DAL LAKE ..........KASHMIR..............

Dal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir
tourism industry. A Himalayan urban lake, it has five
basins and a number of channels that are well linked
with each other. There are plenty of fishes in Dal Lake
and fishery is the second largest industry of the region
centered on the lake. The sparkling quiet waters of Dal
surrounded by snow-capped mountains 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 numerous gardens
and orchards all along its shores. Houseboats form an
indelible part of the scenery of the Dal Lake that are
always ready to take tourists to a romantic and
peaceful ride of the lake and soothe their nerves as the
houseboat floats over the slightly rippling waters. They
also 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 offers ferry rides to and
from the banks of the lake to the houseboats. The
shores of the Lake houses the distinct Moghul
monuments and the campus of the Kashmir University
while the two hillocks overlooking the lake house
Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples. The glorious
Mughal gardens on its shores contribute to the beauty
of the Dal Lake. Out of about five hundred gardens laid
down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive.
There have been controversies about the origin of the
Dal Lake. While some geologists believe that the
origins of Dal Lake lie in the Pleistocene Oligotrophic
Lake that once covered the entire valley of Kashmir,
others just believe it to be a flood plain lake. The
floating gardens of Dal Lake are considered a beauty in
themselves. One can find a number of restaurants and
hotels at the lakefront that have sprung up,
encouraged by the large influx of tourists here.