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Life on Dal Lake in Kashmir

11/16/2022

19 Comments

 

Life on Dal Lake in Kashmir

Original travelogue of Paradise on Earth by Medhavi Davda in NCERT language coursebook by Class7.

The floating market on Dal Lake was predominantly on my mind when I was in Srinagar for less than 24 hours after my trek to Kashmir Great Lakes. I wanted to experience living in a houseboat on Dal Lake and witness the floating market on Dal Lake - one of the most unique experiences of India. In the process I ended up exploring a lot more on the Dal Lake, which I had never heard of before.

I had a word with a Shikhara owner and he had instructed me to be ready at 04:00 am to start our ride to the floating market. It was my first night on bed in the houseboat after sleeping in tents for 8 continuous nights. The excitement to experience this event was so high, that I was actually ready at 04:00 am and he was waiting for me at the entrance of my houseboat. It was dark when we started. Traveling solo in Kashmir was anyways an adventure! I kept myself engaged in talks about the floating market with the shikhara rider to keep away from the stress of unwanted tension. 

The darkness faded out in some minutes and the lake looked pretty like never before.  This was some side of the lake, I've never seen even in the pictures. We navigated through the narrow lanes, under the wooden bridges, some houses on the sides and their mirrored reflections in. There were few more shikharas on the lake riding towards the floating market.
Early morning Shikhara ride on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Early morning Shikhara ride on Dal Lake, Kashmir


Floating vegetable market on Dal Lake in Kashmir

After 45 minutes ride, we made it up to the floating market. The vendors had already occupied the centre stage. All the shikharas loaded with fresh vegetables, made the lake look colourful in the wee hours of the day.
Floating vegetable market on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating vegetable market on Dal Lake, Kashmir


Barter system on Dal Lake in Kashmir

Did you know that barter system still exists in India? I was moved to see this part of humanity that still exists in India. The locals here grow vegetables in small lands near the house. Every morning they stock up their shikharas with their homegrowns and exchange them here. At the end of one hour, they all go back home with a mixed bag of vegetables, before the sun is out. There's no money involved, only exchange of vegetables.
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir

​The humanity was amplified in my eyes when I saw these guys carefully helping out eachother in transferring vegetables to each other's shikharas.
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir

​Sometimes even "3rd person" aids in exchanging vegetables by holding the shikhara while the other two do their barter business.
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Barter of vegetables at floating market on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Traditional Kashmiri houses on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Traditional Kashmiri houses on Dal Lake, Kashmir

​The floating market on Dal Lake was the most "No-nonsense" market I've ever seen. All the eyes are on the other's vegetables. An eye signal is enough for them to get to an agreement on the exchange. 
I laid my eyes on the houses behind the shikharas, where these locals live.

There was also a "Mr. Wonderful Flower Man"
Shikhara with flowers on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Shikhara with flowers on Dal Lake, Kashmir

The Mr. Wonderful Flower Man was sweet enough to come to me and gift me a flower from his bunch. I was the only outsider there who wasn't participating in the barter. He perhaps didn't want me feel left out.
Floating lotus gardens on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating lotus gardens on Dal Lake, Kashmir

The floating market wound up before sunrise and I asked my Shikara rider to take me around to the Nishat garden on his shikhara. It was way more expensive and time consuming than visiting the gardens through the road by auto rickshaw. Probably this was the second best decision I had taken, after the visit to the floating market. 
As we rode ahead, I saw some stunning actions on the lake and learnt a lot from the shikhara rider about the life of people in Kashmir.
Cranes on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Cranes on Dal Lake, Kashmir


People at work on Dal Lake

Srinagar is actually divided in 2 parts - people living on the Dal Lake and people living on land/road. Two extreme lifestyles exist in the capital city of Kashmir. 
The kids living on Dal Lake ride their own Shikhara to schools. 
Fishing is an important source of livelihood for people living on Dal Lake.
Fishing in Dal Lake, Kashmir
Fishing in Dal Lake, Kashmir

The women here are seen extracting the weeds from the lake. These weeds are used to make compost for their home gardens.
Weed compost at Dal Lake, Kashmir
Weed compost at Dal Lake, Kashmir

​A woman carrying the weed extracts in her Shikhara.
Woman carrying weed on her shikhara at Dal Lake, Kashmir
Woman carrying weed on her shikhara at Dal Lake, Kashmir


