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Contents

 

  1. History
  2. Getting Around
  3. Tourist Traps
  4. Local Customs
  5. Shopping
  6. Communications

Srinagar, the summer seat of the government of the state of Jammu and Kashmir has long been one of India’s most popular tourist destinations. In part, this has had to do with the multi-layered character of the city and its several attractions. And in part, this is because Srinagar serves as the base for the numerous places of interest and immense natural beauty that lie within Kashmir – and for most places, this remains the access point. Up to India’s Independence in 1947, only the cream of the country traveled and holidayed in Kashmir. Then, within a few short years, there was a boom in tourism and this soon became the backbone of Srinagar’s economy and thousands of visitors thronged to the valley of which the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir is said to have remarked in the seventeenth century, "Agar Firdaus bar rue zameen ast, Hamin ast-o, hamin ast-o, hamin ast" - If there is a Paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.

Srinagar is built on both sides of the river, Jhelum. The old city has quite a different character to the wide spaces of the parks and boulevards and gives expression to the phrase ‘cheek by jowl’; this part of the city with narrow streets and houses of exposed brick and elaborate timberwork – which includes half a dozen old bridges – is also the area where many craftsmen live and work; this includes most, if not all of the city’s copper workers.

Srinagar, which lies in a valley, changes its character with every season. It gets snow-laden winds coming down from the hills fairly early in winter. The lakes practically freeze over and yet, some of the iconic houseboats tethered to the icy banks still function. The famous chinar trees and boulevards lined by poplars are stripped clean of their leaves and before rain and snow firmly hush them, they make for a remarkably noisy carpet that rustles and crunches at every step. The inner architecture and scaffolding of these magnificent trees now comes up for display with proud trunks and wiry branches. People move about with 'kangris' with clay bowls and frames of wicker, that hold smoldering bits of charcoal under heavy 'phirans', warm long tunics. In summer, Srinagar gets fairly hot and temperatures can touch 38 degrees Celsius. The numerous parks become the venue for evening promenades.

History

The place-name ‘Srinagar’ is understood to be a combination of two words, ‘sri’, plenty or prosperity or abundance, and ‘nagar’, a town or city – and thus, ‘Srinagar’, the city of plenty. The position where the city is now sited is believed to have been populated from the times before Christ and this was one of the northern outposts of the great Mauryan Empire that once encompassed most of the Indian Sub-continent. One of the greatest kings of the Maurya dynasty was Asoka, who after a lifetime of war had a sudden change of heart when he saw the bloodshed on the battlefields of Kalinga and he became a Buddhist. It was under Asoka that Buddhism was introduced in Kashmir.

The following centuries saw Srinagar and Kashmir come under the rule of the Kushans and in those years, Buddhism continued to flourish. A sea change came when the marauding Huns ravaged the area in the sixth century and their dreaded leaders Toramana and Mihirkula plundered and slaughtered with impunity. The trail of destruction that the Huns left took a long time to rebuild, but then, right up to almost the middle of the fourteenth century there was stability. The last Hindu king was Laltaditya Muktapida. Written by Kalhana, the Rajatarangini is a chronicle of those times and despite certain inaccuracies, this is considered to be one of the finest windows to life in Kashmir all those centuries ago. After Laltaditya Muktapida, came the rule of Zain-ul-Abidin – who was popularly known as ‘Budshah’. With him came the introduction of Islam in the area which even today, remains the predominant religion in the Srinagar area.

It under the Emperor Akbar that Kashmir (and Srinagar) were brought under the rule of the imperial Mughals when the independent ruler, Yusuf Shah Chak lost his kingdom, supposedly by trickery. As the Mughal empire disintegrated, the stability of Kashmir was also eroded and there were several inroads by Pashtun tribesmen and most of Kashmir – as well as the city of Srinagar – came under the sway of the Durranis. At this time another great force was rising in northern India and this was the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and in 1814, Srinagar became subject to Ranjit Singh. With the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell apart and after the Anglo-Sikh Wars of the 1840s, the control of the Punjab passed into British hands – and this also gave them suzerainty over Kashmir. The British installed Gulab Singh as the independent ruler of the state of Jammu and Kashmir – and Srinagar became a part of this kingdom.

In 1947, when India became independent, practically all princely states acceded either to India or Pakistan. Some rulers held out for a while and one of these was the last princely ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh. His hand was forced and Hari Singh acceded to India when tribesmen from Pakistan (assisted by the regular forces), tried to capture the Kashmir area.

Getting Around

Taxis, auto-rickshaws and buses are available for local transport. Like many old cities, the winding lanes and timber and brick houses of the heart of Srinagar can best be seen on foot. For both taxis and auto-rickshaws bargaining the fare is quite the norm. In this, try and get a benchmark rate for whatever trip you are taking from your hotel or a local person.

Tourist Traps in the City

In everyday dealing, the biggest hurdle is the amount of haggling that is often required. This could vary from auto-rickshaws or buying souvenirs or settling the price of a non-standard hotel room or a houseboat. But normally, it is all done very pleasantly. Srinagar has been in the center of militant activity for over two decades now, but things are much quieter and the place is considered quite safe – but basic precautions must be taken. There is a large presence of the army and para-military forces; occasional checks and road blocks do occur.

Local Custom

Dress very conservatively in public – even in your hotel dress conservatively in public areas. Follow any requirements in terms of clothing etc while visiting a religious place.

Shopping

The sheer range of goods and souvenirs available in Srinagar often makes just shopping worth the trip. One of the popular (if relatively expensive buys) is cashmere – pashmina – shawls. Some mixes are also available – like pashmina and silk, or pashmina and wool and pashmina and polyester, but are not quite the real thing. Hand-woven ones, compared to machine-made ones command a premium and normally have some irregularity in the weave. The Kashmir Shawl Emporium and the government run emporium are good places for these. Quality carpets in both wool and silk are another good buy. Cheaper scatter rugs, ‘namdahs’ have a coarser base and are covered with bright embroidery. Papier mache, jewelery, leather, local tweeds, wood carving (mostly in walnut), wicker products, saffron, dry-fruits are some of the other things that can be bought. The iconic images of the leaf of the chinar tree (platanus orientalis) and the paisley (which many believe to have had its origins in Kashmir) will be found numerous handicrafts.

Communications

STD booths are located all over the city. Internet cafes are also available. BSNL broadband is the primary service provider; you can browse the internet, send mails or upload photographs; you may be asked to show some identification document like a passport or driving license. All major GSM providers are there in Jammu - Idea, Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone and Idea among others; but only post-paid connections function throughout the state of Jammu and Kashmir – though pre-paid ones may soon be allowed.

Mobile phones with connections from outside the state do not function in Srinagar.

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