Life on Dal Lake in Kashmir

The floating market on Dal Lake was essentially 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

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

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

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

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

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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.

Traditional Kashmiri houses on Dal Lake, Kashmir

There was also a "Mr. Wonderful Flower Man"

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

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

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

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

A woman carrying the weed extracts in her Shikhara.

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

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

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

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

​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

​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

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

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

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

The floating plasticware store on Dal Lake.

Floating plasticware store on Dal Lake, Kashmir

The floating confectionary store on Dal Lake.

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

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

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

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!
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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