Srinagar#Tourism

The earliest records, such as Kalhana's Rajatarangini, mentions the Sanskrit name shri-nagara which have been interpreted distinctively by scholars in two ways: one being "The city of "Shri" (श्री), the Hindu goddess of prosperity, meaning "City of Lakshmi"{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=Suresh K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDtuAAAAMAAJ |title=Encyclopaedia of Kashmir |date=1996 |publisher=Anmol Publications Pvt Limited |isbn=978-81-7488-051-2 |page=137|quote=Shri Nagar or, as it is commonly called, Srinagar, is the chief town of the country . ' Shri ' means beauty or wealth of knowledge and ' nagar ' a city }}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mZXB964fKnwC |title=Kashmir |date=1953 |page=36|quote=Shri ' is said to be another name for Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Beauty and ' nagari ' means the city . Hence ' Shrinagar ' is the city of wealth and beauty .}}{{Cite book |last=Shafi |first=Aneesa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nH3gRGAHQIkC |title=Working Women in Kashmir: Problems and Prospects |date=2002 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7648-350-6 |page=189|quote=The name Srinagar which means the city of Sri or Lakshmi appears to have been assigned to the capital to commemorate the Buddhist Monastery built by Ashoka between Pandrethan and the nearby steep hill side at a distance of 2 miles from ...}}{{sfn|Khan|1978|loc=p.2:"According to Kalhana, ancient Kashmir has had a number of capitals. The most important of these ancient cities was Srinagari, which was founded by Asoka in 250 B.C. 3 Srinagari, the city of Sri, an appellation of the goddess '. Lakshmi ..."}}{{Cite book |last=Charnock |first=Richard Stephen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2BulY4WvsYC&pg=PA187 |title=Local Etymology: A Derivative Dictionary of Geographical Names |date=1859 |publisher=Houlston and Wright |page=187}}{{Cite book |last=Koul |first=Samsar Chand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42lDAAAAYAAJ |title=Srinagar and Its Environs: Kashmir, India |date=1962 |publisher=Lokesh Koul|quote=Shri Nagar or, as it is commonly called, Srinagar, is the chief town of the country . ' Shri ' means beauty or wealth of knowledge and ' nagar ' a city . In ancient times this city was one of the chief seats of learning in Asia}}

and other being sūrya-nagar, meaning "City of the Surya" (trans) "City of Sun."{{Cite book |last=Lawrence |first=Sir Walter Roper |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqAHweWRUs0C&pg=PA35 |title=The Valley of Kashmir |date=2005 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1630-1 |page=35}}M. Monier Monier–Williams, "Śrīnagar", in: The Great Sanskrit–English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1899{{Cite book |last=Sufi |first=G. M. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjVuAAAAMAAJ |title=Kashīr, Being a History of Kashmir from the Earliest Times to Our Own |date=1974 |publisher=Light & Life Publishers |page=42|quote=SRINAGAR * or Suryea Nagar, the City of the Sun, built by Rajah Pravarasene about the beginning of the 6th century, is the Capital of Kashmir, and a plan of it will be found in Montgomerie's Jamoo and Kashinir Map . It is situated about ...}}{{harvnb|Rabbani|1981|p=32}}: "Old Srinagar Kalhana, who lived in the beginning of the twelfth century, mentions in his Rajtarangni the city of Srinagar, a city in the south – east ... Shri here does not mean Surya or the son and it is a mistake to call Srinagar, the city of sun ." The name was used for an older capital in the vicinity of the present-day city, before being used for it.{{sfn|Kaul|2018|loc=p.157: "(in footnote) In reality, it is the name Srinagar that stuck but the location of the modern-day Srinagar, the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is at the site of Pravarapura that was founded by King Pravarasena circa 6th century CE."}} Between the 14th and 19th centuries, and especially during Mughal rule, the city was also referred to simply as Kashmir or Shahr-i-Kashmir ({{lit|City of Kashmir}}).{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=8–9}}

File:Pandrethan Shiva Temple, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India (1981).jpg at Pandrethan, near Srinagar, built {{circa|8th–9th century CE}}]]

