Nestling in the lap of the dazzling Himalayas, the Kashmir Valley or Vale of Kashmir, has come to be known as the jewel in India's crown. My first glimpse of Lake Nagin, was from a Shikara, a graceful, long boat, as it transported me to Lady Juliette, the houseboat that hosted me for three days.
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Houseboats became an integral part of the Kashmir lifestyle during the time of the British Raj, when the Kashmir ruler forbade foreigners to own land in that state. With typical British ingenuity, the English soon came up with the novel idea of houseboats, which would not infringe this rule and so founded one of the great traditions that have since flourished on the Dal and Nagin lakes.
Lady Juliette, one of the two deluxe houseboats owned by Naba Wangnoo, is decorated in cedar-carved wood, beautiful hand-made Kashmir rugs and wood carved furniture. Each of the two houseboats has their own cook who caters for your personal meal preferences. No sooner had I stepped aboard when my private house-boy appeared with a pot of green tea sprinkled with just the right amount of cinnamon and cardamom, known as Kashmir tea, accompanied with biscuits made from honey and a variety of pounded nuts, known as honey cakes. This was just a taste of what awaited me for dinner; a four-course meal served in the private dining room on the houseboat.
Keeping me company while sitting on my veranda at dawn was a Brahminy kite, who watched vigilantly for insects, fish or anything floating on the lake. It was fascinating to observe the daily activity of the floating flower market that visited each houseboat, as well as the hawkers in their shikara's selling shawls, wooden crafts, suede goods and other souvenirs.
Srinager, the capital of Kashmir, is where the magnificent Dal and Nagin lakes are situated, with the Dal offering the majority of houseboats, ranging across a spectrum of categories, for rent, while those moored on the Nagin offer the more luxury or deluxe accommodation type.
The history of Kashmir is as fascinating as it has been troublesome, ever since 250 BC when Emperor Ashoka conquered Kashmir and made Buddhism the official religion. He is credited with the founding of Srinager, which stands on both banks of the river Jehlum in the heart of the Kashmir valley.(Behind the Boulevard by Dal Lake on a hill once known as Takht-I-Sulaiman - the throne of Solomon, is the Hindu Shankaracharya Temple, which originally dated back to this period, and is just one of the prominent landmarks of Srinigar).
There followed legendary invasions by Tartars and Sythians, and a whole succession of nepotism rulers. Akbar the Great, was the first Moghul leader who ruled Kashmir in 1592, and was responsible for building the fort known as Hari Parbat, a well known landmark in the Kashmir valley, situated on the Sharika hill to the west of Dal lake. Following in his footsteps was Jehangir; Shah Jehan and then Aurangseb, who ordered the wholesale persecution of the Brahmin Hindus and burned down their wooden buildings, leaving but few remains of the early carved wooden architecture.
The Sikh rule came into power around 1810 and in1827 Pratab Singh became the Maharaja of Kashmir, a devout Hindu who ruled a population that was mostly Muslim. Since partition in 1946, Pakistan has claimed a part of Kashmir and presently, the population of Kashmir are divided up as 80 percent Muslim and 20 percent Hindu.
On my visit to the Shalimar Gardens, I imagined the Mughal leader Jehangir and his lovely wife Nur Jehan, strolling through the gardens he had specially built for her. It has magnificent chinar trees and a series of stone pavilions and flowing water. It must have been a romantic retreat and offering a welcome respite to escape to from the heat of the city.
The Old City also houses many of Kashmir's ancient shrines and mosques, of which the Shah-I-Hamdan and Jama Masjid were but two that I visited.
The Shah-I-Hamdan was the first mosque to be built in Kashmir in 1395 and its architecture, reputed to be West Asian, is made entirely from wood and is shaped like a cube with a pyramidal roof rising to a spire. The Jama Masjid is an historic building built around 1402, of mammoth proportions, and is also made of wood and is supported by over 300 pillars, each made from a single deodar tree trunk. It has a peaceful inner courtyard with grass and trees.
The Old City of Srinager has a quaint medieval charm and is the hub for Kashmir handicrafts, including carpets, shawls and wooden carvings. Shopping in Kashmir involves more than bargain hunting for their world-renowned carpets, in both wool and silk. The spice Saffron is grown just outside Srinager and is cheap to buy at any of the shops in the Old City or on the Boulevard by Dal Lake.
The Old City is also where one will find prize shawls made from pashmina wool. Depending on the wool count, two similar looking pashmina shawls will differ in price. The tiny embroidered pashmina shawls are generally the most expensive. For fixed price shopping, there are a number of Government Handicraft Emporiums scattered around Srinager, but the flashiest shops are mainly situated on the Boulevard by Dal Lake.
A visit to Sonamarg - known as the meadow of gold and stands at an altitude of +-9 000 ft, is situated in the Sindh Valley, and is one of the excursions offered when staying on a houseboat. It is the road less travelled with fewer tourists. The drive from Srinager to Sonamarg passes through some of the most spectacular countryside in Kashmir, dotted with colourful paddy rice fields and magnificent mountains ranging in height up to nearly 12 500 ft. En route one passes tiny mosques made from brick and tin roofs in pagoda style. In fact, these little structures more resemble Buddhist temples rather than the traditional mosques.
Sonamarg's importance is two fold: it is the starting point of a major trek passing through several mountains and lakes, and leads to the Amarath Cave, believed to be the abode of the Hindu god lord Shiva. The other reason for Sonamarg's importance lies in the fact that it is the last stop on the Kashmir side for the drive from Srinager to Leh and Ladahk. Also of interest, is the fact that Sonamarg was once part of the famous Silk Route that Marco Polo traversed on his travels from Russia.
The magic of Kashmir lies in the beauty of its lakes and magnificent mountain range. On first setting eyes on the Vale of Kashmir, it is reputed that Jahinger, the Moghul emperor, uttered these words "If there is a paradise on earth, than this is it, this is it, this is it." I echo his sentiments wholeheartedly!
For information on tours to Kashmir, India, contact Avoca Tours (2731) 202 0370.
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