Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the

summer capital A summer capital is a city used as an administrative capital during extended periods of particularly hot summer weather. The term is mostly of relevance in historical contexts of political systems with ruling classes that would migrate to a summe ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It lies in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...

on the banks of the

Jhelum River The Jhelum River (/dʒʰeːləm/) is a river in the northern Indian subcontinent. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir, to the Pakistani-administered territory of Kashmir, and then ...

, a tributary of the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning in this case not artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses t ...

, gardens, waterfronts and

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. Ho ...

s. It is known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl (made of pashmina and

cashmere wool Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and some other breeds of goat. It has been used to make yarn, textiles and clothing for hundreds of years. Cashmere is closely associate ...

), and also

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

s. It is the 31st-most populous city in India, the northernmost city in India to have over one million people, and the second-largest metropolitan area in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

(after

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

Origin of name

The earliest records, such as Kalhana's ''

Rajatarangini ''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Th ...

'', mentions the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

name ''shri-nagara'' which have been interpreted distinctively by scholars in two ways: one being ''sūrya-nagar'', meaning "''City of the

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a ...

''" (trans) ''"City of Sun''" and other being ''"The city of "Shri''" (श्री), the Hindu goddess of wealth, meaning "''City of

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

''".

History: Srinagar after 1980

In 1989, Srinagar became the focus of the

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Kashmir insurgency, is an ongoing separatist militant insurgency against the Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir, a territory constituting the southwestern portion of the larger g ...

. The area continues to be a highly politicised hotbed of separatist activity with frequent spontaneous protests and strikes ("bandhs" in local parlance). The city saw increased violence against minorities, particularly the

Kashmiri Hindus Kashmiri Hindus are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Hinduism and are native to the Kashmir Valley of India. With respect to their contributions to Indian philosophy, Kashmiri Hindus developed the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism. After their exodus ...

, starting from mid-1980s and resulting in their ultimate

exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

. Posters were pasted to walls of houses of Hindus, telling them to leave or die, temples were destroyed and houses burnt; but a very small minority of Hindus still remains in the city. Kashmiri Hindus constituted 21.9% of Srinagar's population as per 1891 census and 2.75% as per 2011 census. On 19 January 1990, the

Gawakadal massacre The Gawkadal massacre was named after the Gawkadal bridge in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, where, on 21 January 1990, the Indian paramilitary troops of the Central Reserve Police Force opened fire on a group of Kashmiri protesters in wha ...

of at least 50 unarmed protestors by Indian forces, and up to 280 by some estimates from eyewitness accounts, set the stage for bomb blasts, shootouts, and curfews that characterised Srinagar throughout the early and mid-1990s.Dalrymple, William
''Kashmir: The Scarred and the Beautiful''
. "

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...

." 1 May 2008. As a result, bunkers and checkpoints are found throughout the city, although their numbers have come down in the past few years as militancy has declined. However, frequent protests still occur against Indian rule, such as the 22 August 2008 rally in which hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri civilians protested against Indian rule in Srinagar. Similar protests took place every summer for the next 4 years. In 2010 alone 120 protesters, many of whom were stone pelters and arsonists, were killed by police and

CRPF The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a federal police organisation in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India. It is one among the Central Armed Police F ...

. Large scale protests were seen following the execution of

Afzal Guru Mohammad Afzal Guru (June 1969 – 9 February 2013) was a Kashmiri separatist, who was convicted for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. He received a death sentence for his involvement, which was upheld by the Indian Supreme Co ...

in February 2013. In 2016, after the death of militant leader

Burhan Wani Burhan Wani (19 September 1994 – 8 July 2016) was a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, an Islamist militant organization and insurgent group of the Kashmir conflict. He had become a popular figure amongst the local Kashmiri populace, having d ...

