Dal Lake

Dal ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir in Indian-administered Kashmir. It is an urban lake, the second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir, and the most visited place in Srinagar by tourists and locals. It is integral to tourism and recreation in the Kashmir Valley and is variously known as the "Lake of Flowers", "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel". The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

The shore line of the lake, about , is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, and from houseboats cruising along the lake in the colourful shikaras. During the winter season, the temperature can sometimes reach as low as , freezing the lake.

The lake covers an area of and is part of a natural wetland which covers , including its floating gardens. The floating gardens, known as "Raad" in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August. The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nigeen (although Nigeen is also considered as an independent lake). Lokut Dal and Bod Dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rupa Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.

At present, the Dal and the Mughal gardens on its periphery are undergoing intensive restoration measures to fully address the serious eutrophication problems experienced by the lake. Massive investments of approximately US$275 million ( 11 billion) are being made by the Government of India to restore the lake to its original splendour.

thumb|View of Dal Lake and the city of Srinagar from Shankaracharya Hill

History

Dal is mentioned as Mahasarit (Sanskrit: महासरित्) in ancient Sanskrit texts. Ancient history records mention that a village named Isabar to the east of Dal was the residence of goddess Durga.

This place was known as Sureshwari on the bank of the lake, which was sourced by a spring called the Satadhara.

The name "Sureshwari" refers to the goddess Parvati, suggesting that the lake was once considered sacred and possibly associated with the goddess. They developed the precincts of the Dal in Srinagar with sprawling Mughal-type gardens and pavilions as pleasure resorts to enjoy the salubrious cool climate. Pashtun tribes in the area around the lake and city increased, and the Afghan Durrani Empire ruled the city for several decades. In 1814 a significant part of the Kashmir valley, including Srinagar, was annexed from the Afghans by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to his kingdom, and the Sikhs grew in influence in the region for 27 years.

thumb|left|[[Nishat Bagh Mughal Gardens]]

During the Dogra Raj, Srinagar became the capital of Dogra territory, attracted by the cool climate of the Kashmir valley, amidst the back drop of the majestic snow covered Himalayan ranges. The lake precincts experience temperatures in the range of during winter and during the summer season. The lake freezes when temperatures drop to about during severe winter.

After the independence of India, the Kashmiri Hanji people have built, owned and maintained these houseboats, cultivating floating gardens and producing commodities for the market, making them the centre of their livelihoods. The houseboats, closely associated with Dal also provide accommodation in Srinagar. Following the Mughal, Afghan, Sikh and Dogra rule, the place has earned the epithet, "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir".

Physical properties

Topography

thumb|right|A sunset view

The lake is located within a catchment area covering in the Zabarwan mountain valley, in the foothills of the Shankaracharya Hill, which surrounds it on three sides. The lake, which lies to the east and north of Srinagar city covers an area of , although including the floating gardens of lotus flowers, it is (an estimated figure of is also mentioned). The main basin draining the lake is a complex of five interconnected basins with causeways; the Nehru Park basin, the Nishat basin, the Hazratbal basin, the Nigeen basin and the Barari Nambal basin. Navigational channels provide the transportation links to all the five basins. The length of the lake is with a width of . The lake has a basin having shore length of and roads run all along the periphery. Irreversible changes through urban developments have placed further restrictions on the flow of the lake and as a result, marshy lands have emerged on the peripheral zones, notably in the foothill areas of the Shankaracharya and Zaharbwan hills. These marshy lands have since been reclaimed and converted into large residential complexes.

Geology

Multiple theories explaining the origin of this lake have been formulated. One version is that it is the remnants of a post-glacial lake, which has undergone drastic changes in size over the years and the other theory is that it is of fluvial origin from an old flood spill channel or ox-bows of the Jhelum River.

Hydrology

thumb|Dal

The shallow, open-drainage lake is fed by Dachigam-Telbal Nallah (with perennial flow), Dara Nallah ('Nallah' means "stream") and many other small streams. The lake is classified as 'warm monomictic' under the sub-tropical lake category. Spring sources also contribute to the flow, although no specific data is available to quantify their contribution.

