History of Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, India

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History of Dal Lake 

HISTORY OF DAL LAKEDal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir tourism industry. A Himalayan urbanlake, it has five basins and a number of channels that are well linked with each other. Thereare plenty of fishes in Dal Lake and fishery is the second largest industry of the regioncentered on the lake. The sparkling quiet waters of Dal surrounded by snow-cappedmountains on its three sides, undoubtedly mark it as one of the most beautiful lakes of India. It is also the second largest lake in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with numerousgardens and orchards all along its shores. Houseboats form an indelible part of the sceneryof the Dal Lake that are always ready to take tourists to a romantic and peaceful ride of thelake and soothe their nerves as the houseboat floats over the slightly rippling waters. Theyalso offer some of the most exotic views of the splendid scenery of the Dal Lake.There are Shikaras that look like small ornate versions of the gondolas of Venice that offersferry rides to and from the banks of the lake to the houseboats. The shores of the Lakehouses the distinct Moghul monuments and the campus of theKashmir Universitywhile thetwo hillocks overlooking the lake house Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples. Theglorious Mughal gardens on its shores contribute to the beauty of the Dal Lake. Out of aboutfive hundred gardens laid down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive. There havebeen controversies about the origin of the Dal Lake. While some geologists believe that theorigins of Dal Lake lie in the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake that once covered the entirevalley of Kashmir, others just believe it to be a flood plain lake. The floating gardens of DalLake are considered a beauty in themselves. One can find a number of restaurants andhotels at the lakefront that have sprung up, encouraged by the large influx of tourists here

Ancient history records mention that a village named Isabar to the east of Dal Lakewas the residence of goddess Durga.

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This place was known as Sureshwari on thebank of the lake, which was sourced by a spring called the Satadhara.

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During the Mughal period, the Mughal rulers of India designated Kashmir, Srinagar in particular, as their summer resort.

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They developed the precincts of the Dallake in Srinagar with spawling Mughul-type gardens and pavilions as pleasureresorts to enjoy the salubrious cool climate.

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After the death of Aurangzebin 1707,which led to the disintegration of the Mughal Empire,

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 Pashtuntribes in the areaaround the lake and city area increased, and theDurrani Empireruled the city for several decades.

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In 1814 a significant part of the Kashmir valley, includingSrinagar, was annexed byRaja RanjitSinghto his kingdom, and theSikhsgrew ininfluence in the region for 27 years.