, there were mass protests in the valley and about 87 protesters were killed by Indian Army, CRPF and police in the

2016 Kashmir unrest Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...

. After revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent devolution of the state into a union territory in August 2019, a

lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...

was imposed in Kashmir, including in Srinagar. This lockdown continued for more than 15 months till 5 February 2021. Thousands, including three former chief ministers -

Farooq Abdullah Farooq Abdullah (born 21 October 1937) is an Indian politician who was Ex. President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. He has served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982, and as the union minister f ...

Omar Abdullah Omar Abdullah (; born 10 March 1970) is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, after forming a governme ...

and

Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba may refer to * ''Mehbooba'' (1976 film), a Hindi-language film * ''Mehbooba'' (2008 film), a Hindi-language romance film * ''Mehbooba'' (2018 film), a Telugu-language film *Mehbooba Mahnoor Chandni Mehbooba Mahnoor Chandni, known as Chan ...

- were detained for an extended period. The Union Government announced the restoration of 4G mobile internet in Kashmir, including Srinagar, on 15 February 2021.

Geography

The city is located on both the sides of the

, which is called ''Vyath'' in Kashmir, at the base of Zabarwan Mountain range. The river passes through the city and meanders through the valley, moving onward and deepening in the Wular Lake. The city is known for its nine old bridges, connecting the two parts of the city. There are a number of lakes and swamps in and around the city. These include the Dal, the Nigeen, the Anchar, Khushal Sar, Gil Sar and Hokersar. Hokersar is a wetland situated near Srinagar. Thousands of migratory birds come to Hokersar from Siberia and other regions in the winter season. Migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia use wetlands in Kashmir as their transitory camps between September and October and again around spring. These wetlands play a vital role in sustaining a large population of wintering, staging and breeding birds. Hokersar is north of Srinagar, and is a world class wetland spread over including lake and marshy area. It is the most accessible and well-known of Kashmir's

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

which include Hygam, Shalibug and Mirgund. A record number of migratory birds have visited Hokersar in recent years. Birds found in Hokersar are migratory

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

s and

geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...

which include

brahminy duck The ruddy shelduck (''Tadorna ferruginea''), known in India as the Brahminy duck, is a member of the family Anatidae. It is a distinctive waterfowl, in length with a wingspan of . It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the ...

, tufted duck,

gadwall The gadwall (''Mareca strepera'') is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. Taxonomy The gadwall was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. DNA studies have shown that ...

garganey The garganey (''Spatula querquedula'') is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and across the Palearctic, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India (in particular Santragachi), Banglades ...

, greylag goose,

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...

common merganser The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (''Mergus merganser'') is a large seaduck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. ...

northern pintail The pintail or northern pintail (''Anas acuta'') is a duck species with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding ...

common pochard The common pochard (; ''Aythya ferina'') is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin ''ferina'', "wild game", ...

ferruginous pochard The ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca''), also known as ferruginous pochard, common white-eye or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurosiberia. The scientific name is derived from Greek '' aithuia'' an unidentified seabird ...

red-crested pochard The red-crested pochard (''Netta rufina'') is a large diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek language, Greek ''Netta'' "duck", and Latin ''rufina'', "golden-red" (from ''rufus'', "ruddy"). Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes a ...

ruddy shelduck The ruddy shelduck (''Tadorna ferruginea''), known in India as the Brahminy duck, is a member of the family Anatidae. It is a distinctive waterfowl, in length with a wingspan of . It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the ...

, northern shoveller,

common teal The Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca''), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being th ...

, and

Eurasian wigeon The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (''Mareca penelope''), also known as the widgeon or the wigeon, is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus ''Mareca''. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range. Taxonomy Th ...

Climate

Srinagar has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfa''). The valley is surrounded by the Himalayas on all sides. Winters are cool, with daytime temperature averaging to , and drops below freezing point at night. Moderate to heavy snowfall occurs in winter and the

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

connecting Srinagar with the rest of India faces frequent blockades due to icy roads and avalanches. Summers are warm with a July daytime average of . The average annual rainfall is around . Spring is the wettest season while autumn is the driest. The highest temperature reliably recorded is and the lowest is .

