Hill station

Srinagar Hill Station

Written by Sudhir Kumar

Srinagar Hill Station |Trip To srinagar

Srinagar is the capital city of Jammu & Kashmir. It is situated in an elevation of 1, 730 m.In the heart of the Kashmir valley, Srinagar spreads out on each sides of the Jhelum river. The valley’s beauty has enticed visitors from distant lands. Srinagar bears the hallmark of the Mughals. It’s a city full of intriguing alleyways and curious buildings. Srinagar offers the spectacular sights of the lovely lakes and the houseboats on them. The dry fruits and the traditional Kashmiri handicrafts are the other major attractions of the hill resort. If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here in Srinagar.

City Of LakeSrinagar’s lakes are exactly why the city receives lots of travelers. Not just expanse water, the ponds are filled with houseboats, cities, narrow water rivers, lotus and vegetable gardens and houses and shops. Existence round the ponds, as noticed in the confines from the Shikara, is different. You’ll have the ability to book a Shikara for the whole day and sightsee Nishat Garden, Nasim Bagh, Hazratbal Mosque, Pathar Masjid and Shah Hamdan’s Shrine, obtaining a possess a have a picnic lunch inside the boat.

Attractions Point in Srinagar

Hari Parbat Fort: To the west of Dal Lake and on top of Sharika hill is the fort, which was built during reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Most of the present construction dates from 18th century. It is now occupied by Army. To enter the fort, permission from the Archaeological Department in Lal Mandi is required. On the western slope of the hill is a Parvati temple and on the southern face is the muslim shrine of Khwaja Makhdoom Sahib and the mosque of the scholar Akhund Mullah Shah .

Chatti Padshahi: It is an historic sikh Gurudwara, which commemorates the visit of Guru Hargobind to Kashmir.
Tomb of Zain-ul-Abidin: This tomb of King Zain-ul-Abidin situated between the Zaina Kadal and Ali Kadal bridges, shows a clear Persian influence in it’s domed construction and glazed tiles.

Shankaracharya Hill: This hill was once known as Takht-i-Sulaiman, the throne of Solomon. A temple is a said to have first built here by Ashoka’s son around 200 BC, but the present Hindu temple dates from Jehangir’s time. From the top, one can have a fine view of Dal Lake. The Srinagar TV tower is also here.

Pandrethan Temple: This small Siva temple dates from 900 AD and is in military cantonment area on the Jammu road out of Srinagar.

Shah-i-Hamdan Mosque: The original mosque which was built in 1395, was destroyed by a fire in 1479 and again in 1731. The present mosque is situated on one bank of the Jhelum, shaped like a cube with a pyramidal roof rising to a spire. Access to non-muslims and women is limited.

Pather Masjid: Situated on opposite bank of Jhelum river is the unused Pather Masjid. It was built by Nur Jahan, wife of emperor Jahangir, in 1623.

Razabal Tomb: It is believed to be the grave of Yuz Asaf or Jesus Christ who, according to legend, is supposed to have survived the cross and come to Kashmir, identified as the home of the lost tribe of Israel.

Jama Masjid: This is one of the largest mosques in Kashmir. This wooden mosque has 300 plus pillars supporting the roof and each of them made from a single deodar trunk. It had to be rebuilt time and again due to destruction caused by fire at different point of times.

Shri Pratap Singh Museum: Museum situated just south of Jhelum river in Lal Mandi has an good collection of exhibits relevant to state’s Buddhist and Hindu past as well as 200-year old textiles and carpets. It’s open everyday from 10.30 am to 4 pm, except on Monday and on Friday it’s open between 1 and 2.30 pm. Entry is free. The museum is closed on Wednesdays.

Hazratbal Mosque: This mosque is situated on the north-west shore of Dal Lake and enshrines a hair of the prophet. The mosque is set very beautifully on shores of the lake with snowcapped peaks as backdrop.

Razabal Tomb: It is believed to be the grave of Yuz Asaf or Jesus Christ who, according to legend, is supposed to have survived the cross and come to Kashmir, identified as the home of the lost tribe of Israel.

Shri Pratap Singh Museum: Museum situated just south of Jhelum river in Lal Mandi has an good collection of exhibits relevant to state’s Buddhist and Hindu past as well as 200-year old textiles and carpets. It’s open everyday from 10.30 am to 4 pm, except on Monday and on Friday it’s open between 1 and 2.30 pm. Entry is free. The museum is closed on Wednesdays.

Chasma Shahi (Royal Spring): smallest of mughal gardens at Srinagar, it is situated above the Nehru Memorial Park. The gardens were laid out in 1632 but have been recently extended. These are the only gardens with an admission charge.

Nishat Bagh (Garden of Gladness): These gardens offers superb views of Pir Panjal mountains. Designed in 1633 by Nur Jahan’s brother, these are the largest of Mughals Gardens. The gardens on either side of the water course are planted with tall chinar trees, which are at its best in autumn.

Shalimar Bagh: These gardens were built for Nur Jahan by her husband, the emperor Jahangir in 1616. These are 15 km away from Srinagar. This garden is most secluded, reached by a tree-lined canal. The central black marble pavilion in the “Zenana” or ladies’ garden is surrounded by water and looks out in four directions. Be;ow, in the “Diwan-i-Am”, the Hall of Public Audience, the emperor used to sit on a black marble throne above the water. Every evening from May to October there is a Sound & Light show which describes Jahangir’s court. As the nearest taxi stand is five kms away it’s best to keep a waiting taxi.

Nasim Bagh: Situated 8 km from Srinagar, these gardens were built by Akbar in 1586 and are the oldest of Kashmir’s Mughals Gardens.

Shikara Rides: Shikaras are long boats which crowd the Srinagar lakes. They are used for getting back and forth from the houseboats or for longer tours. It is worth to take a pleasure ride around the lake in shikara.

Dal Lake: The lake is 6.4 km long and 4 km wide and is divided into 3 parts by manmade causeways. Within the lake, are two islands which are popular picnic spots. Around the edges of lake are groves of chinar, poplar and willow.

Nagin Lake: There are a number of houseboats on this quieter, cleaner lake.

Population : 725,000
Languages : Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and English
Best Time to Visit : April, June
STD : 0194

 

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Sudhir Kumar

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