Life on the Lake

Kashmir, the "Crown of India, is a place filled with proud culture and natural wonders. Unfortunately, it has been the stage for many military conflicts between India and Pakistan since partition separated her in half in 1947. Her beauty and her strategic position remind us of a tragic heroine.

Looking over the map of India, our eyes would travel northwards, and our hearts would dream of visiting this much talked about land. It seemed like an impossible journey, as all the resources we consulted said it was too dangerous to risk traveling so close to the Line of Control with Pakistan. We surprised even ourselves when we jumped on the opportunity to visit Kashmir, and began the two-day drive shortly after arriving in India.

Srinagar is the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and we arrived on a sun filled crisp autumn afternoon. Our final destination was a houseboat on Dal Lake. There are about 2,500 houseboats on Dal Lake and many offer accommodations to travelers. Each houseboat for rent is rated by the local Houseboat Association for to its facilities and services and is priced accordingly. The houseboat we booked, the H.B. Mantana, is a well kept fully appointed property featuring formal dining and living rooms, three large bedrooms each with their own bathroom, and a service kitchen for the butler.

All of the houseboats on the lake have their own unique name. Some of them are nicely descriptive, while others are rather standard, and a handful are just plain silly. "Crown of India" and "Heaven of Kashmir" are examples of descriptive names, while "Sunflower" and "Morning Glory" are rather standard. There are also many named after famous places around the world, such as "Buckingham Palace", "New Australia" and "New Sydney". There are names that seem out of place, like, "Hollywood", "Chicago", "Bangkok" and "Manila". There is even one called "Texas". Some owners with multiple boats located next to each other have names that can be pretty funny. There is "Mona Lisa" and "Young Mona Lisa", and "Dawn", "New Dawn", "Happy Dawn" and "Lucky Dawn". How about "Apollo Eight" and "Neil Armstrong"? The naming reminds me of love hotels in Japan.

Dal Lake is fairly shallow with a surface smooth as a mirror in many places. The Himalayas reflect their high peaks down onto the glassy waters, interrupted only by tracts of lotus and water lily leaves that float on the surface. Crops of tomato, melon, eggplant, radish, turnip and cucumbers grow on small floating gardens scattered around the lake.

The lake is a magical place with soft light bouncing off the water. When the sun rises after a cold night, a wispy mist rises from the surface of the lake and frosty grass along its bank, creating a mysterious atmosphere. While summer is the high season, we loved the quiet of autumn on Dal Lake. Our experience living on the houseboat was indeed a unique and rare occasion. With the recent stability of the Srinagar valley we can't help but recommend a visit to this jewel in Northwest India. The people of Kashmir are waiting for you with open arms.