Economy

In November 2011, the

City Mayors Foundation The City Mayors Foundation, also known as City Mayors, is an international think tank dedicated to urban affairs. It has been active since 2003 and runs the biennial World Mayor award, as well as providing pro bono consultancy services. Unlike Eu ...

an advocacy think tankannounced that Srinagar was the 92nd fastest growing urban areas in the world in terms of economic growth, based on actual data from 2006 onwards and projections to 2020.

Tourism

Srinagar is one of several places that have been called the "

Venice of the East The following is an incomplete list of places which have been nicknamed Venice of the East. List See also * Venezuela, country whose name means "Little Venice" * Venice of the North * Little Venice Little Venice is a district in West Lon ...

". Lakes around the city include

Dal Lake Dal is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and 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 t ...

noted for its

s and Nigeen Lake. Apart from Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake, Wular Lake and

Manasbal Lake Manasbal Lake is a freshwater lake located in Safapora area of Ganderbal District in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The name Manasbal is said to be a derivative of Manasarovar.http://kashmir-tourism.com/jammu-kashmir-lakes-mansabal-lake.htm, Manas ...

both lie to the north of Srinagar. Wular Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. Srinagar has some Mughal gardens, forming a part of those laid by the Mughal emperors across the Indian subcontinent. Those of Srinagar and its close vicinity include

Chashma Shahi Chashme Shahi or Chashma i Shahi Or Cheshma Shahi ( translation: ''the royal spring''), also called Chashma Shahi or Cheshma Shahi, is one of the Mughal gardens built in 1632 AD around a spring by Ali Mardan Khan, a governor of Mughal emperor S ...

(the royal fountains); Pari Mahal (the palace of the fairies); Nishat Bagh (the garden of spring); Shalimar Bagh; the Naseem Bagh.

Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden The Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India, which was established in 1987. It was created in memory of India's first prime minister. It contains many typ ...

is a botanical garden in the city, set up in 1969. The Indian government has included these gardens under "Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir" in the tentative list for sites to be included in

world Heritage sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The

Sher Garhi Palace Sher Garhi Palace is a former palace in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The complex is located in the south of the Old City at the banks of the Jhelum river. It was the residence of the Afghan rulers and Dogra Maharajas of Jammu and Kash ...

houses administrative buildings from the state government. Another palace of the Maharajas, the

Gulab Bhavan Gulab Bhavan is a palace in Srinagar, India. It is a former residence of the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir from the Dogra dynasty. The palace is in the eastern part of the city and overlooks the Dal Lake. History Construction was initia ...

, has now become the Lalit Grand Palace hotel. The

Shankaracharya Temple Shankaracharya Temple or Jyeshteshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated on top of the Shankaracharya Hill on the Zabarwan Range in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is at a height of above the val ...

lies on a hill top in the middle of the city. File:Srinagar floating market.jpg, Floating vegetable market on Dal Lake, the only of its kind in India File:Dal LakeVR.jpg,

Shikara The shikara is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir Shikaras are of various sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. A usual shikara seats six people, with t ...

s on

File:The Houseboats of Dal Lake.jpg, The Houseboats of Dal Lake File:India - Srinagar - 023 - Nishat Bagh Mughal Gardens.jpg, Nishat Bagh Mughal Gardens File:Chashme Shahi kashmir.jpg, Chashme Shahi Mughal Gardens File:Shalimar Gardens, Kashmir.jpg, Shalimar Mughal Gardens File:Bot garden lake.jpg, Small lake at Botanical garden File:WLM@J&K-Pari Mahal.jpg, Pari Mahal File:Hari Parbat Fort, Srinagar (5).jpg, Hari Parbat Fort File:Dal Lake In Mid Summer.jpg, Dal Lake in winter

Government and politics

The city is run by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) under the leadership of a

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

. The Srinagar district along with the adjoining

Budgam Budgam (), known as Badgom (; ) in Kashmiri, is a town in Budgam district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. In the 2001 census, it was recorded as having a notified area committee,This gives the population of Budgam adgamN. ...

and

Ganderbal Ganderbal is a town and a municipality committee in Ganderbal district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters of Ganderbal district.It is in Central Kashmir, it has an average elevation of 1,619 metres (5,3 ...

districts forms the Srinagar Parliamentary seat.

