Destinations India > Hill Stations in North India
By Road : Srinagar is connected by an all weather road to Jammu, which in turn is connected to many parts of North India. One can catch buses from Delhi but people making the trip by road should take up the route via Chandigarh, Amritsar or from the Himachal Pradesh hill stations.
By Rail : Srinagar's railhead is Jammu, which in turn is connects all parts of the country, including Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Pune, Mumbai and Kanyakumari. The distance is about 876-km from Delhi to Srinagar although almost everybody coming up from Delhi, or other Indian cities, by land will come through Jammu from where the buses run daily to Srinagar.
In Winter - December To February.
Srinagar
The capital of Jammu and Kashmir and the largest city in the state, Srinagar (1,730m) is famous for its canals, houseboats and Mughal gardens. The city itself is quite unlike most other large Indian cities for here you are much more in Central Asia than on the sub continent. It's a city full of intriguing alleyways and curious buildings. A place where it's very easy to spend a few hours simply wandering - particularly along the old city streets near the Jhelum river.City Of Lakes
Srinagar's lakes are the reason why the city receives so many tourists. Not just expanse of water, the lakes are filled with houseboats, villages, narrow water canals, lotus and vegetable gardens and houses and shops.
Life on the lakes, as witnessed from the confines of a Shikara, is unique. It is possible to book a Shikara for the whole day and sightsee Nishat Garden, Nasim Bagh, Hazratbal Mosque, Pathar Masjid and Shah Hamdan's Shrine, having a picnic lunch in the boat.
While Nagin is quieter, the Dal is full of local colour, with tourists being rowed in Shikara to shops selling every conceivable handicraft - all within the lake.
Prime Attractions of Srinagar
Aru
The chirrup of birds, the gentle swish of the breeze, the sapphire coloured sky, and all at 2408m above sea level - this is Aru. Far far away from the routine urban life, Aru is a meadow bordered on one side by a ravine of the Lidder River. A little stream also flows past in the green-gold grass.Avantipur
Situated at the foot of one of the spurs of the mountain Wastarwan, this temple site overlooks the Jhelum, which wends its tortuous way gently by the side of the Jammu-Srinagar highway.Dal Lake
Dal Lake is, initially, one of the most confusing parts of Srinagar for it's not really one lake at all, but three. Further more much of it is hardly what one would expect a lake to be like - it's a maze of intricate waterways and channels, floating islands of vegetation, houseboats that look so firmly moored they could almost be islands and hotels on islands which look like they could simply float away.Gulmarg Biosphere Reserves
The reserve area is located at a distance of 48-km from Srinagar, to its southwest. It is famous for retaining several rare and endangered species such as the musk deer, and a rich and varied avifauna.Hari Parbat Fort
The 18th century fort tops the Sharika Hill, which is clearly visible, rising to the west of Dal Lake. The fort was constructed by Atta Mohammed Khan from 1776 but the surrounding wall is much older, it was built between 1592 and 1598 during the rule of Akbar.Hazratbal Mosque
The most important Muslim shrine of Kashmir, that commands the reverence of the people beyond measure, is undoubtedly the Hazratbal Shrine, which is situated on the left bank of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. This unmatched reverence is anchored in the love and respect for the Prophet.Khir Bhawani Temple
Situated at Tullamula in the Srinagar district, it is an important Hindu Shrine. The temple is associated with the Hindu Goddess, Ragnya Devi. An Annual festival is held here on Jeshth Ashtami (May-June) when Hindus visit the place in large numbers to offer prayers to seek the blessings of the deity.Kokernag Springs
The great Mughal historian, Abul Fazi, has chronicled for posterity the benefits of the sweet water spring of Kokernag. This beneficent gift of nature is still regarded as having extraordinary healing powers .Mughal Gardens
Set some distance back from the lake, but reached by a small canal, the Shalimar were built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jahan, 'light of the world' in 1616. The Nishat Bagh is another lovely garden with its 12 terraces representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which descend gradually and seem to almost merge into the lake. Smallest of the Srinagar Mughal gardens, measuring just 108 metres by 38 metres, the Chasma Shahi, or 'Royal Spring', are well up the hillside, above the Nehru Memorial Park.Nagin Lake
