| Tourism
forms an integral part of the Kashmiri economy. Often
dubbed "Paradise on Earth," Kashmir's mountainous
landscape has attracted tourists for centuries.
The Vaishno Devi cave
shrine is nestled in the Trikuta mountain at a height
of 5,200 feet above the sea level in Indian Kashmir.
Vaishno Devi is the most important holy shrine of Shaktism
denomination of Hinduism. In 2004, more than 6 million
Hindu piligrims visited Vaishno Devi, making it one
of the most visited religious sites in the world.[9]
There are many mosques
serving the largely Muslim population, such as the Hazratbal
Mosque, situated on the banks of the Dal Lake. The sacred
hair of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is said to have been
brought to this part of the world by the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb and this relic lies in the Hazratbal shrine.
The shrine was built in white marble in contemporary
times and bears a close resemblance to the holy shrine
of Medina in Saudi Arabia where the prophet rests.
Nature has lavishly endowed
Kashmir with certain distinctive favours which hardly
find a parallel in any alpine land of the world. A spell
on a houseboat on Dal Lake has always been one of the
real treats, and Kashmir also offers some delightful
trekking opportunities and unsurpassed scenery.
Srinagar City is centred
around Dal Lake and this huge lake attracts millions
of tourists, both domestic and foreign. A drive along
the Boulevard (the road along the banks of the lake)
has been a favourite with locals and tourists alike
mainly because of the scenic beauty of the boulevard
and the shikaras. Srinagar City also has a lot of gardens
along the banks of Dal Lake. Nishat, Cheshma-i-Shahi,
Shalimar and Harven gardens all were built by the Moghuls
and are absolutely breathtaking in view all through
the year. These gardens have the famed Chinar trees.
These majestic trees resemble Maples but are much bigger
and more graceful.
Long ago, Dal Lake was
renowned for its vastness, which stretched for more
than 50 square miles. Unfortunately, today, due partly
to unabated tourist influx that largely has been unorganized
for some years now, this lake has shrunk to less than
10 square kilometres largely due to the abundance of
residential and tourist sectors along its banks. Government
mismanagement and apathy have also been contributing
factors to the shrinking of the lake |