Stray dog controversy

Srinagar's city government attracted brief international attention in March 2008 when it announced a mass poisoning program aimed at eliminating the city's population of stray dogs. Officials estimate that 100,000 stray dogs roam the streets of the city, which has a human population of just under 900,000. In a survey conducted by an NGO, it was found that some residents welcomed this program, saying the city was overrun by dogs, while critics contended that more humane methods should be used to deal with the animals. The situation has become alarming with local news reports coming up at frequent intervals highlighting people, especially children being mauled by street dogs.

Demographics

As of 2011 census Srinagar urban agglomeration had 1,273,312 population. Both the city and the urban agglomeration has average literacy rate of approximately 70%. The child population of both the city and the urban agglomeration is approximately 12% of the total population. Males constituted 53.0% and females 47% of the population. The sex ratio in the city area is 888 females per 1000 males, whereas in the urban agglomeration it is 880 per 1,000. The predominant religion of Srinagar is Islam with 96% of the population being Muslim. Hindus constitute the second largest religious group representing 2.75% of the population. The remaining population constitutes Sikhs, Buddhist and Jains. Kashmiri Hindus constituted 21.9% of Srinagar's population as per 1891 census and 2.75% as per 2011 census.

Transport

A DEMU passenger train at Srinagar Railway Station Platform

Road

The city is served by many highways, including National Highway 1A and National Highway 1D.

Air

Srinagar International Airport Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport also known as Srinagar Airport and Budgam Airbase, is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is owned by the Indian Air Force, and the Airports Autho ...

has regular domestic flights to

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

and

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

and occasional international flights. An expanded terminal capable of handling both domestic and international flights was inaugurated on 14 February 2009 with

Air India Express Air India Express is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. It is operated by Air India Express Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian flag carrier airline Air India. It operates around 649 flights per week to 33 de ...

flights to

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...

. Hajj flights also operate from this airport to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

Rail

Srinagar is a station on the long Banihal-Baramulla line that started in October 2009 and connects Baramulla to Srinagar,

Anantnag Anantnag (/ə'nʌntna:g/ or /-nɑːg/ ), also called Islamabad, is the administrative headquarters of the Anantnag district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of 53 kilometres (33 miles) from the un ...

and

Qazigund Qazigund, also known as Gateway Of Kashmir, is a town and in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Qazigund is located at . It has an average elevation of 1670 m (5478 feet) above mean sea level. Qazigund Bypass Passes T ...

. The railway track also connects to

Banihal Banihal () is a town and a notified area committee, near Ramban town in Ramban district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a rural and hilly area with Kamirwah being one of the most prominent hills. It is located about ...

across the

Pir Panjal The Pir Panjal Range (Kashmiri: ) is a group of mountains in the Lesser Himalayan region, running from east-southeast (ESE) to west-northwest (WNW) across the Indian territories of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and then Pakistan's ...

mountains through a newly constructed 11 km long Banihal tunnel, and subsequently to the Indian railway network after a few years. It takes approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds for a train to cross the tunnel. It is the longest rail tunnel in India. This railway system, proposed in 2001, is not expected to connect the Indian railway network until 2017 at the earliest, with a cost overrun of 55 billion INR. The train also runs during heavy snow. There are proposals to develop a metro system in the city. The feasibility report for the

Srinagar Metro The Srinagar Metro is a light rail transit planned for the city of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The plans for the Srinagar Metro have been finalised with the work expected to start once the project gets nod from union cabinet. The propos ...

is planned to be carried out by

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) is a centre-state joint venture that operates the Delhi Metro. The DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India and abroad. ...

Cable car

In December 2013, the 594m cable car allowing people to travel to the shrine of the Sufi saint

Hamza Makhdoom Hamza Makhdoom, popularly known as Makhdoom Sahib (c. 1494 – c. 1576), was a Sufi mystic living in Kashmir. He is sometimes referred to as Mehboob-ul-Alam (literally, "beloved of the world") and Sultan-ul-Aarifeen (literally, "king among tho ...

