Dal lake, the most prestigious landmark of Jammu and Kashmir, is one place which allures you. It not only justifies being tagged as the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir", but also acts as an harbinger to nature's divine creation and wonders. Spending an entire day at Dal lake was one of the best moments of my life. The night time is the most stunning part in your stay at Dal lake. After visiting this place, I felt that every married couple should once visit this place.From the mesmerizing shikaras everywhere to the wooden majestic houseboats, it's flabbergasting.
Shikars are actually the cars or the transportation medium in roads which are used in Dal lake. To move from the houseboats to the different places in the Lake, shikaras are used. The houseboats are made of wood and they are just like any other hotels which has bedrooms, hall, washrooms, kitchens, in short a well furnished house in the middle of a lake. Sounds too thrilling right? You can choose which houseboat you want to stay in and they are stationary of course. Shikaras are your moving shops which sells everything ranging from coconut water to lays wafers and chocolates. Though it's expensive but you won't spending those extra pennies. The names of the houseboats are very random like Kashmir ki kali, daffodils, alexandar etc. The water of the lake is very crystal clear. You can actually see the entire algae and other marine plants. It seems as if the clouds are kissing your feet during early morning time. It becomes very foggy. The flora and fauna of this place is very pleasing.
During the afternoon, one can dress up like a typical Kashmiri in the Kasmiri outfit and click photos. There are many photographers available. They provide the clothes on rent and give you the snap on the next day. If you are travelling via a travel agent, they take you to a separate dining room either for breakfast or lunch or dinner, depending on the package which has a large range of food. There are various places for sightseeing for which one has to use a shikara. It is a bit time consuming as the shikaras move at a slow pace. There are various shops in the houseboat which sell clothes like shawls, wool, sweaters and Pashmina which is the most expensive shawl.There are also shops selling various kind of jewelleries including rings, earings, bracelets and jewellery boxes.You will also encounter various human settlements in the lake where people stay with their family.Also, the people are found cleaning the algae of the lake. Some of them work as small merchants and traders for their livelihood.
The night time is the best phase of your stay at Dal lake. There are minimal lights which burn only in the houseboats and you can see the Dal lake in different colors due to the reflection of the light. The ambience is mesmerizing as the twinkling stars and black mountains just makes you go awe. If the last scene in the movie "The Fault in our stars" in which the girl is staring at the stars makes you do the same too, experience doing it here...water all around you, dim colorful lights, stars all over you, food to eat, and your love beside you...and the music of nature....Bliss..right?