According to the Rajatarangini of Kalhana, a capital city by the name of Srinagari was built in the Kashmir valley by Ashoka.{{efn|Despite several discrepancies, scholars identify this Ashoka of the Rajatarangini with the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.{{sfn|Wani|Wani|2023|p=75}}{{sfn|Kaul|2018|p=110}}}} Kalhana calls this capital puranadhisthana, Sanskrit for 'old capital', identified as present-day Pandrethan, 3.5 kilometres south-east of Srinagar.{{sfn|Wani|Wani|2023|p=75}} A 'new capital' was built by king Pravarasena, called Parvarapura, in 6th century CE. Srinagari continued to be used as a name for this capital. This new capital was located at the base of the Hari Parbat hill on the right bank of the Jhelum, corresponding to the location of modern-day Srinagar.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|p=22}} Kalhana describes the capital having several markets, mansions, wooden houses, grand temples and canals, and also refers to the Dal lake and Jhelum river.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=3–4}} A long embankment was constructed on the Jhelum by Pravarasena to protect the city from floods, parts of which have survived to the present day.{{sfn|Wani|Wani|2023|p=159}} The two capitals are also mentioned in the chronicle of Chinese traveller Huein Tsang who visited the city in 631 CE.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=3}}{{sfn|Rabbani|1981|p=33}} Although several other capitals of Kashmir were constructed by other rulers over the next few centuries, Pravarasena's Srinagar survived as the capital.{{efn|Historian Mohammad Ishaq Khan states that this is due Srinagar's central location within the valley and the larger neighbourhood, and due to the presence of various water bodies around the city which provided protection.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=6–7}}}} The city was divided into several parts, each with its own guardian deity, which continue to be worshipped by Hindu Kashmiris.{{sfn|Rabbani|1981|p=33–35}} The 8th century scholar Adi Shankara visited the city and founded the Shankaracharya Temple here, at the site of the earlier Jyeshteshwara Temple.{{sfn|Kaul|2018|pp=124–125}} The city gradually extended to the left bank of the Jhelum river, and in the early 12th century the royal palace was shifted to this side.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=8}}

File:Jama Masjid, Srinagar (14363005587).jpg

Rinchana, a Buddhist convert to Islam who briefly ruled Kashmir in the early 14th century, built the first mosque in Kashmir on the site of a Buddhist temple in a colony of Srinagar built by him.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=9}} The Muslim rulers that came after him established their capitals in areas of present-day old city Srinagar.{{sfn| Khan|1978|pp=9–10}} During the rule of the Sultans, the city became synonymous with the Kashmir valley, and 'Srinagar' fell into disuse as a name for it.{{efn|The name, however, did not become obsolete and finds mention in several contemporary sources.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=9}}}}{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=8}} During the rule of Qutbuddin, Islamic preacher Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani visited the valley and established his seat of preaching in Srinagar. Sultan Sikandar Shahmiri (1389–1413 CE) built the Khanqah-e-Moula at this location, and also built the Jamia Mosque at Nowhatta in 1402.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|p=83}} The oldest surviving example of forcible conversion of a Hindu place of worship into Muslim shrine in Kashmir also appears from Srinagar under Sikandar's rule.{{sfn|Hamdani2021|pp=99–100}} Sikandar's successor Zain-ul-Abidin undertook several constructions in and around Srinagar. He built the Zainakadal bridge connecting the two halves of the city on either side of the Jhelum river, the Mar canal and two islands inside Dal lake called Sona Lank and Rupa Lank.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=10}} He also built a stone shrine for his Islamic teacher at Madin Sahib, and a brick mausoleum for his mother constructed using materials from a Hindu structure and showing Timurid influences,{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|p=65–66}} where he was also buried after his death. He is also credited with establishing industries around the arts of shawl and carpet weaving, papier-maché, and wood carving in Srinagar.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=11}}

File:India - Srinagar - 023 - Nishat Bagh Mughal Gardens.jpg, a Mughal Garden built during the reign of Shah Jahan on the northern bank of the Dal lake, in the vicinity of Srinagar]]

The Mughals annexed Kashmir in 1586 after a period of internal instability in the valley, and added it to their Kabul province. Mughal emperor Akbar visited the valley three times. During his second visit in 1592, an elaborate Diwali celebration was held in Srinagar.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=12}} On the final such visit, he was accompanied by the first recorded European visitors to the area.{{efn|These were jesuit priests Jerome Xavier and Bento de Góis.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=13}}}} Akbar built fortifications around the Hari Parbat hill, and established a township called Nagar Nagar there.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=13}} He also built a shrine for Hamza Makhdoom, a Sufi mystic of Kashmir's Rishi order, on the southern slope of Hari Parbat which was later expanded several times.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|p=93–95}} His successor Jahangir was particularly fond of the Kashmir valley and frequently visited it.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=13}} His rule brought prosperity to Srinagar, and several Mughal gardens were built in the city and around the Dal lake during his and his successor Shah Jahan's reign, including the Shalimar and Nishat Bagh. Empress Nur Jahan built the Pathar Mosque on the left bank of Jhelum river opposite the Khānqāh-e-Moula in 1623, the mosque was however deemed unfit for worship soon after its construction and used instead for non-religious purposes.{{citation|last=Rai |first=Mridu |chapter=To 'Tear the Mask off the Face of the Past': Archaeology and Politics in Jammu and Kashmir |title=Kashmir: History, Politics, Representation |editor=Chitralekha Zutshi |url=https://www.cambridge.org/9781107181977 |year=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-18197-7 |pages=39–41}} Shah Jahan made Kashmir into a separate Subah (province) with its administrative seat at Srinagar in 1638. The Aali Masjid was built during the reign of Aurangzeb (1658–1707), as was the Safa kadal bridge over the Jhelum. The moi muqaddas, a relic believed to be the hair strand of prophet Muhammad's beard, also arrived in Kashmir during this time, and was housed in a Mughal palace at Hazratbal, which became the Hazratbal Dargah. A number of Europeans visited the city during the later Mughal period.{{efn|These include physician Francois Bernier and priests Ippolito Desideri and Manoel Freyre.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=15}}}}

