Srinagar, J & K, India

So eventually my most coveted itinerary in the list of travel plans have been effectuated and we arrived at Srinagar via Delhi on 15th July 2017. We boarded the Jet Airways flight from CSIA Terminal 2 and was to have a halt of 40 minutes at Delhi which nightmarish-ly turned into a 2 hour halt as some flight of Jet Airways was delayed at Delhi airport and the blokes in that flight were supposed to get onto our flight (Delhi to Srinagar). There were a few heated discussions with the flight captain, the crew and some other passengers regarding compensation blah blah blah. I won't deny that I was equally annoyed but my % of happiness was more as I would be cut off from my office, corporate politics and their nagging Whatsapp messages. :)

So we were supposed to reach Srinagar at around 12 noon and then our agenda was to have a quick lunch and go for local Srinagar sight seeing. Our guide and driver were there to receive us with a brand new Toyota Innova at Srinagar International Airport and off we went through the narrow yet clean streets of Srinagar manned heavily with army personnel every few meters. Many of all our relatives, acquaintances were skeptical and alarmed when they became of our travel destination owing to the continuous disruptions and brawls. We could sense and see the intensity of animosity and revulsion in the region- wall posters, spray paintings etc. The Kashmiris were looking at us as if we were Jovians. We faced an awful traffic on Abdullah Bridge on the Jhelum River as it is quite narrow. Finally we reached the famed restaurant & had a sumptuous lunch including Kashmiri Wazwan- Tabak Maaz, Gushtaba, Rogan Josh, Sheekh, Korma, Pulao at Mughal Darbar Bakery and Restaurant.

Kashmiri Wazwan

On our way to Nishat Bagh along the Dal Lake, Srinagar, J  K, India

On our way our local guide took us to Nishat Bagh along the Dal Lake which is one of the Mughal gardens and a favorite picnic spot for the locals there.

The road along Dal Lake, Srinagar, J & K India.

View inside Nishat Bagh

Nishat Bagh is a beautiful garden where supposedly the Mughal Emperors used to stroll along with their empress-es in the Mughal Era. :P

Some local flower

View of Dal Lake from Nishat Bagh

There is a Nishat Shopping Market just outside Nishat Bagh along Dal Lake just in case if anybody wants some Kashmiri mementoes, and one can have shikara rides too from here. One can also pose in Kashmiri garb and click photographs in the Nishat Bagh.

Just outside Nishat Bagh

Houseboats on Dal Lake, Srinagar, J & K, India

Then we proceeded to Shalimar Bagh, another Mughal garden but it is not along the Dal Lake.

Shalimar Bagh

View from Shalimar Bagh

Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, J & K, India

We strolled around the gardens, has some photoshoots and then our guide took us to Hazartbal Mosque. But on our way to the Dargah Sharif, we were stopped by the army personnel at the exit of the Foreshore Road and we had to turn around and travel some extra km's to reach the mosque. Our local guide and driver insinuated that all the ruckus and unrest are simply created by the ministry to secure the attention worldwide and reap the benefit of whatever donations are coming on the way for the army and that he "natives" want to exist peacefully with all others.

Anyway, the mosque was closed for prayers unfortunately hence we couldn't enter the main mosque. Nonetheless we strolled along the part of the Dal Lake used by the mosque and visitors for their various activities.

Hazratbal Mosque, Srinagar, J & K, Srinagar, India

Dal Lake along Hazratbal Mosque, Srinagar, J & K, India

Small rainbow at Dal Lake

Hazratbal Mosque, Srinagar, J & K, India

So this was all of our city tour on our way to Fantasia Houseboats, Nigeen Lake. We had decided not to stay at Dal Lake as it is too crowded and the sellers pester the tourists to see and buy all of their products. We reached our houseboat via beautiful shikaras from the Nigeen Club.

Shikara Stand, Nigeen Lake Srinagar, J & K, India from where we mounted to reach our houseboats.

Nigeen Lake, Srinagar, J & K, India

Our neighboring houseboats (Fantasia), Nigeen Lake, India

Shikara stand near Fantasia Houseboats, Nigeen Lake, Srinagar, J & K, India. (The right one was our houseboat)

Our houseboat was an enormously big houseboat with 4 bedrooms, proper sized bedrooms- unlike the bedrooms that the builders deliver to the people in Mumbai :P D. It also had a nice cute kitchen, a dining space, a drawing space and a beautiful balcony overlooking the Nigeen Lake- it was a full sized 4 BHK houseboat with all the amenities (attached washrooms with all the bedrooms)

The drawing room in our houseboat, Nigeen Lake, Srinagar, J & K, India

View from our houseboat, Nigeen Lake, India

View of Nigeen Lake from our houseboat

Finally we decided to call it a day and relaxed on the balcony of our houseboat, sipping onto Kahwa (kashmiri flavored tea) and relished the calmness and beauty of such a disturbed region.

Suddenly our houseboat started being flocked by a few shikaras. We were not in a mood of shikara riding that day anymore as we were dead tired. But no, they were people selling their products and had come straight into our boathouse without even asking for the permission to enter (that was extremely rude). Well amidst all the commodities that the separate sellers tried to sell to us, we did take fancy upon papier mache items which, if the person had not told us we wouldn't have imagined in our wildest dreams.

Papier mache item

Papier mache item

But then we finally requested our attendant (who was bringing us our refreshments, evening snacks, tea, kahwa) not to allow any other seller into our houseboat as we don't want to be rude to them in their state, in their place. We just wanted to relish the calmness and serenity sitting at the balcony and have a balmy stay at the boathouse amongst ourselves.

Also read Srinagar, India; Gulmarg, India ; Pahalgam, India