Known as the 'Jewel In The Ring', Nagin is generally held to be the most beautiful of the Dal lakes. Its name comes from the many trees, which encircle the small, deep blue lake. Nagin is only separated from the Larer Dal lakes by a narrow causeway and it also has a number of houseboats moored around its perimeter.Pandrethan
Pandrethan 5-km to the southeast of Srinagar, is now within the Municipal limits of Srinagar itself. The modern name is derived from the ancient appellation Puranadhishthana, which literally means the 'old capital'. Thus, Pandrethan represents the site of the ancient capital, Srinagari, believed to have been founded by the great Maurya emperor AshokaShankaracharya Hill
Rising up behind the boulevard, beside Dal Lake, the hill was once known as Takht-i-Sulaiman, the throne of Solomon. The philosopher Shankaracharya stayed at this place when he visited Kashmir ten centuries ago to revive "Sanatan Dharma".Islands
There are three main islands in the lake, each poplar excursion points. Silver Island is at the northern end of Dal Lake and is also known as "Char Chinar" after the four-chinar trees, which grow on it. There's a small snack bar on the island as there is also on Gold Island at the south end of the lake. It is also known as "Char Chinar" for it too has four Chinar trees. The third island is Nehru Park, at the end of the main stretch of the boulevard and only a short distance from the shore. It too has a restaurant although it's a very run down, miserable affair. The children's playground here has also seen better days. Often in summer there are evening shows, dances and festivals held at Nehru Park. North of Nehru Island a long causeway leads out into the lake from the boulevard just off its end is "Kotar Khana", the 'house of pigeons', which was once a royal summer house.Jami Masjid
one of the most important mosque is an impressive wooden structure, notable for the more than 300 soaring pillars supporting the roof; each made of a single deodar tree trunk. The main gate is to the south and the outer cloisters surround a spacious, green and peaceful inner courtyard.Khanqah-e-Moulla
The shrine of Shah-e-Hamdan or Khanqah-e Moulla is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in Kashmir situated on the banks of river Jehlum in the old city. The shrine was originally constructed by Sultan Sikander (1389-1413 AD) in the memory of Muslim preacher Mir Syed Ali Hamdani who had visited Kashmir and stayed there for meditation and preaching.Mansabal Lake
Situated in the Jhelum valley on the route to the Wular Lake via Safapur, the lake can be reached from Srinagar via Shadipur or via Nasim and Gandarbal. The secluded, crystal clear sheet of green water was named after the sacred lake of Mansarowar that skirts the equally sacred Mt. Kailash.Pari Mahal
The old Sufi college of Pari Mahal, the 'palace of the fairies', is only a short distance above the Chasma Shahi gardens. One can easily walk from the gardens up to the Pari Mahal then follow a footpath directly down the hill to the road that runs by the Oberoi Palace Hotel. The Pari Mahal consists of a series of arched terraces. Recently it has been turned into a very pleasant and well-kept garden with fine views over Dal Lake.Pather Masjid
Almost directly opposite the Shah Hamdan mosque, on the other bank of the Jhelum, the Pather Masjid is a fine stone mosque built by Nur Jahan in 1623. It is not, however, in everyday use today and is consequently rather run down. Reach it by crossing Zaina Kadal, the fourth bridge.Shah Hamdan Mosque
Shah Hamdan Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Srinagar. The wooden mosque stands right beside the Jhelum and is noted for the Papier Mache work on its walls and ceilings. No nails or screws were used in the construction of this all-wooden mosque. Originally built in 1395 it has been destroyed by fire in 1479 and again in 1731.Shri Pratap Singh Museum
The Shri Pratap Singh museum is in Lal Mandi, just south of the river between zero bridge and Amira Kadal. It has an interesting collection of exhibits relevant to Kashmir including illustrated tiles excavated near Harwan. The museum is open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm except on Wednesdays when it is closed and admission is free.Tomb Of Zain-ul-Abidin
One of the east banks of the Jhelum River, between the Zaina Kadal and the Ali Kadal, is the slightly decrepit tomb of King Zain-ul-Abidin, the highly regarded son of Sultan Sikander, who built the Jami Masjid.Excursions from Srinagar
Gulmarg
The valley of Gulmarg, a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730m, 56-km south west of Srinagar. The name means 'Meadow Of Flowers' and in the spring it's just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not's and Buttercups.Pahalgam
At an altitude of 2,130m and about 95-km from Srinagar, Pahalgam is probably the most popular hill resort in the Kashmir valley. Since it is rather lower than Gulmarg the nighttime temperatures do not drop so low and it has the further advantage of the beautiful Lidder River running right through the town.Sonamarg