To address this, water balance studies to analyse and assess the characteristics of flow have been conducted in order to approximate the discharge contributed by the springs in the lake bed. The complex land use pattern of the valley is reflected in the urbanised Srinagar in its north, with rice fields, orchards and gardens in the lower slopes, and barren hills beyond steep sloping hills. The flat topography also affects drainage conditions. It receives an average annual rainfall of in the catchment, but during the summer, snow melt from the higher ranges of the catchment results in large inflows into the lake.

The maximum flood discharge of Telbal Nallah has been assessed as 141.5 metres3/s for a one in hundred return period; the 1973 observed flood in Telbal Nallah has been estimated as 113 metres3/s. The average annual flow, according to discharge measurements, has been estimated as 291.9 million cubic metres, with Telbal Nalah accounting for 80% of the total and 20% contributed by other sources. The silt load has been estimated at 80,000 tonnes per year with 70% contribution from the Telabal Nallah, with 36,000 tonnes recorded as settling in the lake. Macrophyte flora recorded in the lake's aquatic and marshland environment consists of 117 species, belonging to 69 genera and 42 families. The lake is noted in particular for its Nelumbo nucifera (lotus) which bloom in July and August. The prolific growth of Ceratophyllum demersum in the eutrophic zones has been reported, with Myriophyllum spicatum and Potemogetton lucens cited as dominant species. Other macrophytes discerned in different zones of the lake include Typho angustata, Phragmites australis, Myriophyllum, Sparganium evectum and Myriophyllum verticillatum, which contribute to the production of macrophytes. The rooted variety of the floating leaf type consists of Nelumbo nucifera, N. alba, N. tetragonia, N. candida, Nymphoides peltata, Salvinia natans, Hydrocharis dubia, and Potamogeton natans, all of which occupy 29.2% of the lake. Phytoplanktons include Navicula radiosa, Nitzschia accicularis, Fragilaria crotonensis, Diatoma elongatum, Scenedesmus bijuga, Pediastrum duplex, Tetraedron minimum, Microcystis aeruginosa and Merismopedia elegans.

Since 1934, some important changes have been observed in the lake's biota, including a reduction in the number of Chara species, and an increase in the area covered by Salvinia since 1937. Analysis of the lake has also revealed the tendency for it to develop monospecific communities of submerged macrophytes such as Ceratophyllum and Myriophyllum.

Woody vegetation in the catchment of the lake consists of species of Melia, Ailanthus, Robinia, Daphne, Celtis, Roses, Ephedra, and Pinus roxburghii, Pinus halepensis, Pinus gerardiana, Cupressus torulosa and Cupressus arizonica. The valley also has a rich cultivation of crops such as paddy, wheat and fodder. Dal's commercial fisheries are particularly reliant on carp fish species, which were introduced into the lake in 1957. As a result, carp constitutes 70% of all the fish caught in the lake while the schizothorax constitutes 20% and other species account for 10%. Fishermen use a locally manufactured cast net which comprises six parts with a diameter of 6 metres. It is operated from a wooden fishing boat made out of deodar, typically 20ftx4ft in size. The gradual decline in quality of the lake water through pollution has resulted in lower fish stocks and the extinction of endemic varieties of fish. The causes for such deterioration have been identified and remedial actions have been initiated. The various fishing nets being used in Dal are cast net (Zaal/Duph), Long line (Walruz), Gill net (Pachi, Shaitan zaal), Rod and line (Bislai), Scoop net (Attha zaal) (Bhat et al., 2008).

The lake is warm monomictic (mixing type) and the pH value recorded has varied from a minimum of 7.2 to a maximum of 8.8 on the surface over a yearly period. Non-point sources, such as seepage and diffused runoff, also add to this pollution and have been recorded as further adding 4.5 tonnes of total phosphates and 18.14 tonnes of nitrogen (NO3–N and NH4–N) to the lake. The restoration and rehabilitation measures envisaged under the "Conservation and Management of Dal" are under various stages of implementation with the funds allocated by the Government of India for the purpose. Some of the measures undertaken for rehabilitating the lake to bring it to its original eutrophication free status involved measures such as construction of siltation tanks, mechanical weeding, regrouping of houseboats, deepening of outflow channel and removal of bunds and barricades, including some floating gardens.

Chashme Shahi

thumb|Cheshme Shahi Garden Srinagr

Chashme Shahi, meaning "Royal Spring", is a fresh water spring and garden known for its medicinal properties. Its source located above the Nehru Memorial Park. It is the smallest of all the Mughal gardens in Srinagar, measuring x and it has three terraces, an aqueduct, waterfalls and fountains.

