What a beautiful evening at Dal Lake in Srinagar and that golden sunset. Having dreamt all my life to be in Kashmir and indulge in the gorgeous beauty all around has finally been ticked off my bucket list.
It was the first day of our trip and we flew from Mumbai-Srinagar. After arriving we headed straight to our Hotel Grand Mamta where we were put up for 1 night. The itinerary of the day was a relaxed afternoon post-lunch and then in the evening, we headed for the most-awaited ride of the magnificent Dal Lake.
Dal Lake, Srinagar’s Jewel
Dal Lake is spread over 15km around is Srinagar’s jewel, with the reflection of Shikaras, mountains, and trees on flat crystal clear mirror sheet. The excitement was already building up and my face contended with a bright radiance at the very first sight of the Dal Lake. The whole picturesque location, a huge stunning lake with colorful Shikaras all over gave me a momentarily gasp of satisfaction. But there was lots of more ecstasy to that evening. Dal Lake was balmy and tranquil yet there was a sense of exuberance. The entire view was not less than a moving painting in front of me.
Shikara is a symbolic boat from Kashmir used for transportation in earlier days.
Now it is unique and peculiar for tourists coming from all over the world. The vibrant and colorful Shikaras with alluring decor with drapes of cloth and cushions make it look very decorative and keeps us very engaging. It can accommodate a maximum of 4 people in 1 Shikara and the boatman rows the boat. The boatman narrated the story of the places and about the people living there and how they earned their livelihood.
A market sets up in the Dal Lake every day. We had planned for a Shikara ride in the evening at around 5 pm, and this is supposed to be the best time for this ride. The whole of Dal lake was flocked with flower and fruit sellers, jewelry sellers, saffron sellers claiming to be the best ones, photographers, stole and shawl sellers. I was actually amused to see the sight of all this as it was not just new to me but also the whole sight looked pretty.
A fruit seller right next to us selling fresh fruits that tempted us to try all of them. But we resisted our temptations. Later we bumped into a Shikara where he was preparing fresh paneer and chicken tikkas and then there was a whole draft of air with the aroma of barbecued spice and flavors.
Golden sunset at Dal Lake:
The Boulevard Road makes for a lovely evening walk, especially at sunset time. Viewing the sunset over the Dal lake is another must-do in Srinagar. This majestic golden sunset adorns the whole lake with its hue of colors. It was one of the best sights that we had witnessed on the first day of our trip to Kashmir.
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