Srinagar Travel Guide, India

  Srinagar is one of the most magnificent places in India. It is the capital of the state Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar is a very different corner of India. The landscape, snow covered mountains, crystal clear lakes and elegance of staying a house boats has always attracted the tourists. A ride through the quite waters of the Dal Lake in a beautiful boat called shakira is an experience of the lifetime. Although due the recent terrorist activities the place has lost its shine, but the picturesque beauty of the city is something that cannot be missed when visiting India.

 The city was once the summer capital of the British during their rule in India. During the British reign the ruler of Kashmir did allow the British to stay their but did not allow them to carry out any constructions. Hence the British stayed in house boats. Now these house boats have become a legend and every tourist visiting Srinagar wants to stay in these house boats and enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of the place in solitude.

Statistics

Population: 894,940 approx (2001)

Currency: Indian Rupees

Languages spoken: Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi. Most of the people understand English.

Architecture

The architecture of the city is a blend of wooden work with beautiful stones and strong bricks. You can feel the influence of Chinese, Europeans as well as Persians in the architectural styles of the monuments in the city. The city has a good number of temples as well as mosques with magnificent stone and wooden work. The beauty of the Mughal period is shown up in the stylish wooden and limestone work in old mosques. The stylish architecture of places like Martand, Parihaspora and Awantimpora leave you enthralled.

Infrastructure

The place is extremely rich in minerals, Agro, forests as well as herbal resources. But terrorism has always been a hindrance in the path of development since the partition of India in 1947. With huge obstacles, the government has still managed to build up a sound infrastructure for the town. The city is well connected through rail as well as road to the rest part of India. The airport of the town has now been upgraded to an international one. Every kind of telecommunication facility is available in the city.

People and culture

Srinagar is a place in India that let you see a unique cultural blend. Staying in one of the house boats during the stay in Srinagar definitely gives you a glimpse of the culture of the people here. The people of Srinagar are very hospitable and are very warm hearted when it comes to entertaining their guests. The floriculture as well as horticulture is among the main occupation of the natives. The performing arts will leave you enthralled. Seeing their folk dance and music is an experience of its own. The Sufi music of the place is one of its kinds.