The Dal Ride

Dal Lake
Dal is a lake in Srinagar (Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in Kashmiri means lake), the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The urban lake, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.
The shore line of the lake, is about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi), is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and from houseboats cruising along the lake in the colourful shikaras. During the winter season, the temperature sometimes reaches −11 °C (12 °F), freezing the lake.
The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) and is part of a natural wetland which covers 21.1 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi), including its floating gardens. The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August. The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered as an independent lake). Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.The houseboats are closely associated with Dal Lake which provide accommodation to tourists in Srinagar.
The houseboats
The houseboats in Srinagar emerged in the 19th century when the Europeans were intrigued by the beauty of Kashmir and showed interest in buying land in the valley to settle down. But there was a barrier to their request as it is restricted to purchase a land by an outsider in Kashmir which prevails until recently.
As a solution, the Europeans came up with an ingenious idea to build a boat like houses on the water bodies in Kashmir. This was a mid-way discovered by them to abide by the laws made by the state and this innovative idea gave birth to the houseboats in the valley of Kashmir.
At the time when the Europeans left the boundaries of India after Independence, these beautifully built houseboats were still standing on the Dal Lake. After much thought, the owners decided to convert the houseboats into luxurious hotels settled on the water. The houseboats were a great attraction for the tourists as it gave a beautiful sight of the snow clad mountains and the pristine lake. The growing demand for houseboats emerged as a great income source for their owners.

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Dal❤❤❤