Sonmarg

Sonmarg it is alos known as “Golden meadow” this place gets its name 'Son' meaning golden, from the bloom of yellow crocuses that fill this valley in the spring. is one of the smallest resorts in Kashmir, lying in the heart of a gorgeous valley carved by the river Sindh. it is Situated at 9,000 kms. above sea level.


Sonmarg, on the Srinagar-Leh highway is approximately 110 kms from Srinagar and the road to Sonmarg passes through the famous Jawahar tunnel. It can be reached by roads, which runs through the picturesque Sind valley flanked on one side by the densely populated slopes and many varieties of alpine flowers.

A gushing river is the highlight of this meadow, flowing down from snowy heights into the dense woodlands of firs and silver birches. Glaciers pour down from this stream from the Himalayas on to the many camping sites in Sonmarg. A thick forest cover of sycamore, alpine flowers, silver birch, fir and pine, Sonamarg offers adventure in the form of treks, sledging, angling, alpine skiing and white water rafting.

Gulmarg

Gulmarg’s prime location, legendary beauty, and proximity to Srinagar naturally make it one of the premier hill resorts in the country. While Gulmarg is an all-weather resort with refreshing summer meadows and pastoral scenes to keep the camera busy, the main reason to come here, at least in winter, is the off-piste, deep-powder, long-run skiing and snowboarding. The Himalayan resort of Gulmarg is one of the newest and increasingly popular ski destinations. Head here for the world’s highest gondola ski lift and eye-popping views.

Originally called ‘Gaurimarg’ by shepherds, its present name was given in the 16th century by Sultan Yusuf Shah, who was inspired by the sight of its grassy slopes emblazoned with wild flowers. Gulmarg was a favourite haunt of Emperor Jehangir who once collected 21 different varieties of flowers from here. Today Gulmarg is not merely a mountain resort of exceptional beauty- it also has the highest green golf course in the world, at an altitude of 2,650 m, and is the country’s premier ski resort in the winter.

Depending on the season, nature’s colours could be the translucent green of spring, summer’s rich emerald, or autumn’s golden hues, when scarlet chillies festoon windows of village homes. After Tangmarg, the climb to Gulmarg begins through fir-covered hillsides.
A huge cup shaped meadow, lush and green with slopes where the silence is broken only by the tinkle of cowbells, Gulmarg looks like a fantasy set in a film and not surprisingly have been the venue of several films. The valley of Gulmarg, a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730 metres, 56-km south west of Srinagar. The name means ‘Meadow Of Flowers’ and in the spring it’s just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not’s and Buttercups. The valley itself is about 3-km long and up to a km wide.

In Srinagar Nagin Lake is an offshoot leading from the Dal Lake. The Nagin Lake is located to the east of the city, at the foothill of the mountain Zabarwan. On the edges of the Nagin Lake are a number of willow and poplar trees. The reflection of these tees in the water of the lake lends it a beautiful view. The waters of the lakes are pleasantly cool from mid-May to mid-September. Nagin Lake, which is farther from town, has magnificent views of the mountains. It’s surrounded by Shankaracharya hill (Takht-e-Suleiman) on the south and Hari Parbat on the west, the Nagin Lake of Kashmir presents a charming sight.

If someone wants to really get away from the chaotic city life all then Nagin Lake is a good place to find a house boat and do it the surroundings are much more serene and isolated than on Dal Lake. One can rent rowboats from the camping site here
In this lake salesmen paddle from boat to boat, selling everything you could want such as cold drinks, fruit, nuts, fresh flowers, film, baked goods, papier-mache boxes, woolen shawls, silk carpets, leather goods, money-changing services and on and on. The gentle soothing motion of the boat, as it glides along the water of these lakes, is unbelievably romantic.

Hazratbal Shrine

The Hazratbal Shrine is a Muslim shrine in Srinagar, Jammu& Kashmir, India. It contains a relic believed by many Muslims of India to be a hair of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The name of the shrine comes from the Arabic word Hazrat, meaning holy or majestic, and the Kashmir word bal, meaning place.


Its situated on the left bank of the Dal Lake Srinagar and is considered to be Kashmir’s holiest Muslim Shrine. The scared hair (Moi-e-Muqqadas) of Mohammed is believed to be preserved here. The shrine is known by many names including Hazratbal, Assar-e-Sharief, Madinat-us-Sani, or simply Dargah Sharif.
The history of the shrine goes back to the early seventeenth century when the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan's Subedar, Sadiq Khan, laid out a garden here & constructed a palacial building, Ishrat Mahal or Pleasure House in 1623. However, the Emperor, during his visit in 1634, ordered the building to be converted into a prayer House with some additions & alterations. During the time of Aurangzeb, when MOI-e-Muqqadus arrived in Kashmir in 1699, it was first kept in the shrine of Naqashbad Sahib in the heart of the city. Since the place was found to be insufficient in view of the unprecedented rush of people who thronged the place to have a glimpse of the Moi-e-Muqqades, it was decided to shift the it to Hazratbal, then known as Sadiqabad. The construction of the present marble structure was started by the Muslim Auqaf Trust headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1968 and completed in 1979. The Moi-e-Muqqadas is displayed on Various occassions related with the life of Prophet & his four holy companions.

The Shankaracharya temple:

The Shankaracharya temple is situated in the Srinagar district on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. It is housed at a height of 1100 ft. above surface level of the main city on the hill. It is believed that Raja Gopadatya got the temple constructed in 371 BC, giving it the name of Gopadri. The great philosopher Shankaracharya is supposed to have stayed here when he visited Kashmir to revive Sanatan Dharma. This incident, which took place ten centuries ago, led to the renaming of the temple as the Shankracharya temple.

