About Dal Lake
The north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions : the
foothill plains of Jammu; the lakes and blue valleys of Kashmir rising to
alpine passes, the high altitude plains and starkly beautiful mountains of
Ladakh which lies beyond those passes
The Kashmir valley is blessed with exotic natural beauty of landscape and
water bodies, out of them, the most famous and appealing is the Dal Lake.
Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of India and the second largest
in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The lake is surrounded by majestic
mountains from three sides and a large number of gardens and orchards have
been laid along the shores. The University of Kashmir is also stands along
the shores of the Dal Lake. The hundreds of uniquely decorated houseboats
which floats on the Dal lake afford an opportunity to tourists to reside on
the lake in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
The areas surrounding the Dal Lake are lined with sloping roofed houses on
islands,
while other parts appear lush and green like well-laid gardens. Moving
forward, houseboats, houses and vegetation cease abruptly, and two enormous
sheet-like expanses of water, the Bod Dal & Lokut Dal, come into view.
Leading from the Dal lake is the smaller Nagin Lake. Here, the waters are
edged by trees of willow and poplar whose reflection is mirrored in the
lake. The waters of the lakes are pleasantly cool from mid-May to
mid-September. Nagin Lake, which is farther from town and have magnificent
views of the mountains.
These water bodies are of great ecological and socio-economic significance.
These lake with its multi-faceted eco-system and grandeur has been
captivating the national as well as the international tourists from all
over. Both the lakes are dotted with water lilies and are mobile shops of
moving shikaras.
Salesmen paddle from boat to boat, selling everything you could want such
as cold drinks, fruits, nuts, fresh flowers, film, baked goods, papier-mache
boxes, woolen shawls, silk carpets, leather goods, money-changing services
and on and on. The gentle motion of the boat, as it moves along the water of
these lakes, is extremely romantic.
It is distinctly pleasant to have a tour of the Dal Lake on houseboats. The
lake tour offers one a visit to the Mughal Gardens and other sites on the
lakeside including the famous Hazratbal mosque.