Wedding houseboat on Dal Lake

There is a marriage hall in the middle of the Dal lake with the mountains in the backdrop . I believe all the Kashmiris living on the Dal Lake celebrate a destination wedding by default.
wedding houseboat at Dal Lake, Kashmir
wedding houseboat at Dal Lake, Kashmir


Char Chinar Island on Dal Lake

There is a small island on the lake called Char Chinar, which has four Chinar trees. We parked our shikhara on the side and hopped on to this island to enjoy the tranquility of the lake,
Char Chinar at Dal Lake, Kashmir
Char Chinar at Dal Lake, Kashmir


First rays of sun on Dal Lake

Dal lake glitters when the sun rises from the mountains and spreads its rays on the lake.
First rays of sun on Dal Lake, Kashmir
First rays of sun on Dal Lake, Kashmir


Chori ki Kheti on Dal Lake in Kashmir

There are pieces of land floating on the Dal Lake called as "Chori ki kheti" (Stolen farmland) by the people here. These pieces of land are owned by whoever finds them floating and takes them along. 
The Shikhara rider asked me to step on that floating piece of land that was just 5-6 sq. feet in size. He guaranteed me that I won't sink in. 
Floating islands, chori ki kheti, on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating islands, chori ki kheti, on Dal Lake, Kashmir


​Nishat Bagh accessible through Dal Lake

Nishat Bagh is a famous Mughal garden. The garden opens at 08:00 am. I was there before time! We parked our shikhara on one of the sides at the bank of the lake and walked upto the garden across the road. I had omlette from the road side stall and waited for the gates to open. It wasn't the best time for the blossoms in the garden. But I had fun posing like the old actresses for pictures (which I won't post here) as per the instructions from my guide - the Shikhara rider. I sometimes get out of my comfort zone to do things like this, just to build a bond with the locals.
Nishat Garden/Bagh by shikhara
Nishat Garden/Bagh by shikhara


​Visit to a house on Dal Lake

We started riding back after the visit to Mughal garden. By now the Shikhara rider was a friend to me. I learnt a lot about Kashmir and the Dal Lake from him. He told me quite a few interesting and disheartening stories about the disputed land. He was now "Aashiq Bhaiya" for me. I told him I wanted to try the local salty tea called "Nunchai".
He took me to one of his friends' house on the Dal Lake, as seen in the pic below. The house was one from a fairy tale.
​The people in this part are really shy. They served me excellent nunchai with some local bread.
Visiting traditional Kashmiri house on Dal Lake
Visiting traditional Kashmiri house on Dal Lake


Kashmiri Hookah

Kashmiris are very fond of smoking a hookah and most of them own one in their house. I wish I could carry this brilliant piece of art back home!
Kashmiri hookah
Kashmiri hookah


Vegetable gardens on Dal Lake

I also took a walk in the vegetable garden surrounding the house. The vegetables tasted fresh and sweet because of the fresh water lake.
vegetable gardens on Dal Lake, Kashmir
vegetable gardens on Dal Lake, Kashmir


Doorstep floating stores on Dal Lake

There are door step services by shikharas for the people living on the Dal Lake. This guy had come to deliver some vegetables to the house I visited.
Floating vegetable stores on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating vegetable stores on Dal Lake, Kashmir

The floating plasticware store on Dal Lake.
Floating plasticware store on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating plasticware store on Dal Lake, Kashmir

The floating confectionary store on Dal Lake.
Floating confectionary store on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Floating confectionary store on Dal Lake, Kashmir


Water lilies on the floating gardens on Dal Lake

As the sunlight got stronger, the water lilies on the Dal Lake got into full bloom. The lake looked remarkable marvellous with these floating gardens of water lilies.
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir

Just a beautiful picture of a couple on a Shikhara on Dal Lake with the water lilies in full bloom.
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir

Aashiq Bhaiya pulled out a water lily and made a necklace for me. This gesture of his got a glow on my face which was even visible through the half-burnt skin (due to trek).
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir
Water lilies in full bloom on Dal Lake, Kashmir

Aashiq Bhaiya precariously dropped me back to my houseboat on time so that I don't miss my flight. 
My relation with Aashiq Bhaiya didn't end there. He called me the next day to check if I had reached home safe. He also couriered a pair of Kashmiri dangling earrings (called Athoor in local language) to me.

