Srinagar – A City Of Wealth And Abundance

Srinagar is the capital of the disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir and lies in that part of it, which is administered by India. Considered as the HQ of the Srinagar district and located in the Kashmir Valley, the Jhelum River – a tributary of Indus known as Vyath in Kashmir, passes through the city and crosses the valley.

The name of the city comprises of two Sanskrit words namely, Sri meaning abundance, wealth, and a name of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and Nagar meaning a city. Thus, Srinagar is also known as the place of wealth and abundance.

According to a legend in Nila’s Nilmatapurana, in ancient times, the Kashmir valley was a gigantic lake. A Hindu sage, Kashyapa, drew off the water after which the beautiful Kashmir Valley came into the sight.

Srinagar is popular for its lakes, houseboats, and nine old bridges that link the two parts of the city located on each side of the Jhelum River. It is also famous for Kashmiri handworks, dry fruits, and apples.

History

The foundation of the city dated long back in 3rd century B.C. However, in A.D., King Pravarasena II found it some 2,000 years ago. Then, the city was administered by the Maurya empire, which was the greatest empire in India. Great heroes such as Ashoka, Vikramaditya of Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) ruled the city. Ashoka laid the foundation of Buddhism in the valley. The rule of Hindus and Buddhists was only until the 14th century and after this, it was under the administration of the Muslim rulers such as the Mughals.

In1814, the valley was under the Sikhs until 1846 when the British rule took over delegating the ruling powers to Gulab Singh. This sovereign ruler made it a part of the princely states of undivided India that remained until 1947.

After the independence, due to the Indo-Pakistani war, the Pakistani forces with the help of the Pashtun tribe encroached the valley to overtake Kashmir. However, they could not capture the Srinagar airport and thus, were pushed back by the Indian Army via the use of heavy weapons through air. The ruler at that time named Hari Singh signed an agreement to include his region into India. However, the matter reached the United Nations who imposed a cease-fire that the region of Hari Singh would be under the hands of Pakistan known as ‘Azad Kashmir’ and the rest would be under India.

Tourists’ Attractions

• Dal Lake
  This is well known for houseboats currently 500 in numbers. The first houseboat was named Victory built in 1888.

• Shikara Ride
  This is a must take ride in the Dal Lake that takes you through the fountains, village, and other beautiful places. The village is a must see scene where there are locals residing and a floating vegetable market. This market is open only at sunrise.
• Nagin Lake
  This is another popular late in the city.
• Shalimar Gardens
  Created in 1619 by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, they spread their natural beauty in the outskirts of Srinagar, just in front of the Dal Lake.

• Mughal Gardens
  These gardens are the Chashme Shahi, Nishat Bagh, and Shalimar Bagh that were created by Mughals and can be visited through a houseboat of the Dal Lake. They comprise of the lawns, royal cascading fountains, and bright flowerbeds to depict the concept of paradise. Today, they are popular for picnic spot and outings. They are worth visiting in the spring, but this worth is still retained even when the flowers do not bloom.
• Tulip Gardens
  These gardens completely hold tulips of different colors and shades and were opened to public recently.
• Chashma Shahi
  This is the place of royal fountains in the Mughal gardens.
• Pari Mahal
  This is also known as the Palace of Fairies and is famous for its heartthrob view of the city.
• Nishat Bagh
  This is located on the banks of the Dal Lake with a back view of Zabarwan Mountains. This is a must see place as it offers an eye-catching scene of the lake and snow-covered mountain range of Pir Panjal that is to the west of the Kashmir Valley. The brother of NoorJahan created this garden in 1633 A.D.
• Jama Masjid
  This is one of the oldest mosques.
• Hazratbal Mosque
  This is the beautiful white mosque, but the women are allowed only until the first part of the mosque. Adjacent to this mosque, is the market that offers a variety of good fresh food and different items fried in oil.

• Ziarati Hazrati Youza Asouph
  This is a tomb known as Roza Bal situated in the Khanyar area down a side road, which is nearly 150 metres northwest of Dastgir Saheb mosque and shrine. Many believe, this is the tomb of Jesus, which supports the theory that he survived even after the crucifixion and came to Kashmir where he resided until the age of 100. This tomb has been made popular by the current books such as Jesus Lived in India by Holger Kersten.
• Shankaracharya Mandir
  This is a Hindu temple of Lord Shiva on the top of the Suleiman hill where you can reach by a car or taxi. Cameras and mobiles are not allowed in the temple and you need to leave them in the vehicle before entering the temple. Further, any pack of cigarettes and alcohol must be given to the police personnel prior to climbing the hill, as these things are banned in the Hindu religion.
• Adventure Sports
  Canoeing and water skiing takes place in the Dal Lake. There is one more sport known as water trekking that is a 3-4 days trip along with the camping things across the Jhelum River to different lakes. The two other destinations for hikers and trekkers are Dachigam National Park (22 km) and Pahalgam (95 km).

Some More Places

• Nashim Bagh
• Khanqah Moulla
• Kheer bhawani
• Bulbul Saheb, where shrine of Saint Sheikh Abdul Rehman is famous
• Hari Parbat, where shrine of Sufi Saint Sheikh Hamza Makdoom is famous
• Zestha
• Pathir Masjid built by NoorJahan

Musical Arts

• Bhand Pather
  Herein, a group of 10 to 15 artists performs a conventional folk of play and dance in a satirical style with a light music.
• Chakri
  This is popular Kashmiri folk music.
• Sufiana
  This form of music from Iran introduced in the 15th century has comprised many Indian Ragas. Itself it has become a classical music of the valley. Instruments such as Sitar, Kashmiri Saz, Santoor, and Tabla are widely used.
• Hafiz Nagma
  This is a kind of dance accompanied by the Sufiana music. Here, the female dances on the vibrations of the music being played by the males.