Floating in a Dream: On Dal Lake – Part 1, Srinagar, Kashmir India

Afternoon light on shikara boats on Dal Lake, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Afternoon Light on the Waters
Being in a wooden shikara boat on Dal Lake – in the North Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir – is like being transported into a Monet painting.

It was like a dream – indeed, a dream come true!

Kashmir had been on my ‘list’ since long before my first-ever trip to India, but opportunities had never quite lined up for me.

The beauty of the landscape is legendary. The land itself – the valley running between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range – has long been disputed in a history too protracted and complicated to go into here. Today, portions of the overall region are administered by China, India, and Pakistan, with tensions and actual boundary disputes ongoing.

As recently as the end of October 2019, the whole Indian-controlled portion of the Kashmir Valley was locked down by the Indian government. Movement of people within the territory was limited, and Internet and phone services were blocked.

Although the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is quite safe for tourists today, Amnesty International still holds concerns for local citizens. I was travelling with a small group of photography enthusiasts and never once felt worried for myself or my belongings. I did, however, meet a number of locals who most emphatically expressed their personal concerns about laws which had recently been enacted by the central government in Delhi.

After a week in Rishikesh on my own (see: Colourful Gods and Endless Mountains), I was meeting up with a small group of photography enthusiasts in Delhi for two weeks of travel through Kashmir and Ladakh. Our first week was to be based from a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K.

To say I was excited would be an understatement! Join me for my first taste of the waters of “Srinagar’s Jewel.”

Environmental portrait: female flight attendant, IndiGo Airlines, India

IndiGo Flight Attendant
It’s about an hour and a half flight from Delhi to Srinagar.

The Himalaya and clouds from an airplane window, India

The Himalaya from the Aisle Seat
The Indian couple seated beside me kindly let me take pictures over their shoulders.

Shikara Boats on Dal Lake
After about an hour in the bus from the airport, we are met by a colourful scene: countless decorated boats crowd the piers on the ghats along the lake.

“Happy Love Nest Deluxe”
These distinctive wooden boats are a cultural symbol of Kashmir. Today, they sport colourful advertising and unique names, and are mostly are used to ferry tourists.

Boatman on Dal Lake
Many boatmen today, like this one, wear shalwar kameez (a long shirt over gathered trousers) rather than the more traditional Kashmiri pheran (a loose, long gown).

Shikara Boat
Shikara are made from rot-resistant Himalayan cedar. Although they are shaped the same, with their colourful paint and patterned curtains, every boat looks different.

Daily Life on the Lake
The waters of the lake are rich in nutrients, and floating gardens of vegetables and water plants are an important part of the local economy.

My Floating Palace Hotel Room
This is my home for the week: complete with an ensuite, wifi, and more room than I could possibly need. Then there was the food: the meals we were served were wonderful!

Our Front Garden : Lilies, Lotus, and Reeds
After our sumptuous lunch, I was finally able to unpack the cameras and explore. Of course, being on the water, I couldn’t go far! The boat my room was in was linked to two others by a gangplank; beyond that, you need a boat.

In a Shikara
Boats have been ordered for us and we set off along the beautiful, meandering waterways.

Little Egret – Egretta Garzetta
Although there are motor boats on the lake, most of the shikara are paddled, …

Indian Pond Heron – Ardeola Grayii
… making our afternoon trip soporific, and leaving the wildlife undisturbed.

Lotus in Bloom

“Karma”
All around us, in the still heat of the afternoon, shikaras glide past – almost noiselessly – …

Common Moorhen – Gallinula Chloropus
… and waterbirds scrabble around in the reeds and leaf-litter for food.

Houseboats and Transport Boats
Houseboats are clumped into neighbourhoods – the shikara operators who provide taxi services must understand the system!