Hari Parbat Hari Parbat (), also called Koh-i-Maran (), is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of a fort, built by the Durrani Empire, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, and gurdwara. The ...

was unveiled. The project is run by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC), and has been envisioned for 25 years. An investment of 300 million INR was made, and it is the second cable car in Kashmir after the

Gulmarg Gondola Gulmarg Gondola in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, an administered union territory of India is the second longest and second highest cable car in the world. Higher lines include the ''Dagu Glacier Gondola''. Background The two-stage gondola ...

Boat

Whilst popular since the 7th century, water transport is now mainly confined to

, where

shikara The shikara is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir Shikaras are of various sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. A usual shikara seats six people, with t ...

s (wooden boats) are used for local transport and tourism. There are efforts to revive transportation on the River

Jhelum Jhelum (Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

Culture

Like the territory of

, Srinagar too has a distinctive blend of cultural heritage. Holy places in and around the city depict the historical cultural and religious diversity of the city as well as the Kashmir valley.

Places of worship

There are many religious holy places in Srinagar. They include: *

Hazratbal Shrine The Hazratbal Shrine ( ks, ), popularly called Dargah Sharif ("the Holy Shrine"), is a Muslim shrine located in Hazratbal locality of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It contains a relic, ''Moi-e-Muqqadas'', which is widely believed to ...

, only domed mosque in the city. *

Jama Masjid, Srinagar Jamia Masjid is a mosque in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. Situated at Nowhatta in the middle of the Downtown Srinagar, Old City, the Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Sikandar Butshikan, Sikandar in 13 ...

, one of the oldest mosques in Kashmir * Khanqah-e-Moula, first Islamic centre in Kashmir * Aali Masjid, in Eidgah Locality *

hill hosts shrine of Sharika Mata temple * Zeashta Devi Shrine a holy shrine for

Shankaracharya temple Shankaracharya Temple or Jyeshteshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated on top of the Shankaracharya Hill on the Zabarwan Range in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is at a height of above the val ...

* Gurdwara Chatti Patshahi * Pathar Masjid * All Saints Church, Srinagar * Holy Family Catholic Church (Srinagar) Additional structures include the

Dastgeer Sahib Dastgeer Sahib is a Sufi shrine located in Khanyar, Srinagar, Kashmir. History Dastgeer Sahib is a 200-year-old shrine situated in Khanyar. Abdul Qadir Gilani, Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jelani stayed there. It has the old Quran written by Ali Ib ...

shrine, Mazar-e-Shuhada,

Roza Bal The Roza Bal, Rouza Bal, or Rozabal is a shrine located in the Khanyar quarter in downtown area of Srinagar in Kashmir, India. The word ''roza'' means tomb, the word ''bal'' mean place. Locals believe a sage is buried here, Yuz Asaf, alongs ...

shrine, Khanqah of Shah Hamadan, Pathar Masjid ("The Stone Mosque"),

shrine, tomb of the mother of Zain-ul-abidin, tomb of Pir Haji Muhammad, Akhun Mulla Shah Mosque, cemetery of Baha-ud-din Sahib, tomb and Madin Sahib Mosque at Zadibal. Apart from these, dozens of smaller mosques are located all over the city. Several temples and temple ghats are located on the banks of river Jhelum in Srinagar, including Shurayar temple, Gadhadhar temple, Pratapishwar temple, Ganpatyar Ganesh temple, Purshyar temple, Sheshyar temple, Raghunath Mandir, Durga Patshala and Dhar temple. Gurdwaras are located in Rainawari, Amira Kadal, Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Shaheed Gunj, Maharajpur and Indra Nagar areas of the city. There are three Christian churches in Srinagar. The Sheikh Bagh Cemetery is a Christian cemetery located in Srinagar that dates from the British colonial era. The oldest grave in the cemetery is that of a British colonel from the 9th Lancers of 1850 and the cemetery is valued for the variety of persons buried there which provides an insight into the perils faced by British colonisers in India. It was damaged by floods in 2014. It contains a number of war graves. The notable interments here are Robert Thorpe and Jim Borst. File:Hazratbal Shrine.jpg,