In 1753, Kashmir passed into the hands of the Afghan Durrani Empire. The Afghans undertook reconstructions in Srinagar and built the palace at Shergarhi at the site of a pre-existing ancient palace, as well as the fort atop Hari Parbat.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=16}} However, contemporary accounts describe the city as filthy and deteriorating, and it also saw worsening inter-community relations during Afghan rule, with repeated Hindu-Muslim and Shia-Sunni riots, and state persecution of Pandits.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|pages=167–169}} In 1819, the Sikh Empire assumed control of Kashmir. Under them, Srinagar, the old name of the city, was restored. The situation in the city did not improve much under Sikh rule, and the city remained in a state of decay.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=16–17}} They also imposed several restrictions on Muslim religious expression, and closed the gates of the Jamia Mosque, which remained closed until 1843. A Shia-Sunni riot happened in the city in 1837.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|pages=167–169}}

File:View of Srinagar 1872.jpg

With the establishment of Dogra rule following the 1846 Treaty of Amritsar, Srinagar became the capital of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Taxes were increased and the production of silk, saffron, paper, tobacco, wine, and salt, as well as the sale of grain, became the monopoly of the state. It was a capital offence for a Muslim to kill a cow as late as the 1920s; later, the penalty was reduced to ten years of imprisonment and still later to seven years (Section 219 of Ranbir Penal Code).

[https://web.archive.org/web/20220206164745/https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/dogra-raj-in-kashmir/article9946288.ece Dogra raj in Kashmir]. FrontLine 8 November 2017.

The Dogras found Srinagar deteriorating, filthy and overcrowded.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=18–20}} The city used to see several break-outs of cholera, as well as earthquakes, floods, fires and famines. The famine of 1877–79 is said to have halved the city's population.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=20–24}} Consequently, due to the famine and forced labour in the villages, a considerable number of people migrated to Srinagar.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=32}}

{{multiple image |total_width=400 |align=right |perrow=2 |image1=Palace-of-srinagar 0.jpg |caption1=Early 20th century painting of Sher Garhi Palace, the official residence of the Dogra rulers in Srinagar |image2=Srinagar and Environ map 1911.jpg |caption2=1911 map of Srinagar and its surroundings}}

The Darbar Move was introduced in 1872 by Ranbir Singh, whereby the capital moved to Jammu for six months during the winter{{citation |last=Zutshi |first=Chitralekha | year=2019 |title=Kashmir |series=Oxford India Short Introductions |publisher=OUP |isbn=978-0-19-012141-9 |pages=53–54}} albeit later phased down by Hari Singh who "fixed his headquarters permanently at Jammu". The Ministers and Heads of Departments continued to followed it, nevertheless, it was still a move which was resented by Kashmiris, particularly Pandits.{{sfn|Bazaz|1941|pp=91}} The Raghunath Temple was also completed during Ranbir Singh's rule.{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|p=54}} With a global decline in shawl trade during late 19th century, the shawl weaving class of the city was upended. Several changes were ushered in during the reign of Pratap Singh (1885–1925). A British Residency was established in Srinagar and direct British influence on the administration of the state grew. During this time, Srinagar, and in turn the Kashmir Valley, was connected to the rest of India via roads, which saw increased trade with Punjab. In 1886, a municipality was established for the city of Srinagar.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=27}} Works for sanitation and urban development undertaken by the municipality were often met with stiff opposition by the residents, who were averse to changes.{{sfn|Khan|1978|p=27–28}} In the late 19th and early 20th century, modern tourism began to take hold in the city, especially on and around the Dal lake, with houseboats being built to accommodate British officers and their families who came in the summers seeking respite from the heat of the plains of northern India.{{citation |last=Casimir |first=Michael J. |year=2021 |title=Floating Economies: The Cultural Ecology of the Dal Lake in Kashmir, India |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-80073-029-8 |page=11}} The Shergarhi Palace was greatly modified by the Dogras, who used it as their official residence in the city. Pratap Singh and his successor Hari Singh also laid out several parks in the city. The city expanded rapidly between 1891 and 1941, partly due to increased migration from the countryside as a result of famines and due to improvements in sanitation and urban development as well as economic expansion, in particular the growth of the textile and tourism industries in the city.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=32–33}} Many Punjabis also settled in Srinagar during this time for trade, commerce and administration.{{sfn|Khan|1978|pp=39–40}}{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|p=55}}

