I write this from Leh in Ladakh and so we did indeed leave Kashmir in one piece.
It is worth reflecting on Dal Lake, Srinigar and the Kashmir Valley as they radiate fame and lore in the travel world, even if the fiendish history and politics remain a source of anguish for many either side of the (contentious) border.
What can we learn in a day and a half? Not much and so these are superficial observations using photos and captions if I can get them to work.
Edit: I have just checked this post before publishing and there is one blatant ommision: the people. Everyone we met was friendly and welcoming. It is hard to get the sensibility and values in such a short stop and the atmosphere felt quite different to southern India. Why? It is 70% Muslim, it is green and you sense the historic strong Iranian influence both in the architecture and the bloodlines. We felt safe and experienced no hostility towards England. A couple of people acknowledged the disaster that was Partition but not in an accusational way. Indeed they thanked the British for introducing houseboats onto Dal Lake and creating the industry that runs on today.
Coming in to land at Srinigar – the green is a shock after the UK summer and one of the reasons why the Kashmir Valley lodges in the imagination of so many – the climate is a respite from the heat of mainland India.The view from the Parimahal Mughal Garden, high on a hill, mystical, magical even. At one point there were 700 Mughal gardens. You will notice an immaculate golf course amidst the trees for the wealthier tourists.Emotional shame as behavioral change – why not? Post sunset from the houseboat on Dal Lake. The boats were introduced by the British when they could not buy property or land. Made from cedar they last for years. Spending time on a houseboat was a key part of the 60s hippy trail and they work for our non-hippies too.More sunset A Shikara ride on the lake – this is what tourists do. The Shikara boatmen are at the very sharp end of tourist demand and have their own union to protect their interests.A typical street scene. Not groundbreaking but Srinigar is clearly more than idyllic Dal Lake photos.The Shalimar Mughal Gardens on the edge of Dal Lake, full of locals and visiting Indian triple generation families with impressive picnics. Hyperactive joyful kids jump into the fountains. Beautiful, historic, cherished, we felt that the Kashmiris are very proud of these historic gardens.The Shalimar Gardens again. Family for scale.A side of Dal Lake the tourists don’t tend to see – our Shikara guide took us down the little channels where the locals live – apparently 60,000 people live in and around the lake. The lake has plenty of litter, abandoned buildings and dead plant life. The water is not clean and swimming is strongly discouraged. You cannot avoid the feeling that the tourist heyday has passed.More Dal Lake at sunset – a real privilege to experience it.
