Srinagar: City of Mughal Gardens and Lakes, Kashmir Diaries Chapter 1

Srinagar Arrival:

Flight is the most convenient mode to reach Srinagar so book your tickets earlier.

If you're on a tight budget Indian Railways is always there. So book your ticket to Jammu Tawi and arrive there early in the morning as buses/tempo-travelers/sumos ply between 6-7 AM. Better choose sumo or tempo as they charge 600-700 and take less time. It takes around 8-9 hours to reach Srinagar and depends on traffic and ongoing road constructions sometimes it may take 12-14 hrs. We reached Jammu Tawi at 1300 hrs and some how managed to get a cab to Srinagar started our journey at 0230 PM.

There is also train(memu) services between Banihal and Srinagar. So get down at Banihal from there to Srinagar via train. This doesn't reduce only travel time but also offers beautiful views through out the way.

Note: Before getting down at Banihal must check train timings. We were there in Feb 2021 and that time train services were closed because of covid.

Surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains; adorned with the beautiful Mughal gardens and the tranquil Dal & Nigeen lakes, Srinagar is rightly referred to as the ‘Land of Lakes and Gardens’. This beautiful place also boasts being one of the dream travel destinations in India for every kind of traveler.

This was the time to see the first sunrise in Kashmir, First look of Dal Lake. View of Dal Lake was very beautiful. This was something we had never experienced. We continued staring the lake and surroundings while sipping Kehwa. After breakfast we headed for Shikara ride which was the most awaited moment. If you are in Srinagar must do Shikara ride once (we did it thrice). Admiring the beauty of the lake surrounded by Zabarwan & Pir Panjal hill ranges and Mughal gardens while sipping Kehwa on a shikara is really a lifetime experience. Shikara ride costs between ₹300-1200 depends on duration and distance you cover. We explored market on Dal Lake and purchased some dry fruits. You can purchase best quality saffron from here and we also took some. We paid ₹1200 for 2.5 hrs. Shikara ride.

After Shikara ride it was about 11:00 and we booked an auto for sightseeing. First place we headed for was Shri Shankaracharya Temple. It took around 15 mins from Dal lake to reach there. In the temple premises no phone, handbag wallet, pen allowed. So we had to drop our belongings in the auto and moved ahead. There are some ascending stairs to reach the temple which will around 5 mins for a healthy person. We reached temple and offered prayers. From the temple you can get 360° view of Srinagar. This place was calm and very beautiful. Also there is one view point on the way from where you can click some beautiful picture for your Instagram. We spent 20-25 mins here and headed towards Chasme Shahi Garden. There is also two beautiful view point on the you can have panoramic view of Dal lake.

In another 20-25 mins we reached our next destination. Primarily famous for its natural spring, Chashme Shahi Garden is part of the Mughal Gardens, and is a must-see in Srinagar. The natural spring in this top attraction in Srinagar catches the eyes of the tourists. Believed to have been discovered by great female saint of Kashmir, Rupa Bhawani, the spring got its name from her clan and was originally called 'Chashme Sahibi'. The time when we visited this place was mostly covered with snow. Clear sky and snow made this place more beautiful. It was around 1 PM and our next destination was Nishat Bagh.

Entry Fee: ₹10/Person

We did our lunch at food joint infront of the Nishat Garden. There are plenty of food joint at this place. We tried Kashmiri pulav and it was so delicious. After the lunch we entered into the garden.

Popularly known as the ‘Garden of Bliss’, the Nishat Garden or Nishat Bagh is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Srinagar. The beautiful garden is situated against the backdrop of the magnificent Zabarwan Mountains. This surreal garden is a place of sheer delight for nature lovers, family vacationers as well as romantic couples as it offers them spectacular views and a memorable experience. This place is more picturesque as one side of this place is Dal lake and other side is Zabarwan range. You can easily spend 2 hrs here. It was 3:00 PM and we headed towards Shalimar Bagh.

Entry Fee: ₹24/Adult

Shalimar Bagh is the largest Mughal Garden in Kashmir followed by Nishat Bagh. Encircled by tall trees of Chinar and many colorful flowers, the Shalimar Bagh presents tourists with a serene environment. It also boasts a beautifully designed canal that runs through the center of the garden, further enhancing its charm.

This garden once served as the favorite summer destination of Emperor Jahangir and his court. This beautiful masterpiece also popularly known as the 'house of love' was originally called ‘Farah Baksh’, which literally translates to 'delightful'. This garden is very large and beautiful. We wish if we could spend more time here but we had to left early for our next destination.

Entry Fee: ₹24/adult

This place is know as the holiest shrine in Kashmir and it is believed that Hazratbal is where a hair strand Prophet Mohammed is preserved. The hair is also called ‘the relic’ or the Moi-e-Muqaddas. The word Hazrat means holy/respected and Bal stands for place, thus the words when put together mean a ‘holy place’ or a ‘respected place’. This places was so calm and we sat there for sometime. We offered prayers and left for Dal Gate. We paid ₹800 to Muzaffar bhai(Auto) for the sightseeing and said goodbye to him.