Srinagar emerged as the hub of political activity within the Kashmir valley during later Dogra rule. Kashmiris at large despised the Dogra rule and considered the dynasty an "alien rule".{{sfn|Bazaz|1941|pp=90}} Many Muslim leaders competed for influence and control over Muslim shrines in the city through which they sought to become representatives of Kashmiri Muslims.{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|pp=59–62}} Sheikh Abdullah, and his National Conference (NC), eventually succeeded in doing so.

In 1947, after the princely state's accession to India following an invasion of the state by Pakistani irregulars in the aftermath of the partition of India, Indian forces were airlifted to Srinagar on 27 October to defend the city and the larger Kashmir valley.{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|p=99}} The National Conference also established a popular people's militia in the city to aid the army in their defence of the territory.{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|pp=99–100}}{{cite web |last=Whitehead |first=Andrew |url=https://www.thewire.in/article/gender/kashmir-women-militia |title=Kashmir's Forgotten Women's Militia |work=The Wire |date=24 October 2017 |access-date=21 May 2023 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Srinagar became the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir when it was established in 1952.

{{multiple image |total_width=400 |perrow=2 |align=right |image1=Nehru at Joint parade of National Militia, Peace Brigade, Police and the Women Defence Corps on The Polograound in Srinagar in May 1948 (04).jpg |caption1=Indian Prime Miniter Jawaharlal Nehru attending a parade of NC's Kashmiri militias in Srinagar in 1948 |image2=Srinagar city 1959.jpg |caption2=A 1959 map of Srinagar city and its vicinity}}

In 1963–1964, the relic at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar briefly disappeared, causing political turmoil.{{sfn|Zutshi|2019|p=114}} Following this, the shrine was reconstructed between 1968 and 1979 in a Mughal-inspired style.{{sfn|Hamdani|2021|p=196}}

In 1989, Srinagar became the focus of the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. The city saw increased violence against the minority Hindus—particularly the Kashmiri Pandits—during the insurgency which resulted in their ultimate exodus.{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Sumantra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC |title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace |date=July 2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-02855-5|quote=As the uprising broke out across the Valley in early 1990, approximately one hundred thousand Pandits left their Valley homes for Jammu city and Delhi in a few weeks in February and March, in one of the most controversial episodes of the war in Kashmir."}}{{Cite book |last=Majoul |first=Bootheina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2VwpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |title=On Trauma and Traumatic Memory |date=23 June 2017 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-7483-0}} Kashmiri Hindus constituted 8.39% of Srinagar's population in the 1981 census and 2.75% in the 2011 census.{{Cite web| title=A portrait of population - Jammu and Kashmir | url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/31511/download/34692/29233_1981_POR.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420120406/https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/31511/download/34692/29233_1981_POR.pdf | archive-date=20 April 2024}}{{Cite book |last1=Ram |first1=Bhag |date=1 January 1893 |title=Census of India, 1891. Volume XXVIII, The Kashmir state : the report on the census and imperial and supplementary tables: Census Reports – 1891 |jstor=saoa.crl.25352828 |url=https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25352828}} The Gawakadal massacre took place in the city in January 1990, resulting in 50–100 deaths.{{citation |last=Schofield |first=Victoria |author-link=Victoria Schofield |title=Kashmir in Conflict |publisher=I. B. Taurus & Co |location=London and New York |year=2003 |orig-year=2000 |isbn=1860648983 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkTetMfI6QkC |page=148}} 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. Protests against Indian rule still occur with large demonstrations happening in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2016.{{cite news|title=Muslims wage huge Kashmir protest|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/08/23/muslims-wage-huge-kashmir-protest/|access-date=1 March 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=23 August 2008|quote="A Kashmiri Muslim watches a protest march Friday by hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's main city. It was the largest protest against Indian rule in the Himalayan region in more than a decade"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512134159/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-08-23/news/0808220596_1_indian-kashmir-himalayan-region-muslims|archive-date=12 May 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Hussein|first=AijazSt|title=India's hanging of Kashmiri man leads to fears of new unrest after 2 years of quiet|url=http://www.startribune.com/world/190674821.html?refer=y|access-date=1 March 2013|newspaper=Star Tribune|date=12 February 2013|quote=In all three years, hundreds of thousands of young men took to the streets, hurling rocks and abuse at Indian forces.}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=Gazoth |fix-attempted=yes }} 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 was imposed in Kashmir, including in Srinagar.{{cite news |last1=Farooq |first1=Azhar |last2=Ratcliffe |first2=Rebecca |date=23 August 2019 |title=Kashmir city on lockdown after calls for protest march |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/23/kashmir-city-srinagar-india-lockdown-calls-protest-march |work=The Guardian |access-date=24 November 2024}}

