Shikaras drifting across Dal Lake, chinar trees lining Mughal-era gardens, and the meadows and rivers of Pahalgam — twenty photographs from one of the Himalayas' most photographed valleys.
Few places in India carry quite the same reputation as Kashmir — a Himalayan valley whose lakes, gardens, and meadows have drawn travellers, poets, and emperors for centuries. This gallery brings together twenty photographs from Srinagar, the region's summer capital, and Pahalgam, a resort town further into the valley.
Dal Lake sits at the heart of Srinagar — an urban lake spanning roughly 18 square kilometres, its shoreline lined with houseboats, gardens, and a network of floating gardens and waterways. The lake is best known for its shikaras, traditional wooden boats used both for tourist rides and by local vendors, including the floating flower and produce sellers who work the lake's channels.
On Dal Lake's shore stands Shalimar Bagh, the largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley — built in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir for his wife, Empress Nur Jahan. Spanning roughly 31 acres across three terraces in the Persian char-bagh style, the garden is lined with chinar trees, water channels, and fountains, and remains one of Srinagar's most visited sights, especially in spring for its blooms and autumn for the chinar trees' colour.
Further from Srinagar, Pahalgam offers a different side of the valley — meadows, pine forests, and the Lidder River, which runs through the area and is popular for river rafting and other activities against a backdrop of forested Himalayan slopes.
Srinagar's iconic lake, known for shikara rides, houseboats, and floating gardens and markets.
A 31-acre Mughal garden built in 1619, lined with chinar trees and water channels on Dal Lake's shore.
A resort town set among meadows and pine forests, with the Lidder River running through it.
The Lidder River near Pahalgam is a popular spot for rafting amid the valley's forested slopes.
Dal Lake, sometimes called the "Lake of Flowers", is an urban lake in Srinagar spanning roughly 18 sq km with a shoreline of about 15.5 km lined with Mughal-era gardens and houseboats. It's known for shikara boat rides, including floating flower and vegetable vendors.
Shalimar Bagh is a Mughal garden on Dal Lake's shore, built in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir for Empress Nur Jahan. Spanning ~31 acres across three terraces in the Persian char-bagh style, it's the largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley, lined with chinar trees and water channels.
Pahalgam is a Himalayan resort town in the Kashmir Valley, known for its meadows, pine forests, and the Lidder River, which is popular for river rafting and other activities.
A shikara is a traditional wooden boat used on Dal Lake, typically with a canopy and cushioned seating. They're used for tourist rides and by local vendors, including floating flower and produce sellers.
Shalimar Bagh and Kashmir's gardens are at their best from May to October — spring for blooms, autumn for chinar-tree colour. Winter brings snow, and Dal Lake can partially freeze in the coldest months.
All 20 photographs were taken by Prashant Dhingra in Kashmir, India, covering Srinagar, Dal Lake, Shalimar Bagh, and Pahalgam. More India travel photography is at prashant.dhingra.website/travel/india, including the Ladakh gallery, also in the Indian Himalayas.