built in around 1700 AD File:Shankaracharya temple.jpg, The

built in around 200 BC File:Khanqah-e-Moula 01.jpg, Khanqah-e-Moula File:Ancient Temple-Hari Parbat-2.JPG, Sharika Mata Temple File:Pathar Masjid in Srinagar.jpg, Pathar Masjid File:Gurdwara_Chatti_Patshahi_Srinagar.jpg, Gurdwara Chatti Patsahi

Performing arts

Education

University Convocation Complex, University of Kashmir

Srinagar is home to various premiere Higher Education Institutes including the

University of Kashmir The University of Kashmir (U-K, UoK), informally known as Kashmir University (KU), is a collegiate public state university located on the western side of Dal Lake in the city of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India which was established in 1948 ...

, the

Cluster University of Srinagar ''Cluster University of Srinagar'' (C-U, CUS) is a collegiate state university located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a cluster of five colleges of the Srinagar city. It has been established under ''The Srinagar and Jammu Cluster U ...

Central University of Kashmir Central University of Kashmir (often abbreviated as cukashmir), formerly Central University of Jammu and Kashmir, is a central university located in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It has been established in March 2009 thro ...

besides the

National Institute of Technology Srinagar National Institute of Technology Srinagar (NIT Srinagar or NITSRI) is a public technical university located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is one of the 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and as such is directly under the ...

formerly known as Regional Engineering College (REC Srinagar). Most of these are among the oldest and earliest Institutions of the country including the

dating back to 1948 while the

was established during the second Five year plan. The educational institutions in the City include: Schools *

Tyndale Biscoe School Tyndale Biscoe School is a school in the Sheikh Bagh neighbourhood, in the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The school was founded in 1880 CE and is one of the oldest schools in Jammu and Kashmir, the oldest being S.P sch ...

* Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School *

Burn Hall School “In Toil We Flourish” , city = Srinagar Jammu and KashmirIndia , coordinates = , type = Missionary , established = (originally in 1942) , founder = Fat ...

* Mallinson Girls School *

Delhi Public School, Srinagar The Delhi Public School Society in Delhi, consists of numerous Society schools. The number of schools has been consistently increasing over six decades. As of April 2022, there are 13 core schools and around 206 franchise schools in the DPS S ...

* Woodlands House School *

Little Angels High School, Srinagar Little Angels High School is a secondary (high) school in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. It was established in 1992 and is affiliated to Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education. Medium of education The school uses E ...

Modern High School, Solina, Srinagar Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

* Green Valley Educational Institute Medical colleges *

Government Medical College, Srinagar The Government Medical College, Srinagar ( Urdu: , Kashmiri: ; also known as GMC Srinagar) is a government medical college and hospital located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It was established in 1959. It is the oldest medical college ...

SMHS Hospital Shri Hari Singh, Maharaja Hari Singh, commonly known as SMHS Hospital or Hedwun Hospital, is the multi-speciality state-owned hospital in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar. History C.M.Hadow was an Austrian merchant and philanthropist. He came to ...

Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (Urdu: ), often abbreviated as SKIMS, is the largest medical Institute under State Legislature Act in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. SKIMS is the only medical university of the un ...

Universities *

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir is an agricultural university located in Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. With its main campus and Faculty of Horticulture in Shalimar, Srinagar, the uni ...

General degree colleges *

Amar Singh College Amar Singh College (Urdu: , Kashmiri: ) is an academic & professional college in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the second oldest college in the Kashmir Valley after Sri Pratap College. History It was established in November 1913 ...

Sri Pratap College Sri Pratap College, commonly known as SP College, is an academic and professional college in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The college has been accredited by NAAC with an 'A' Grade. It is the oldest institute of higher education in the ...