The city is located on both the sides of the Jhelum River, called Vyath in Kashmir. 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 {{convert|14|km|abbr=on}} north of Srinagar, and is a world class wetland spread over {{convert|13.75|km2|abbr=on}} including lake and marshy area. It is the most accessible and well-known of Kashmir's wetlands which include Hygam, Shalibug and Mirgund. A record number of migratory birds have visited Hokersar in recent years.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/migratory-birds-flock-avian-paradise/article5331924.ece|work=The Hindu|title=Migratory birds flock avian paradise|date=9 November 2013|access-date=22 June 2017|author=Ahmed Ali Fayyaz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109140840/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/migratory-birds-flock-avian-paradise/article5331924.ece|archive-date=9 November 2013|url-status=live}}

Birds found in Hokersar are migratory ducks and geese which include brahminy duck, tufted duck, gadwall, garganey, greylag goose, mallard, common merganser, northern pintail, common pochard, ferruginous pochard, red-crested pochard, ruddy shelduck, northern shoveller, common teal, and Eurasian wigeon.{{cite news|title=Three lakh migratory birds throng Kashmir Valley|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/three-lakh-migratory-birds-throng-kashmir-valley/article21024594.ece|work=The Hindu|date=28 November 2017}}{{cite news|title=Migratory birds keep date with Kashmir valley again|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/j-k/migratory-birds-keep-date-with-kashmir-valley-again-680213|work=The Tribune|date=9 November 2018}}

Under the Köppen climate classification, Srinagar has a four-season humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. The valley is surrounded by the Himalayas on all sides. Due to influence from Himalayan rain shadow and western disturbances, Srinagar has year-round precipitation; the spring season is the wettest while autumn is the driest. The region also has less rain in the summer due to lying in the leeward side of the rain shadow which blocks the monsoon winds from the south. Winters are colder in the region than most areas with monsoon climates due to these influences and its elevation,{{cite book |last1=Mahajan |first1=Anand |title=India & World Geography |date=29 April 2023 |publisher=YCT Expert Team |page=80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KaYjEAAAQBAJ&dq=srinagar+rain+shadow+western+depression&pg=PA80}} with daily maximum temperatures averaging {{convert|7.1|°C|1}} in January and dropping below freezing point at night.

Moderate to heavy snowfall occurs in winter and the highway connecting Srinagar with the rest of India faces frequent blockades due to icy roads, landslides and avalanches. Summers are warm to hot, slightly moderated from its elevation, with a July daytime average of {{convert|30.0|°C|1}}. The average annual rainfall is around {{convert|697.5|mm}}. The highest temperature reliably recorded is {{convert|38.3|°C}} recorded on 10 July 1946, and the lowest is {{convert|-20.0|°C}} recorded on 6 February 1895.

File:Market boats on Mar Canal, Srinigar.jpg in Srinagar]]

In November 2011, the City Mayors Foundation{{spaced ndash}}an advocacy think tank{{spaced ndash}}announced 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.

{{cite web |url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Nov/18/srinagar-among-100-fastest-growing-cities-in-world-37.asp |title=Srinagar among 100 fastest growing cities in world |publisher=Greater Kashmir.com |date=17 November 2011 |access-date=20 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120170409/http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Nov/18/srinagar-among-100-fastest-growing-cities-in-world-37.asp |archive-date=20 November 2011 |url-status=live }}