Hazratbal Shrine

thumb|right|Hazratbal shrine.

The Hazratbal Shrine (, literally: Majestic Place), also named Hazratbal, Assar-e-Sharief, or simply Dargah Sharif, is a Muslim shrine situated on the left bank of the Dal and is considered to be Kashmir's holiest Muslim shrine. It contains a relic believed by many Kashmiri Muslims to be the Moi-e-Muqqadas, a hair from the head of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to legend, the relic was first brought to India by Syed Abdullah, a descendant of Muhammad who left Medina and settled in Bijapur, near Hyderabad in 1635. When Syed Abdullah died, his son, Syed Hamid, inherited the relic. Following the Mughal conquest of the region, Syed Hamid was stripped of his family estates. Finding himself unable to care for the relic, he gave it as the most precious gift to his close Mureed and a wealthy Kashmiri businessman, Khwaja Nur-ud-Din Ishbari.

Mazar-e-Shura Cemetery

thumb|right|Mazar-e-Shura cemetery.

Mazar-e-Shura (; transliteration: Mazār-i Shuʿārā, translation: The Cemetery of Poets) is a cemetery on a small hill by the main road in Dalgate, an area of Srinagar. Founded in the reign of the Mughul emperor Akbar the Great, it was built in a scenic location on the banks of the Dal as a cemetery for eminent poets. Historical records show that there were at least five poets and men of letters buried in the cemetery: Shah Abu'l-Fatah, Haji Jan Muhammad Qudsi, Abu Talib Kalim Kashani, Muhammad Quli Salim Tehrani, and Tughra-yi Mashhadi, all natives of Iran who emigrated to India and were associated with the Mughal court. Due to neglect, only three tombstones are currently visible, one of which bears an inscription that is only partially legible.

Houseboats and shikaras

Houseboats and the Dal are widely associated with Srinagar and are nicknamed "floating palaces", built according to British customs. The houseboats are generally made from local cedar-wood and measure in length and in width and are graded in a similar fashion to hotels according to level of comfort. Many of them have lavishly furnished rooms, with verandas and a terrace to serve as a sun-deck or to serve evening cocktails. They are mainly moored along the western periphery of the lake, close to the lakeside boulevard in the vicinity of the Dal gate and on small islands in the lake. They are anchored individually, with interconnecting bridges providing access from one boat to the other. The kitchen-boat is annexed to the main houseboat, which also serves as residence of the boatkeeper and their family.

Each houseboat has an exclusive shikara for ferrying guests to the shore. All gardens in the lake periphery and houseboats anchored in the lake are approachable through shikaras. The boats are often navigated by one or two boatmen, can seat about six people and have heavily cushioned seats and backrests to provide comfort. The shikara is also used to provide for other sightseeing options in the valley, notably a cruise along the Jhelum River, passing by the famous seven bridges of the city and the backwaters en route.

Floating Post Office

The floating post office cum Museum at Dal Lake was inaugurated in 2011 by Omar Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the western edge of Dal Lake. It was called Nehru Park post office before 2011. The place will also have a philately museum. Postcards can be bought from Ghat no -1, Budiyar Chowk, and the floating Post Office puts a postage stamp on it.

File:Floating Post Office - Dal Lake - Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir.jpg|Floating Post Office - Dal Lake - Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir

File:Tiya posting a Postcard to Grandma and Grandad (14576453654).jpg|A girl posting a Postcard

File:Floating Post Office, Dal Lake (14598325813).jpg|Floating Post Office, Dal Lake

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"Dal Pari," a floating Mobile Medical Unit was started by Borderless World Foundation. This service started in the year 2023. The Dal lies within Srinagar and thus is well connected by road and air links. The nearest airport, which connects with other major cities in the country, is about away at Badgam. The nearest railway station is Srinagar railway station which is from Dal Lake. The National Highway NH1A connects the Kashmir valley with rest of the country.

Legacy

thumb|Dal Lake on a usual Afternoon

Salman Rushdie's Dull lake in his novel Harun and the Sea of Stories is a reference to the Dal lake.

The scene depicting sexual intimacy between Musa and his girlfriend Tilo in Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, takes place on a houseboat on the Dal lake.

"Dupte Nunem," one of the famous songs of Aadil Gurezi, refers to the breeze of Dal lake.