Dal Lake

Nature often gives us what we can enjoy. Learning its depths is indeed nice but leaning too much …. Can cost you something to anything. Enigmatic isn’t it? Well my experience at the visual of Dal Lake is amazing. A water body with snow capped hill in the backdrop on one side, green life cladded hills on the other side, the capital city thriving around and in it. Decorated shikars lined up at the coast and floating here and there, make the view colorful and cheerful.

We had a booking in a houseboat. To get to the house boat we need to take the shikara boat. Luggage is boarded and once in this little decorated boat, it slowly and steadily drifts across the waters. Unplugged from city life, it was just an awesome feel to soak the soul in the beauty of nature and drift slow. You can opt to sit or lay at leisure on the couch in the shikara just for you. What more comfort can you ask for? As we drifted, we had Knock! Knock! Wondering who can knock at a boat with your luggage? LoL! Not the pirates but the merchants who are on a small boat knocking at different shikaras trying to sell what they have. They try to sell tea, snacks, shawls, dry fruits …. Well it’s a market. Seems crazy and funny but could get annoying with too many which usually does not happen.

There is a floating market area where you actually have to stop by your boat to step in to the shop. There is an entire colony of people who live in the Dal lake. Yes! their houses are floating in the water. People residing in the lake move in boats to run errands like get vegetables, attend school ….. May be getting to a boat is as simple as wearing footwear before stepping out for them.

We reached the houseboat floating in the water. This is a small but richly decorated place. There is literally nothing you could do other than relaxing and gazing at the beauty. Watch the same picturesque space in different hues of the day. For lunch and dinner, Yes! Yes!! Row to the banks and get to a restaurant. This was enjoyable but seemed restricted mobility to us. Being there for an experience is worth but killing time in days needs a taste for it.

With nothing much to do in the house boat we set off on a Shikara ride of the lake. Was surprised to learn that there is a seasonal grass that grows and floats on the lake (as seen the picture) that would also provide a base for growing vegetables in the lake. May be a kindaa native hydroponics. They showed us few places that are guarded by fences for the lotus bloom. There was not a single lotus we could see but yes when there is bloom in the area that is shown to us, yes it would be spectacular.

Coming to the enigmatic expression!! As I looked down into the thick dark waters of Dal lake I could see a lot of water weed swaying. There are people who are deployed solely to pluck the weed. Their boats are on the patrol to rip the weed and load their boats. But somehow looking at the deep waters gave me an impression that it would have its crime fossils on the lake bed. Well this is true with any water body.

Adi Shankaracharya Temple Srinagar

This is something we have been sighting since day 1 up the hill but managed to be there just before leaving Srinagar. Few blossoms just blooming and flowing freshness was that hill. Could feel loads of positive energy as we went up and then the cab stopped. We had to take 250 steps to get to the temple. We wished we had enough time to actually climb up the hill on foot too. They do not allow phone or cameras beyond this point. Hence you can keep leave your minds free to just soak in the present. The stairs were not very tiring but yes, people do take small breaks and smile at each other. To add to the beauty, there were 3 schools having their day excursion there. They come up the hill by foot and then are at the stairs. Those innocent beautiful Kasmiri girls and boys added more vibrant energy as they quickly run up and then gasp yet again race with each other. They bump into strangers as they run and throw an innocent child smile to them before they continue to rush. No doubt innocent children always have the power to make you smile.

As we get higher and higher, the altitude was uncovering a glorious view of the city. WOW! Was just not enough….  A few deep breathes before our minds could sink in the beauty seen and give us words!  Populous city around a cheerful lake with colorful boats and house boats. River Jhelum made an excellent twist and turn in the city to add to the picturesque view.   This habitat is encompassed with green hills and those green ones in turn encompassed by seemingly dark hills with white icing. We stood there under a maple tree with hue green leaves. For sure the maple trees envy the beauty and change color to attract attention towards them at least for few months an year. None the less, the huge maple (Chinar as called by Kashmiris) trees are definitely a pride to this place. It looked like a challenge nature was giving itself. With hills all around, there are different views one can get. All the elements, Lake, hills, greenery, blossoms, snow covered hills, river Jhelum and beautiful people with colorful boats (shikaras)  were racing against each other to stand out and high in the enthralling view of the city.

The temple is a simple small and robust stone structure. This is reputed to be the place where Shankaracharya meditated. As the clock rushed, it pushed us back to the cab to head to the airport.