Srinagar is one of several places that have been called the "Venice of the East".{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VloVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6789,6379670&dq=srinagar+venice+of+the+east&hl=en|title=The Sydney Morning Herald – Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117043656/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VloVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6789,6379670&dq=srinagar+venice+of+the+east&hl=en|archive-date=17 November 2015|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/585827282.html?dids=585827282:585827282&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+13%2C+1965&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Fabled+Kashmir%3A+An+Emerald+Set+Among+Pearls&pqatl=google |title=Fabled Kashmir: An Emerald Set Among Pearls |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=13 June 1965 |access-date=26 July 2010 |first=James |last=Holloway |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025174641/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/585827282.html?dids=585827282:585827282&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+13,+1965&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Fabled+Kashmir:+An+Emerald+Set+Among+Pearls&pqatl=google |archive-date=25 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |author=The Earthtimes |url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/112701.html |title=Can Kashmir become 'Venice of the East' again? | Earth Times News |publisher=Earthtimes.org |date=24 September 2007 |access-date=26 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914190739/http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/112701.html |archive-date=14 September 2012 |url-status=live }} Lakes around the city include Dal Lake{{spaced ndash}}noted for its houseboats{{spaced ndash}} and Nigeen Lake. Apart from Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake, Wular Lake and Manasbal Lake 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 (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 is a botanical garden in the city, set up in 1969.{{cite web|url=http://www.discoveredindia.com/jammu-and-kashmir/attractions/parks-and-gardens/jawaharlal-nehru-memorial-botanical-garden.htm|title=Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden|publisher=discoveredindia.com|access-date=21 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231132139/http://www.discoveredindia.com/jammu-and-kashmir/attractions/parks-and-gardens/jawaharlal-nehru-memorial-botanical-garden.htm|archive-date=31 December 2014|url-status=usurped}} 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.

The Sher Garhi Palace houses administrative buildings from the state government.{{cite web|url=https://srinagar.nic.in/places-of-interest/|title=Places of Interest|publisher=Government of Jammu & Kashmir|access-date=1 January 2020}} Another palace of the Maharajas, the Gulab Bhavan, has now become the Lalit Grand Palace hotel.{{cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/one-hundred-years-of-splendour/1/149122.html|title=One hundred years of splendour|last=Saxton|first=Aditi|date=25 August 2011|work=India Today|access-date=24 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124015944/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/one-hundred-years-of-splendour/1/149122.html|archive-date=24 November 2011|url-status=live}}

The Shankaracharya Temple lies on a hill top in the middle of the city.{{cite web|url=http://jktdc.in/contact-us/99.html|title=Shankaracharya Temple|publisher=jktdc.in|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231122822/http://jktdc.in/contact-us/99.html|archive-date=31 December 2014}}

• Dal Lake and its Houseboats
• Nigeen Lake
• Anchar Lake and Shallabugh Wetland, a Ramsar site
• Hokersar Wetland Ramsar Site
• Shalimar Garden
• Nishat Garden
• Chashme Shahi Garden
• Pari Mahal
• Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden
• Hari Parbat
• Dachigam National Park
• Shankaracharya Temple
• Hazratbal Shrine
• Jama Masjid
• Khanqah-e-Moula
• Pathar Mosque
• Aali Mosque
• Burzahom Neolithic and Chalcolithic Site
• Zain-ul-Abidin's Tomb
• Sher Garhi Palace
• Gulab Bhavan
• Meruvarddhanaswami Temple, Pandrethan

File:Dal Lake In Mid Summer.jpg|Dal Lake in winter

File:Dal LakeVR.jpg|Shikaras on Dal Lake

File:Srinagar floating market.jpg|Floating vegetable market on Dal Lake, the only of its kind in India

File:Chashme Shahi kashmir.jpg|Chashme Shahi Mughal Garden

File:Shalimar Bagh 1.jpg|Shalimar Bagh

File:Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar.jpg|Shalimar Mughal Garden

File:Hari Parbat Fort, Srinagar (5).jpg|Hari Parbat Fort

• Wular Lake, a Ramsar site – 46 km.
• Manasbal Lake – 25 km.
• Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve, a Ramsar site – 34 km.
• Pahalgam – 85 km.
• Gulmarg – 52 km.
• Anantnag – 54 km.
• Martand Sun Temple, near Anantnag – 62 km.
• Achabal Gardens, near Anantnag – 63 km.
• Verinag – 86 km.

