Dal Lake Kashmir
Dal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir
tourism industry. A Himalayan urban lake, it has five basins and
a number of channels that are well linked with each other. There
are plenty of fishes in Dal Lake and fishery is the second largest
industry of the region centered on the lake. The sparkling quiet
waters of Da
l
surrounded by snow-capped mountains on its three sides, undoubtedly
mark it as one of the most beautiful lakes of India. It is also
the second largest lake in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with numerous
gardens and orchards all along its shores. Houseboats form an indelible
part of the scenery of the Dal Lake that are always ready to take
tourists to a romantic and peaceful ride of the lake and soothe
their nerves as the houseboat floats over the slightly rippling
waters. They also offer some of the most exotic views of the splendid
scenery of the Dal Lake.
There are Shikaras that look like small ornate versions of the gondolas
of Venice that offers ferry rides to and from the banks of the lake
to the houseboats. The shores of the Lake houses the distinct Moghul
monuments and the campus of the University of Kashmir while the
two hillocks overlooking the lake house Shankaracharya and Hari
Parbat temples. The glorious Mughal gardens on its shores contribute
to the beauty of the Dal Lake. Out of about five hundred gardens
laid down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive. There
have been controversies about the origin of the Dal Lake. While
some geologists believe that the origins of Dal Lake lie in the
Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake that once covered the entire valley
of Kashmir, others just believe it to be a flood plain lake. The
floating gardens of Dal Lake are considered a beauty in themselves.
One can find a number of restaurants and hotels at the lakefront
that have sprung up, encouraged by the large influx of tourists
here.