He had told me his younger brother has a shop in Varkala and lives there. A year later when I went backpacking to Varkala, I called up Aashiq bhaiya and he got all the necessary arrangements made through his brother for my comfortable stay in Varkala. Not that I really needed any help for the trip, it was just to keep the bond with him!
​
P.S. This travelogue of mine is published as a chapter for class7 in NCERT syllabus. Click for details: here

Related Posts:
Living in a houseboat on Dal Lake
The hidden lakes of Kashmir
19 Comments
Manisha
1/21/2017 08:51:18

Hi Medhavi.. love your blog and the posts. I haven't lived in India for a long time and had a very different picture of what traveling for a single woman would be like but your blog has made me recognize my assumptions.
Thanks for sharing this post on all things Dal Lake. I've known about it but never thought of visiting it.. your post makes me want to check it out. The simple life in the hilly areas is so alluring.
Good luck on your adventures and keep the posts coming!

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:24:22

Thanks for your comment and compliments Manisha.
You words give me a sense that I am doing my part right. The entire idea behind RavenousLegs is to open the minds (for me and the readers, both).
I wish you explore the Himalayas. All the best

Reply
vivek
1/21/2017 13:12:06

Too much interesting

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:24:43

Thank you Vivek

Reply
Shrinidhi Hande link
1/22/2017 22:35:27

nice to read. Good photos. Kashmir is still in my wishlist.

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:25:21

Thanks Shrinidhi. I wish to make more trips to Kashmir after tasting its flavour once.

Reply
Lavanya
1/23/2017 21:02:10

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog! No one has ever explained Kashmir like this 😊 it was as if I was living it with the pics and words

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:25:40

Thanks a lot Lavanya. So happy to read this. You make me feel that I'm doing my job really right!

Reply
mayuri patel link
3/1/2017 13:55:41

beautiful and interesting.the other sode of Dal lake which is not known by many.

Reply
Nivedita
5/7/2018 23:40:14

Hi medhavi!
I want to know more about the two different worlds in srinagar

Reply
Jayani
7/17/2018 17:27:24

Hi ,
I love to see all your photos once again can you say me aspects of that place and how are you feeling about kashmir

Reply
Prerana
6/8/2019 03:45:58

I have been out of our des for some time now.. A romantic at heart.. I love mountains. Have travelled the world, but reading your travelogue I had an incredibly sad yet beautiful feeling, I think its nostalgia mixed with remorse of not being able to see places so beautiful. I like your honest, breezy style of writing, nothing over the top, just beautiful.

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:26:04

Dear Prerana,
Thank you so much for dropping by. Feels great to hear that you liked my simple writing style :) India has such a lot of diversity to offer, a lifetime isn't enough to explore our own country to the fullest! Wish you the best for your travels..

Reply
Rashi
7/14/2020 00:24:01

After watching your pics I also want to visit Kashmir

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:26:24

Hi Rashi,
Kashmir is indeed a heaven on earth. Wish you the best for your travels.

Reply
Abhijat link
7/15/2022 01:00:25

I like this article and appreciate the effort put into it.

It's informative and useful too.

Reply
Dimple Yadav
10/12/2022 19:38:35

Aap ne jo paradise on earth chapter write kiya very interesting and knowledge full and you are my favourite writer I am also interesting in travel new places thank you

Reply
Medhavi Davda link
11/26/2022 16:27:27

I'm glad to hear from you, wish you all the best for a bright future!

Reply
oneearth link
12/6/2022 18:10:28

Simply Heaven ! love your article and may you write some article for jammu city as well... thanks for sharing

Reply

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    Author

    Picture
    Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
    I travel to Evolve..
    In Nature, I confide..
    I find my calling in the Himalayas..
    In the Oceans, I meditate..

    ​
    A High-Altitude Trekker & PADI certified SCUBA Diver, I love exploring the heights and depths of the planet with my regular doses of mountains and oceans.
    ​
    Discovering myself & life through nature, adventures, travels, sports and dance has been an addiction since my existence!

    Quite fond of the  natural & cultural diversity of India, I've travelled extensively in my own country before exploring international destinations.
    ​
    I had left my 9+ yrs of career in Software Industry in a quest to make a living out of my passions. I packed my basics in my car (gave away the rest) and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh for 16 months. This invaluable time taught me to experience life from a broader perspective.
    ​
    I'm currently living in Mumbai to work with an Adventure Travel company as a product manager for Scuba Diving. I continue living a minimalistic life.

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