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Although it tends to get dwarfed by the sheer expanse of the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, one major landmark in Srinagar is the Hazratbal Mosque, or Dargah Hazratbal. This is the dome of the shrine. The dome and minaret of the mosque are later additions though- this dome and minaret were added to the structure during its reconstruction in the 1970s. The Hazratbal Shrine, popularly called Dargah Sharif (which roughly translates as the Holy Shrine), is a Muslim shrine located in the Hazratbal locality of Srinagar. The mosque is reputed to contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, which is believed to be the hair of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. (PBUH). The Hazratbal Mosque is located on the northern bank of the Dal Lake in Srinagar, and is considered to be Kashmir's holiest Muslim shrine. The name of the shrine is believed to be a combination of the Arabic word Hazrat (which means respected) and the Kashmiri word Bal (meaning place). There was much commotion circa Dec. 1963 when it was said that the relic had disappeared from the shrine. Order was restored about two weeks later when the relic was eventually found. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024) (Photo by Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada on Wikipedia: (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazratbal_Shrine#/media/File:Dome_o...(26565403180).jpg) under Creative Commons licence 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

A Floating Post Office on Dal Lake- too bad I could not photograph it from the water. The floating post office has been refurbished several times and in the present day, it has been painted a pristine white. The floating post office cum Museum on Srinagar's Dal Lake was inaugurated in 2011 by Omar Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of the state. It is moored on the western edge of Dal Lake and is also accessible from the main street, as seen here. (though parking your car by it could be a problem due to the narrow road and the continuous flow of traffic). Srinagar's floating post office was called Nehru Park Post Office before 2011. I had read that the floating post office would also house a philately museum and one can get postcards stamped at the facility but there is no way I can confirm this as we could not park next to it and we had to move on pretty quickly. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024) (Photo by Mike Prince from Bangalore, India under Creative Commons Licence (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) Link to picture: (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Floating_Post_Office,...(14598325813).jpg)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. I was surprised to spot this floating French Fries (chip) shop- plop in the middle of Dal Lake. It was nearing nightfall, and these Shikaras do not operate at night, so people were probably rushing back to shore, so there were not too many customers. I had read on the net that there were the floating shops selling snacks, chips and biscuits, fruits and vegetables, kebabs and curries on the Dal Lake. Apart from the convenience stores we saw earlier, and the boat offering Kahwa we saw earlier (see previous pictures in this album), and this chip shop, I did not spot any others. But I am sure there must be some Shikaras delivering meat, dried goods and other kitchen supplies to the kitchens of the many houseboat hotels on Dal Lake. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

A row of house boats at the far end on the Dal Lake in Kashmir, India with a Shikara in the foreground. We will take a Shikara ride and go much closer to the houseboats later in the day (see subsequent pictures later in this album). Houseboats, Shikaras and the Dal Lake are synonymous with Srinagar. The houseboats seen are are relatively plain Janes- we will see much more substantial ones later in the day. Houseboats on the Dal Lake are sometimes nicknamed Floating Palaces. Still built according to British customs, the houseboats are generally made from local cedar-wood and measure around 24–38 mtr in length and 3–6 mtr in width. Almost all houseboats on the Dal Lake function as hotels and are graded in a similar fashion to hotels on land, according to levels of comfort and facilities offered. Many houseboats incorporate lavishly furnished rooms, with verandas and a terrace to serve as a sun-deck or to serve evening cocktails. The houseboats on Dal Lake are mainly moored along the western periphery of the lake, close to the lakeside boulevard in the vicinity of the Dalgate district of the city and on small islands in the lake. Although they may be moored as a cluster of several houseboats, as seen here, each houseboat is anchored individually. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. A relatively rustic Shikara gondola with just the canopy frame rows past. I was surprised that the lady of the house- so to speak- is rowing the boat while the man is doing something at the far end- he is only partially visible at extreme right. Looking at the gas cylinders and cooking stove at the rear of the boat, I thought these are local residents on their gondola and probably run a floating a tea stall which has closed for the day? It was late evening and the sun had already set anyway, and Shikaras do not operate at night. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

A Shikara- pointed rowboat or gondola- on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, wiwth another one at the far end. Shikaras are synonymous with the Dal Lake as are the houseboats. Detailed notes about Shikaras appear elsewhere in this album. Just beyond the shores of Dal Lake are the Zabarwan mountains, which border the lake on three side. Notes about the Dal Lake appear elsewhere in this album as well. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

A flurry of activity with a nearby bunch (flotilla?) of Shikaras- pointed rowboats or gondolas- on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. A jetty is located at that point and a few of these gondolas have probably just been hired by tourists. I was seeing some of these Shikaras without their characteristic canopy for the first time A Shikara is a small paddled taxi boat, often about 15 ft long. made of wood, incorporating a canopy (usually) and a spade shaped bottom. The Shikara is a cultural symbol of the Kashmir valley, used not only for ferrying visitors but also for the vending of fruit, vegetables and flowers, for fishing and for harvesting aquatic vegetation. All the Mughal gardens located around the Dal Lake's periphery as well as all the houseboats anchored on the lake are approachable by Shikara. Detailed notes about Shikaras and about the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. That's me enjoying my Shikara ride- my guide caught me by surprise when he asked me to look towards him. In the background is a man on a service Shikara- probably a floating store- offering his wares to a family on another Shikara gondola next to him. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Then then is a congested street corner on the Dal Lake- so to speak. In the foreground are two of the better looking Shikara gondolas on the Dal Lake with a row of houseboat hotels in the background. This street corner- so to speak- seems to be fairly close to shore, judging from the mountains so close in the background. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. My guide takes yet another shot of me as we glide past the nicely lit souvenir shops on Dal Lake. We did not stop as none of the tourists in the other Shikaras were inclined, and at any rate, we had to hurry back to shore before it was totally dark. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

