Unending beauty of Kashmir #AtoZChallenge

I had spent around a week in Kashmir & each day was beautiful than the previous. The weather, rivers and mountains – all have a rhythm of their own. After our wonderful stay in Pahalgam, we returned to spend days in Srinagar.

Day 4 Srinagar

We spent our day visiting the gardens & Shankaracharya Hill Temple.

• Nishat Bagh

  It is the second largest Mughal Garden in Kashmir with twelve terraces.  There are mountains in the background & splendid view of the lake in front.  It was a sunny day & there families were enjoying picnic in the garden. The garden has a lot of variety to offer to the visitors & you are kind-of awe-struck!

• Shalimar Bagh

  The largest of all Mughal Gardens in Kashmir. It is another wonder of the Mughal Empire built by Jahangir to please his wife. All the gardens look similar, but it was disappointing as the fountains here were not working.

• Chashme Shahi

  This garden is famous for the story of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru getting the spring water to Delhi for his personal use. There is a fresh water spring which flows through the center of garden. It is believed to have medicinal properties. The people were collecting water in containers. It might have once been a source of pure water, but how can we be sure of it at present day!

• Pari Mahal

  It is located near to Chashme Shahi. The place is not too crowded. If you are interested in historical monuments, then the place would please you. It is inspired by Islamic architecture. You can get a bird’s-eye view for the valley from here.

• Shankaracharya Temple

  The temple is located on a hill-top & you need to climb approx 250 stairs to reach the top. Camera & cell phones are not allowed and it is guarded by Army personnel. Interesting fact about the temple is that it also has some Persian inscriptions. Also, the temple is sacred to Buddhists. That’s what I like about historical places; they are amalgamation of different cultures.

After spending the day exploring the city of Srinagar, we had done shopping for handicrafts in the local market. The whole day excursion was tiring we had dozed off to sleep soon.

Have you visited Mughal Gardens in Srinagar? Which one did you like the most? Do share your travel tales! 🙂