The Shankracharya Mandir of Kashmir, India is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is thought to be the oldest shrine in the Kashmir valley. The temple, as it stands today, has undergone many repairs throughout its life. The first repair is supposed to have been done under the rule of Lalitaditya. The second repairs were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in an earthquake. These repairs were carried out during the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the passage to the shrine. The electrification of the Shankracharya temple was done in 1925.

The temple is of great importance, not only from the point of view of religion, but also from architectural viewpoint. A high octagonal platform supports the temple, approached by a flight of approximately hundred steps. The sidewalls of the steps once bore some valuable inscriptions. There is also a Persian inscription inside the temple, dating back to Emperor Shahjahan's rule. The main surviving shrine, consisting of a circular cell, provides a magnificent view of the valley below. The inner chamber of the Shankaracharya temple, after being repaired, is now covered with a modern ceiling.

Shalimar Bagh:

For Mughal rulers The Kashmir Valley was a popular summer destination. Numerous gardens and pleasure palaces were built on its hills at the peak of the Mughal period. The Shalimar garden in particular demonstrates creative and successful handling of site contours, including the channeling of a stream that flowed down into the northeast corner of the Dal Lake from the hills above. Oriented northeast to southwest, the garden was originally accessed only by water and entered from the lowest terrace of the three square terraces. It is now reached by a road that runs around the lake.


Shalimar Garden was built by Mughal Emperor Jehangir (1605-1627) in 1616 to celebrate his love for his wife Nur Jahan. A second garden Faiz Baksh,(The Bountiful) was added eleven years later during Emperor Shah Jahan's (1628-1658) reign by Zaffer Khan, the governor of Kashmir at the time. Today, the garden is located about fifteen kilometers away from the center of Srinagar, the capital city of the Indian administered side of the Kashmir Valley. It covers an area of about 12.4 hectares.

The Shah Nahar, or the central canal, forms the central axis of the garden with its regularly placed fountains and Sycamore tree-lined vistas, and unites the three-terraces. At regular intervals, the canal flows through a basin or a larger pool at each terrace to highlight the central pavilion. Its water originates from a spring located at the base of Mount Bahmak.

A hierarchy of spaces define the function of each one of the three terraces. The first charbagh at the lowest terrace, was meant as a garden for the public. Its central axis is crowned by the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) where the emperor held his dailycourt when in Kashmir. A black marble throne surrounded by water cascades forms the central feature of this structure. Only noblemen of the court, special guests of the emperor or the elite could proceed to the next terrace, which was conceived as the emperor's private garden. Its centerpiece also built across a waterfall, was the Diwan-i -Khas (Hall of Private Audience), which remains only in foundation.
Two small pavilions standing behind the hall guarded the entrance to the third most private terrace, the Zenana which was reserved for the royal harem. Its main feature is a black marble baradari or the pavilion with twelve doors which stands in a large basin adorned with numerous fountains.

Nishat Bagh

Nishat Bagh, is the largest of the three Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, it reflects the sense of beauty and the lavish styles of the Mughal era in India. This garden is house to beautiful flowering trees and the tall chinars add a majestic touch to the garden. This garden was laid Asif Khan the brother of Nur Jehan in the year 1633. Zabarwan hills acts as the backdrop of this beautiful garden that is situated on the banks of Dal Lake. The garden has an area of 548mx338m.
The garden has terraces and water canals flowing through the middle. In this garden there is a very striking feature, that it’s having 12 zodiac signs in the 12 flowering terraces of the garden. The flowering terraces gradually come down in slopes almost intermingling with the water of the Dal Lake in Srinagar. On the way to Nishat Bagh one has to cross the famous Jawahar Tunnel that acts as a link between Kashmir and the rest of India.

Mughal gardens in Srinagar

It is counted as some of the very beautiful garden developed by the rulers of the Mughal dynasty.


Chashmashahi:


Which meaning Royal Spring is the smallest of the three Mughal gardens of Kashmir. The landscaped Mughal Gardens, developed by the rulers of the Mughal dynasty, make you fall in love with their beauty. They consist of mainly the following three gardens, this garden measures 108 m by 38 m and is above the Nehru Memorial Park. It’s been set up by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 AD.


The garden is quite famous for spring of energizing digestive mineral water inside it. Chasma Shahi Garden of Kashmir, India, offers a striking view of the scenic Dal Lake and the neighboring mountains. The garden has a number of terraces, with several fountains built right through its center. Near the garden is a small shrine, the Chasma Sahibi with a fresh water spring.
The other mane attractions of Chashmashahi include an aqueduct and some waterfalls. The water for the fountains comes from the spring. This water then goes through the floor of the pavilion and falls over to the lower terrace, over a polished black stone chute.

Dal Lake

Srinagar is called a city of lake; the Dal Lake Is the very famous lake situated here, it’s connected, with a number of other lakes of the Kashmir Valley. Its approximately 500 Victorian-era wooden houseboat, it was originally built as vacation homes for British administrators during the British rule in the Indian Subcontinent.The Dal Lake covers 18 square kilometers, and is divided by causeways into four basins, called Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-Dal and Bod-Dal have an island each in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.Along most of the shore of the lake is a boulevard, lined with Mughal-era gardens, parks, and hotels. During the winter season the lake sometimes freezes over.

The lake has some interesting flora and fauna. The flora include lotus flower, water lillies and water chestnuts. Notable birds are kingfishers and heron.Apart from the houseboats, the Lake and Waterways Dal Authority allows kayaking, canoeing, water surfing and licensed angling on the lake.Wi-Fi internet access was implemented across the lake in November 2003, making it the first lake in the world to provide wireless internet connectivity. Uncontrolled macrophytic growth, introduction of exotic species like azolla , salvinia etc and silt are major problems affecting the lake.