A cluster (flotilla?) of Shikaras - pointed row boats or gondolas- on t he Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India with a long line of house boats at the far end. The Shikaras are used for joy rides for tourists on the Dal Lake as well as personalized transportation and for carrying goods by the residents of the Dal Lake. The houseboats are used as hotels. I have spoken at length about both Shikaras and houseboats and will so save you the commentary. I took this picture with a long foreground on purpose, just to show you the vast expanse of Dal Lake. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. As we wind up our ride, here is a closer look at one of the floating islands on Dal Lake. Islands or floating gardens on the Dal lake in Kashmir, are man made and are formed by collecting weeds from the lake. The weeds consist typically of Typha augustata and Phragmites communis which in the local vernacular (Kashmiri) are known as Pech and Nargasa respectively. Some other types of weeds are also occasionally used to form these floating gardens. Once these weeds are collected and clustered, the locals then press the roots of these weeds tightly against the roots of the other, then the roots of these merged weeds against the next and so on.The weeds with their muddy and sticky roots get so coalesced (come together to form one mass or whole) and become almost impossible to separate, hence forming a small island. The boatmen then prune the tall grass and hence make the island like a large, floating mat. These mats float in the lake water which eventually constitute floating gardens. The boatmen may double the thickness of their floating gardens by stowing over them a second layer of weeds after pruning away their leaves in the same year. They may similarly make a third layer over the second and so on, as the garden tends to lose its thickness by the constant play of water underneath. The locals grow flowers and vegetables on these floating islands. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Seen here is a sit out behind a houseboat hotel with residences on the shore of the Dal Lake behind it. While some of the more rustic houseboats are residences for the locals who live on the Dal Lake, almost all of the other houseboats function as hotels. They are graded based on the levels of comfort and facilities offered, just like hotels on land. Many of the houseboats feature lavishly furnished rooms, with verandas and a terrace to serve as a sun-deck or to serve evening cocktails or sun downers. Most of the houseboats are moored along the western periphery of the Dal Lake, close to the lakeside boulevard in the vicinity of the Dalgate district of Srinagar city, or on small islands in the lake. Although they may be anchored as a cluster of houseboats, each one is anchored individually, with interconnecting bridges sometimes providing access from one boat to another. In some cases, a kitchen boat is annexed to the main houseboat, which also serves as residence of the boatman and his family. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. After passing this so called market street on the water, we are now heading back to shore as it was nightfall and these Shikara gondolas do not operate at night. The offerings in this store are run of the mill- a rather garish (or colourful) collection of blankets, cushions, runners and stuff. When I had visited Kashmir earlier, way back in 1979, almost every souvenir shop sold leather jackets. On this trip, in 2024, I was surprised to not find a single leather jacket on sale, either on land, or here on the Dal Lake. There were jackets, but these were the typical Chinese style cushioned nylon jackets- there was not a single leather jacket in sight wherever I looked in Kashmir. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. After passing several houseboats and then hitting open water, we suddenly hit a traffic jam on the Dal Lake as we head to a row of souvenir shops on the lake. This is actually the turn around point, so we will turn back and head back to the original boarding point soon after we cross the market. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. A man repairs his boat by a small convenience store on the Dal Lake Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

The Char Chinar (four Chinar trees) landmark on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. This is a famous landmark in Srinagar and is an island on the Dal Lake where four Chinar (Platanus orientalis) trees stand. Char in Hindi and Urdu means four. Char Chinar, also sometimes called Char Chinari, Ropa Lank, or Rupa Lank, is an island on the Dal Lake, located on the Lakut Dal (small Dal). This mini island is known as Roph Lank (Silver Island) and is marked with four Chinar trees growing at the corners, A second chinar island, known as Sone Lank (Gold Island), is located on the Bod Dal (Big Dal) and overlooks the shrine of Hazratbal. Three of the four trees have shown signs of drying up. Some locals blame construction on the island, whereas others blame recent floods and climate change. The floriculture department of Jammu and Kashmir is making efforts to restore the island and have also planted more Chinar trees on the island. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. We have now turned around for the return journey, having made a U turn after this market street. So here I am, passing one amidst a handful of overpriced souvenir shops on the Dal Lake. Luckily, as it was almost nightfall, all the Shikaras had to return to store, as they do not operate at night. So although the Shikara boatman did ask if we wanted to stop, none of the Shikaras wanted to, including me, so we simply moved along. The shopkeeper himself appears rather tired and bored at the end of the day. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

My host and friend strikes a pose on the shores of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. The Dal Lake is a freshwater lake in Srinagar, Kashmir. India. It is an urban lake, the second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir, and the most visited place in Srinagar, both by tourists and locals alike. Srinagar's Dal Lake is integral to tourism and recreation in the Kashmir valley. Notes about the Dal Lake appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)

I am on a Shikara (pointed rowboat or gondola) ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. The Dal Lake is a vast expanse of water in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. We have been gliding all along past several houseboat clusters and it has been a tight squeeze in places due to the sheer number of Shikara gondolas and lake residences and such. I was pleasantly surprised wen the congested part of the lake suddenly gives way to the open waters of Dal Lake and the Shikara gondolas now appear fairly spread out. Detailed notes about Shikaras, houseboats and the Dal Lake itself appear elsewhere in this album. (Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)