Around Srinagar

With its almost medieval charm, the old city of Srinagar has sights, smells and sounds to enchant the most jaded traveller. Its labyrinthine roads and bustling bazaars are a photographer's delight. Traditionally dressed men and women on their way to the city's many mosques and shrines, burnt brick buildings with their rich warm colour, these are some of the old city's moods which linger in the corners of a traveller's mind, long after one leaves Kashmir.

Hazratbal Mosque

Across the Dal from Shalimar is the mosque of Hazratbal, the only one of its kind architecturally in Kashmir. Made of white marble with a dome and a minaret, Hazratbal is the repository of a single hair of the Prophet Mohammed, exhibited to the public on certain days of the year. The mosque was built in 1619 during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Jehangir and shelters as a relic single thread of the Prophet Mohammed which Sayed Abdullah had brought here from Medina.

Dasgir Sab

A Souffi (Philosopher) came from the middle east to Kashmir to express his knowledge about the Islam. Inside the Shrine there are some of the remains
of the holyman left.

Shankaracharya temple

Within Srinagar, on its highest hill is the Shankaracharya temple nearly one thousand feet above the city. It is devoted to lord Shiva. The site dates back to 2500 BC. The philosopher Shankaracharya stayed at this site when he visited Kashmir ten centuries ago to revive sanatan Dharma. Before this date, the temple was known as Gopadri, as an earlier edifice on the same site was built by king Gppaditya in the 16th century.

Shah Hamdan Shrine (top picture)

This is the oldest of the old shrines in Kashmir. It has beautiful carvings.

Jamia Masjid

Built in 1604 A D. This is the largest Cathedral Mosque in Kashmir, built by
Sultan Mohammed Sikander.

Amarnath Cave

The cave of Amarnath, lying at an height of 3880 Mtrs. is a famous holy place of pilgrimage for the Hindus and is held in the same veneration as Mount Kailash in Tibet. The sacred Cave contains a Shiva Lingam formed of Ice, the size of which increases or decreases according to the position of the Moon. Usually there is a big Festival in the 3rd week of August every year thousands of people from all over the country and from different parts of the world visit this Cave. The difficulty of the pilgrimage continues in itself, an extra ordinary sacrifice.

Yusmarg

Yusmarg is a small meadow, set in the heart of the mountains in the south west of Srinagar, at a distance of 32 Kms. It can be reached via Nagam and Tsar. The road is motorable. Yusmarg is an ideal picnic spot. Nilnaga medium sized spring with blue water and deep rooted weeds, may be visited. From Yusmarg short treks can be made to Chitta Pathar. Smaller mountains like Twin peaks (point of departure Chashma Shahi) and Mahadiv approximately 4000 M ( point of departure Harwan) can be climbed, including the descent by people in good condition in one day. The valley is surrounded on all sides by a chain of mountains which range from 4000 M to 5000 M, Sunset peak 4745 M, Tata Kutti 4725 M and so on.