Dal Lake In Kashmir

The Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes, not only in Kashmir, rather in the whole of India. It is the second largest lake in Kashmir and is almost 6 km by 3 km in size. The main attractions of the lake are the encircling mountains, blossoming gardens and orchards, Shikaras and Houseboats.

The embankments of Dal Lake also house a number of Mughal monuments and the campus of the University of Kashmir. Further beautifying the scenery of the lake are two hillocks that house the famous shrine of Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples. The other unique features of the Dal Lake are the famous Shikaras and Houseboats. Numerous houseboats line the lake, providing their guests with serene atmosphere and picturesque surroundings. The Shikaras provide ferry rides to and from the banks of the lake to the houseboats.

The Dal lake of Kashmir, India is divided into four parts by causeways, namely Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Scenery of this lake also consists of clusters of sloping roofed houses on its islands. Apart from being one of the greatest attractions of the valley, Dal Lake also supports the second largest industry of the region, fishing. The plethora of fishes in the lake provides occupation to a large number of people in the valley. It is believed Dal Lake originated from the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake, which at one point of time covered the entire Kashmir valley.