The city is run by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) under the leadership of a Mayor. The Srinagar district along with the adjoining Budgam and Ganderbal districts forms the Srinagar Parliamentary seat.Established in 1886, Srinagar Municipal Corporation comprises 74 wards and stretches over 227.34 sqkm within boundaries from North up to Pandach-Nagbal, North-East up to Harwan Bridge, East up to Zawoora-Zaafraan Colony, South-East up to Mahjoor Nagar-Natipora, South up to Baagh-i-Mahtaab, South-West up to Hamdaaniyah Colony, West up to Sozieth-Lawaypora and North-West up to Mujgund-Abdullahpora. SMC is organized into two wings - The deliberative wing (Mayor) and the Executive wing (Commissioner). The last elections were held in 2018.{{cite web |title=HomeServices - SMC |url=https://www.smcsrinagar.in/portal/smc |website=smcsrinagar.in |access-date=21 December 2024}}

SMC is involved in Sanitation, Town Planning, Revenue, Birth and Death, Development and Grievances. SMC has been successful in its efforts of e-Governance, Collection and Disposal of Solid Waste, Beautification and Creation of Green Spaces and Improvement of Drainage Networks. The organization has, however, failed to prevent Dood Ganga Pollution for which the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC), on the direction of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has imposed a penalty as Environmental Compensation of more than Rs 41.67 crores on Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).{{cite news |title=NGT imposes penalty on SMC |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/city/ngt-imposes-penalty-on-smc/ |work=Greater Kashmir |date=24 October 2024 |access-date=21 December 2024}}

{{update section|date=December 2023}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23500493|title=Indian authorities to poison 100K stray dogs – World news – South and Central Asia – NBC News|publisher=NBC News|date=6 March 2008 |access-date=7 March 2008}} 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/May/12/stray-dogs-maul-over-3-dozen-55.asp|title=Stray dogs maul over 3 dozen|date=12 May 2012|newspaper=Greater Kashmir|access-date=21 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518122626/http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/May/12/stray-dogs-maul-over-3-dozen-55.asp|archive-date=18 May 2012|url-status=live}}

{{Historical population

| source = {{cite web |url=http://www.populstat.info/Asia/indiat.htm |title=Historical Census of India |access-date=29 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217053707/http://www.populstat.info/Asia/indiat.htm|archive-date=17 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}

| 1901 | 122618

| 1911 | 126344

| 1921 | 141735

| 1931 | 173573

| 1941 | 207787

| 1951 | 246522

| 1961 | 285257

| 1971 | 415271

| 1981 | 594775

| 1991 |

| 2001 | 935,764

| 2011 | 1180570

|align=center}}

{{Bar box

|title=Religion in Srinagar (2011){{cite report |title=C-1 Population By Religious Community – Jammu & Kashmir |url = https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW01C-01%20MDDS.XLS |publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=28 July 2020}}

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|float = left

|bars=

{{Bar percent|Islam|green|95.97}}

{{Bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|2.75}}

{{Bar percent|Sikhism|darkkhaki|0.92}}

{{Bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.36}}

}}

As of 2011 census Srinagar urban agglomeration had a population of 1,264,202.{{cite web | url = http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/jammu+and+kashmir.html | title = Jammu and Kashmir Population Census data 2011 | publisher = 2011 census of India | access-date = 7 December 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121218061646/http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/jammu+and+kashmir.html | archive-date = 18 December 2012 | url-status = live }} Both the city and the urban agglomeration has average literacy rate of approximately 70%.{{cite web | url = http://www.census2011.co.in/literacy.php | title = Literacy in India | publisher = 2011 census of India | access-date = 6 December 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181128085703/https://www.census2011.co.in/literacy.php | archive-date = 28 November 2018 | url-status = live }} 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.{{cite web | url = http://www.census2011.co.in/sexratio.php | title = Sex Ratio of India | publisher = 2011 census of India | access-date = 7 December 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227054841/http://www.census2011.co.in/sexratio.php | archive-date = 27 February 2014 | url-status = live }}

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, nearly all migrant workers from outside Kashmir as most local Kashmiri Hindus fled the city in the 1990s.{{Cite news |date=2016-04-05 |title=Kashmiri Hindus: Driven out and insignificant |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35923237 |access-date=2025-01-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} The remaining population constitutes Sikhs, Buddhist and Jains.{{cite web|url=http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/1-srinagar.html|title=2011 Census demographics of Srinagar|access-date=24 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607103319/http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/1-srinagar.html|archive-date=7 June 2016|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal |last=Khan |first=Mohammad Ishaq |date=1 August 1996 |title=Kashmiri Muslims: Social and Identity Consciousness |url=https://doi.org/10.1215/1089201X-16-2-25 |journal=Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East |volume=16 |issue=2 |page=36 |doi=10.1215/1089201X-16-2-25 |issn=1089-201X}} Kashmiri Hindus constituted 21.9% of Srinagar's population as per 1891 census and 2.75% as per 2011 census.