Islamia College of Science and Commerce, Srinagar The Islamia College of Science and Commerce, Srinagar (commonly referred to as Islamia College or ICSC) is a University Grants Commission Autonomous College, and accredited as A grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council, in the st ...

Broadcasting

Srinagar is broadcasting hub for radio channels in UT which are

Radio Mirchi Radio Mirchi (also known as 98.3 Mirchi) is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group. ''Mirchi'' is Hindi for re ...

98.3FM,

Red FM 93.5 Red FM (Often stylized as ''Superhits 93.5 RED FM'') is an Indian FM radio network headquartered in Chennai and owned by Chennai-based Sun Group. The network broadcasts content in various Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Te ...

and AIR Srinagar. State television channel

DD Kashir DD Kashir is a regional subsidiary television station of Doordarshan in Jammu and Kashmir which is owned by Broadcasting Ministry of India centrally focusing on tradition of Kashmiri culture and heritage, telecasting from Doordarshan Kendra ...

is also broadcast.

Sports

The city is home to the

Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium is a cricket stadium located in Srinagar, India. It is home to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, JKCA and Jammu and Kashmir cricket team which represents the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union terr ...

, where international cricket matches have been played. The first international match was played in 1983 in which West Indies defeated

and the last international match was played in 1986 in which

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

defeated India by six wickets. Since then no international matches have been played in the stadium due to the security situation (although the situation has now improved quite considerably). Srinagar has an outdoor stadium namely

Bakshi Stadium Bakshi Stadium is a stadium in Wazir Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir. It is a stadium with a capacity for 45,000 people and is mainly used for football matches. The stadium is able to host the highest-standard matches, including some of Real Kashmir F ...

for hosting football matches. It is named after

Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad (1907–1972) was an Indian politician belonging to the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, who served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1953 to 1964. Bakshi was a member of the National Conference from i ...

. The city has a golf course named Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar located on the banks of Dal lake, which is considered one of the best golf courses of India. Football is also followed by the youth of Srinagar and

TRC Turf Ground TRC Turf Ground is an association football stadium located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Owned by Jammu & Kashmir Football Association, It is currently the home ground of Real Kashmir and most JKFA Professional League teams. History ...

is maintained for the particular sports recently. Srinagar is the home of professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club

Real Kashmir FC Real Kashmir FC is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, Club competes in both the I-League, and J&K Premier Football League. Nicknamed '' Snow Leopards'', it is the first ever club from Jammu and Kashmi ...

, which competes in

I-League The I-League (known as Hero I-League for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp) is the second-tier men's professional football competition of the Indian football league system. It is currently contested by 12 clubs across the country with the wi ...

. There are certain other sports being played but those are away from the main city like in

Pahalgam Pahalgam (), known as Pahalgom (; in Kashmiri) is a town and a notified area committee, near Anantnag city in the Anantnag district of the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination and hi ...

(Water rafting) and

Gulmarg Gulmarg (), known as Gulmarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a town, hill station, popular skiing destination, and notified area committee in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located at a distance of from Baramulla and from S ...

(skiing).

Notable people

Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...

(1946–present) *

Agha Shahid Ali Agha Shahid Ali (4 February 1949 – 8 December 2001) was an Indian-born poet who immigrated to the United States, and became affiliated with the literary movement known as New Formalism in American poetry. His collections include ''A Walk T ...

(1949–2001) *

Bakshi Abdur Rashid Bakshi Abdur Rashid (1 January 1923 – August 1977) was an Indian politician who was a member of the 2nd Lok Sabha & 3rd Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Srinagar constituency of Jammu & Kashmir and was a member of the Congress (I) polit ...

(1923–1977)

References

Bibliography

* Hewson, Eileen. (2008) ''Graveyards in Kashmir India''. Wem, England: Kabristan Archives.

External links

*
Srinagar district administration

Official website of Jammu and Kashmir

Delhi to Srinagar train
{{Authority control Metropolitan cities in India Cities and towns in Srinagar district Indian union territory capitals Cities in Jammu and Kashmir