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| Srinagar : An Introduction |
| Srinagar or Serinagar, city (1981 est. pop. 588,000), Jammu and Kashmir, India, historic capital of Kashmir, on the Jhelum River. Situated in the Vale of Kashmir, Srinagar is one of the most beautiful summer resorts of Asia. Seven wooden bridges cross the Jhelum and connect the sections of the city. |
| There are many canals, and transportation is chiefly by boat. Houseboats on the canals and nearby lakes serve as vacation hotels. In place of the hand-woven shawls (cashmeres) for which the city was famed, machine-made silks, woolens, and carpets are now manufactured. The city was founded in the 6th cent., and the 7th-century Sankaracharya temple may be its oldest historic remain. There is a 16th-century fort built by Akbar. The Hazratbal mosque has a putative hair of Muhammad. Extensive Buddhist ruins are also near the city. The Univ. of Kashmir is in the city. |
| Places of Interest in Srinagar |
| Dal Lake: Srinagar's chief distinction is the great body of water, the Dal Lake, which forms its focal point. The Dal has, within its area, two enormous sheet-like expanses of water - Lokutdal and Boddal, the rest of its surface being broken up alternatively by man-made strips of land inhabited by whole colonies of people and vegetation. Thus the lake is not a flat, unbroken mass of water, but a labyrinth of waterways, awash with a lifestyle not encountered elsewhere in the world. The Dal is Srinagar's major life-support system with its wide variety of marine life: fish, lotus roots, plants and floating gardens. The hospitable boat people of Kashmir trace their descent from Noah. Entire families live on boats, accepting a way of life that was bequeathed to them by their ancestors and clinging to their traditional culture. Lately these families are being offered rehabilitation due to increasing encrochment in the lake. |
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| House Boats: The house-boats on the Dal and Nagin lakes, offering all modern amenities - and water sports - in the midst of the most beautiful scenery in the world; have become world famous.A Shikara (a canopied small gondola, rowed with heart-shaped paddles) is attached to every house-boat like a water taxi. Vendors in Shikaras glide up to the doorsteps of the house-boat.Our Houseboats accommodate every venture from honeymoons to family reunions. And onboard a houseboat, there is every comfort a romantic couple might want.The houseboats are grand with hand - carved furniture and rich Kashmiri carpets. A houseboat boy is always on call and three meals are served daily from a menu of western, Kashmiri or Indian cuisine. |
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| Shalimar Bagh: It was built by Jahangri for his wife Nur Jahan. The garden is distinguished by a series of terraces linked by a water channel. These are surrounded by decorative pools which can be reached by using stepping stones. There are three pavilions.The upper most pavilion has black marble pillars. The wall has the niches for flowers and lamps . The two lower pavilions has two Halls for private (Diwan-i-Khas) and public audience (Diwan-i-Am).
Places around Srinagar
There are number of interesting places to visit near Srinagar. Most of these places are located amongst picturesque settings of the mighty Himalayas. Apart from natural beauty, they offer a number of adventure activities to the traveler.
Gulmarg is 52 km southeast of Srinagar and is located at an altitude of 2730 m above sea level. In summers, the meadows of Gulmarg are laden with flowers. In winters, the snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg turn into a skiing resort, which attracts the traveler seeking adventure and thrill. It is a popular trekking destination and boasts of the world's highest golf course.
Sonamarg is 80 km northeast of Srinagar and is located at an altitude of 2740 m. It is set in a valley amongst glaciers and placid lakes. The flower?laden meadows, panoramic view of the lofty snow?covered Himalayan peaks, and a number of trekking and hiking trails have made Sonamarg a popular tourist destination.
Pahalgam is 95 km east of Srinagar and is located in the quiet Liddar valley, at a height of 2130 m. It provides an ideal setting for activities like hiking, trekking and fishing. It is also the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave of Amarnath.
The handicrafts repertoire of Kashmir is incomplete without woolen shawls and woodcarving. Travelers can purchase richly embroidered woolen shawls in all colors and intricate designs in Srinagar. Apart from regular woolen shawls, one can also buy Pashmina shawls (made from the hair of ibex) and shahtoosh shawls (made from the hair of the Tibetan antelope), which are highly valued shawls made in Kashmir. As Kashmir is the only state in India where walnut trees grow, craftsmen here create intricate carvings on walnut wood to make items like tables, chairs, stools, fruit bowls, partitions, etc., that have rich floral and trellis patterns carved on them. |
| Temperatures can rise to 37 degree in summer and -11 degree in winters. It receives over 650 mm rainfall per annum. More than 50% of this is due to western disturbances. The best time to visit Srinagar is between May and September. Srinagar is located around a number of lakes, of which Dal lake is the best known. |
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Distance Chart |
Agra - 1079 Km
Ahmedabad - 1757 Km
Akola - 2033 Km
Allahabad - 1479 Km
Amritsar - 512 Km
Bangalore - 2936 Km
Bellary - 2741 Km
Bhopal - 1620 Km
Bhubaneswar - 2632 Km
Calcutta - 2284 Km
Cuttack - 2544 Km
Chennai - 2970 Km
New Delhi - 876 Km
Hubli - 2712 Km
Hyderabad - 2734 Km
Indore - 1682 Km
Lucknow - 1373 Km
Ludhiana - 571
Madurai - 3382
Salem - 3139 Km
Shimla - 751 Km
Solapur - 2408 Km
Surat - 2046 Km
Thane - 2232 Km
Thrissur - 3390 Km
Tiruchchirappalli - 3273 km
Tirupati- 2937 Km
Vadodara - 1848 Km
Vijayawada - 2641 Km
Vishakhapatnam - 2755 Km
and more
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| Srinagar / Jammu and Kashmir related resources |
| Jammu and Kashmir Government |
| Governor's Office, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Employment Department, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Excise Department, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Finance Department, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Tourism Department, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Transport Department, Jammu and kashmir |
| National Institute of Technology, Srinagar |
| Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Northern Command) |
| National Institute of Technology, Srinagar |
| Accountant General, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Citizen Services Portal, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Government Tenders, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Relief Organisation (M), Jammu and Kashmir |
| Jammu and Kashmir Telecom Circle |
| and more |
Physical and Human Geography
Area: 103.3 sq km.
Altitude: 1,730 metres (approx).
Clothings: Summer- Cottons/Tropical; Winter- Heavy woollen
Language Spoken: Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, and English. |
Climate
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max.29.5, Min.10.6; Winter- Max.7.3, Min.-1.9
Rainfall: 529 mms (Mid June to Mid September). |
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