Lonely Mountain

The first glimpse from the aircraft gets you hooked. Its every thing that one has ever envisaged of Kashmir snowcapped mountains playing peek-a-boo with the clouds.

The first glimpse from the aircraft gets you hooked. Its every thing that one has ever envisaged of Kashmir snowcapped mountains playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. Yet,when you land in the valley,its the brown landscape of Srinagar that hits you first; that,and the presence of the men in uniform dotting the citys landscape.

Srinagar is pretty,in a forlorn way. The Indo-Saracenic architecture of the 15 th century Jamia Mosque in Nowhatta,though,is straight out of a fairy tale,with its 370 wooden pillars,arched gateways and a quiet courtyard. Hazratbal,one of Srinagars best-known shrines,on the left bank of the Dal lake,is equally breathtaking.

But it is living on the Dal lake that really sets the holiday mood. The Dal might have shrunk because of pollution,but the charm of a houseboat remains undiminished. Rows upon rows of houseboats,some ornate,others plain,with catchy names like Alif Laila and Neil Armstrong line the Dal. Living in a houseboat is like having your own private villa on the lake. Inside,there are ornate wood panels and carved ceilings; browse through books in the lounge under a cascading chandelier or look out of the balcony at the vast expanse of the lake. And when the morning sun clears the winter fog,soak in the panoramic view of the peaks.

In January,the lake is frozen and good for ice-skating. But now in December,shikaras glide on the water carrying wide-eyed tourists or selling flowers,vegetables and other ware. Take a leisurely ride yourself to the floating market and look through shawls,wooden bric-a-brac and spices,or see the floating patch of vegetable gardens,hemmed in by willow trees that are used to make cricket bats.

Back on the shore,as you wander in the gardens that the Mughals had built at their favourite summer resort,you see traces of a bustling city that attracted tourists from all over the world. Now,there are few visitors,and most tourist draws need a facelift. But the city is still about romance. Make the most of it while you still can.

How to get there

Srinagar is two-and-a-half hour by plane from Kolkata Regular flights are operated by Jetlite. Ticket prices range from

Rs 3,000 to Rs 5000.

Where to stay

Valley group of houseboats;

A range of super-deluxe houseboats on the Dal

Damage: Rs 4,000 per day

Contact: 0194 2403037

The Lalit Grand Palace Hotel:

Damage: There are various packages available depending on the season and the

duration of your visit

Contact: 0194-2501001/ 2501002