At a height of 2,740m, Sonamarg is the last major point in the Kashmir valley before the Zoji La pass into Ladakh. At the pass the green, lush Kashmiri landscape abruptly switches to the barren, dry landscape of Ladakh. Sonamarg is thus not only a good base for treks but also a jumping off point for trips into Ladakh.Amarnath
The Yatra (pilgrimage) on foot to Amarnath Cave, considered one of the holiest naturally occurring shrines of the Hindu faith, has continued annually for little more than a hundred years. Extending up 130 feet, the Amarnath Cave is high and shallow.Chrar-e-Sharief
Charer-e-Sharif was a Shrine holy to both Muslims and Hindus. The Islamic militants burned it down in 1995 at the behest of Pakistan. Sheikh Nooruddin, after all, was arguably the greatest mystic-saint of Kashmir.Dachigam National Park
Located very close to Srinagar (22-km), Dachigam National Park with its splendid forests and magnificent scenery is easily accessible. Of all the many sanctuaries in the state, the one at Dachigam is the best known.Wular Lake
Claimed to be the largest freshwater lake in India, the Wular lake can spread over nearly 200-sq-kms but its actual surface area tends to vary during the year. The Jhelum River flows into the lake, 40-km downstream from Srinagar, and then out again.Aharbal Falls
The falls are about 13-km from Shupian, from where there is a motorable road and a trekker's route leading through dense pine forest. The falls are said to be the best in Kashmir. The road leads over a high bridge at Kongwatan from where a magnificent view of the awesome gorge created by the Vishav River can be seen less than 2-km further on are the foot of the falls, where the river drops more than 15 metres over a distance of 3-km. The road continues on here a further 3-km to the top of the falls where from a rock outcrop one can look down around 60 metres to the river rushing below. The road continues a further 6-km to the village of Sedau, where the trek to Konsarnag begins. The first stage is a climb of about four hours to Kongwatan, an upland meadow. From here it is a further 10 to 15 hours walking to Konsarnag.Anchar Lake
Although this large lake is no great distance from Srinagar and easily reached by bus, it is rarely visited. A daily bus leaves Srinagar for the lake early in the morning and returns late in the afternoon. In winter it is home for a wide variety of water birds including Mallard, Pochard, Gadwall Snipe and Teal.Pandrethan Temple
A small, beautifully proportioned Shiva temple built around 900 AD, the Pandrethan temple is in the military cantonment area on the Jammu road out of Srinagar.How To Get There - Srinagar
By Air : Various airlines fly to Srinagar from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu and there are flights operating from Srinagar to Leh and back. Flights are more frequent during the summer Tourist Season; at that time there will probably be several flights a day between Delhi and Srinagar. Some services are direct, while others operate via Chandigarh, Amritsar or Jammu. Flight time duration from Delhi on the direct flights is about an hour and ten minutes.By Road : Srinagar is connected by an all weather road to Jammu, which in turn is connected to many parts of North India. One can catch buses from Delhi but people making the trip by road should take up the route via Chandigarh, Amritsar or from the Himachal Pradesh hill stations.
By Rail : Srinagar's railhead is Jammu, which in turn is connects all parts of the country, including Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Pune, Mumbai and Kanyakumari. The distance is about 876-km from Delhi to Srinagar although almost everybody coming up from Delhi, or other Indian cities, by land will come through Jammu from where the buses run daily to Srinagar.
Shopping
Other good shopping areas include along the Boulevard by Dal Lake where some of the flashiest shops can be found. The Bund also has an interesting selection of shops including suffering moses, where one will find some particularly high quality items. The Government Central Market, across Badshah Bridge, has a variety of stalls and again some government quality and price control is exercised, Hari Singh Stand, near the Amira Kadal Bridge, is a popular older shopping area, as are Polo View Road and Lambert Lane in the centre.Climate
The weather in Srinagar is alpine. Summers (April-June) are mild and winters are cold (November-February). It experiences heavy snowfall in December-February. The best time to visit Srinagar is during summers between April and June.Clothing
Heavy woolens are required in Srinagar.Best Time
In Summer - June To Early NovemberIn Winter - December To February.