan Sikander, who built the Jami Masjid.

Verinag Springs One of the largest springs in India, Verinag, which lies in the Kothar district, is 78-km southeast of Srinagar via Anantnag, and is easily accessible through a bypass from the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

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.

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.

Jami Masjid one of the most important mosque is an impressive wooden structure, notable for the more than 300 soaring pillars supporting the roof; each made of a single deodar tree trunk. The main gate is to the south and the outer cloisters surround a spacious, green and peaceful inner courtyard.

Khanqah-e-Moulla The shrine of Shah-e-Hamdan or Khanqah-e Moulla is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in Kashmir situated on the banks of river Jehlum in the old city. The shrine was originally constructed by Sultan Sikander (1389-1413 AD) in the memory of Muslim preacher Mir Syed Ali Hamdani who had visited Kashmir and stayed there for meditation and preaching.

Mansabal Lake Situated in the Jhelum valley on the route to the Wular Lake via Safapur, the lake can be reached from Srinagar via Shadipur or via Nasim and Gandarbal. The secluded, crystal clear sheet of green water was named after the sacred lake of Mansarowar that skirts the equally sacred Mt. Kailash.

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.

Overa-Aru Biosphere Reserves The area is located at a distance of 76-kms from Srinagar to its southeast. It is famous for retaining several rare and endangered species

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.

Pather Masjid Almost directly opposite the Shah Hamdan mosque, on the other bank of the Jhelum, the Pather Masjid is a fine stone mosque built by Nur Jahan in 1623. It is not, however, in everyday use today and is consequently rather run down. Reach it by crossing Zaina Kadal, the fourth bridge.

Shadaharwan 5-km beyond the Shalimar gardens, this place is said to have been the site of a monastery in which the fourth international council of Buddhism was held in the year 300 AD. At this time Kashmir was part of the Kushan Empire under the rule of the Buddhist emperor Kanishka. The monastery is said to have contained a Stupa, some chapels and other buildings. Excavations in the area recently have brought to light some illustrated tiles on the hillside south of the village of Harwan. One can see examples of the tiles, with their central Asian influence in the peoples dress and ornaments, in the museum in Srinagar. Nearby is the Harwan Lake, at the foot of the 4,267metre Mahadev peak, a popular climb for hikers during the summer. The lake is actually the reservoir, which provides the water supply for Srinagar and it is supplied by the run off from Marsar Lake. There is also a garden and trout hatchery at the site.

Shah Hamdan Mosque Shah Hamdan Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Srinagar. The wooden mosque stands right beside the Jhelum and is noted for the Papier Mache work on its walls and ceilings. No nails or screws were used in the construction of this all-wooden mosque. Originally built in 1395 it has been destroyed by fire in 1479 and again in 1731.

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.

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.

Tomb Of Zain-ul-Abidin One of the east banks of the Jhelum River, between the Zaina Kadal and the Ali Kadal, is the slightly decrepit tomb of King Zain-ul-Abidin, the highly regarded son of Sultan Sikander, who built the Jami Masjid.