Information about Dal Lake
Location: Kashmir
State: Jammu & Kashmir
Capital: Shrinagar (Summer Capital), Jammu (Winter Capital)
Language: Kashmiri, Hindi, English
Best Season: May to October, November to February
Temperature (Celsius)
1. Spring – From March 15 to May 15.
2. Summer – From May 15 to July 15.
3. Rainy Season – From July 15 to Sept. 15.
4. Autumn – From Sept. 15 to Nov. 15.
5. Winter – From Nov. 15 to Jan 15.
6. Ice Cold – From Jan. 15 to March 15.
How to Reach:
By Air: The state has three airports, namely: Srinagar, Jammu and Leh. Major airlines like: Indian Airlines, Jet Airways operate regular flights to these airports.
By Road: The state has good road network connecting important neighbourhood cities Delhi, Amritsar Ambala, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Shimla and Manali.
By Rail: The most important railways station is Jammu Tawi, which is served many important trains and is so well connected with the rest of the country.
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 University of Kashmir 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.