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.