{{Pie chart

|thumb = right

|caption = Languages of Srinagar district (2011)

|label1 = Kashmiri |value1 = 95.14 |color1 = lightgreen

|label2 = Hindi |value2 = 1.49 |color2 = orange

|label3 = Others |value3 = 3.37 |color3 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 census, 95.14% spoke Kashmiri and 1.49% Hindi as their first language.{{cite report |title=Table C-16 Population By Mother Tongue: Jammu & Kashmir |url = https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10227/download/13339/DDW-C16-TOWN-STMT-MDDS-0100.XLSX |publisher = Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

File:Lapangan terbang Srinagar 2.jpg

File:A DEMU passenger train at Srinagar Railway Station Platform.jpg

The city is served by many highways, including National Highway 1A and National Highway 1D.{{cite web|url=http://maps.newkerala.com/map-of-national-highways-in-india.php|title=Road Map with National Highways of India|access-date=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225072045/http://maps.newkerala.com/map-of-national-highways-in-india.php|archive-date=25 December 2013|url-status=live}}

File:ENGINEER DIRECTING PATCH MACADAMISATION.jpg of a road in Srinagar]]

Srinagar International Airport has regular domestic flights to Leh, Jammu, Chandigarh, Delhi and Mumbai 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 flights to Dubai. Hajj flights also operate from this airport to Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/Srinagar.jsp|title=Srinagar International Airport|publisher=Airports Authority of India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107103358/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/Srinagar.jsp|archive-date=7 January 2014}}

{{main|Srinagar railway station|Srinagar Metro}}

Srinagar is a station on the {{convert|119|km|abbr=on|0}} long Banihal-Baramulla line that started in October 2009 and connects Baramulla to Srinagar, Anantnag and Qazigund. The railway track also connects to Banihal across the Pir Panjal 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.{{cite news|title=Kashmir rail by 2017-end, cost overrun Rs 5,500 cr|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/kashmir-rail-by-2017end-cost-overrun-rs-5500-cr/article4170881.ece|access-date=1 March 2013|newspaper=Business Line|location=Chennai|date=6 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210063937/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/kashmir-rail-by-2017end-cost-overrun-rs-5500-cr/article4170881.ece|archive-date=10 February 2013|url-status=live}}

The train also runs during heavy snow.

There are proposals to develop a metro system in the city.{{cite news|date=5 August 2013|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/now-metro-set-to-roll-into-kashmir/1151420/|title=Now, metro set to roll into Kashmir|newspaper=The Indian Express|access-date=24 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305052624/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/now-metro-set-to-roll-into-kashmir/1151420/|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=live}} The feasibility report for the Srinagar Metro is planned to be carried out by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.{{cite news|last=Hassan|first=Ishfaq-ul|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-omar-abdullah-plans-metro-in-jammu-srinagar-1346641|title=Omar Abdullah plans metro in Jammu, Srinagar|date=12 February 2010|newspaper=DNA|quote="We will soon have the feasibility of metro services in both cities analysed by experts. Ideally, we would like DMRC to send a team and prepare a project report," minister for urban development Nasir Aslam Wani said.|access-date=24 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030090724/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-omar-abdullah-plans-metro-in-jammu-srinagar-1346641|archive-date=30 October 2014|url-status=live}}

{{Srinagar Cable Car}}

In December 2013, the 594m cable car allowing people to travel to the shrine of the Sufi saint Hamza Makhdoom on Hari Parbat 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.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/kashmir-gets-a-dream-ropeway/article5494377.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Kashmir gets a dream ropeway | date=24 December 2013 | access-date=24 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225154606/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/kashmir-gets-a-dream-ropeway/article5494377.ece | archive-date=25 December 2013 | url-status=live }}

While popular since the 7th century, water transport is now mainly confined to Dal Lake, where shikaras (wooden boats) are used for local transport and tourism. There are efforts to revive transportation on the River Jhelum.{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120507/jsp/nation/story_15460591.jsp#.Urm2EtJDtBM | location=Calcutta, India | work=The Telegraph | first=Muzaffar | last=Raina | title=Boat down the Jhelum | date=7 May 2012 | access-date=24 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225103228/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120507/jsp/nation/story_15460591.jsp#.Urm2EtJDtBM | archive-date=25 December 2013 | url-status=dead }}

Like the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, 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.

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

• Hazratbal Shrine, only domed mosque in the city.{{cite web |url=http://travelinos.com/churches/n75-25356-Hazratbal_Shrine |title=Hazratbal Shrine |work=travelinos.com |year=2013 |access-date=23 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605113421/http://travelinos.com/churches/n75-25356-Hazratbal_Shrine |archive-date=5 June 2013 |url-status=live }}
• Jama Masjid, Srinagar, one of the oldest mosques in Kashmir
• Khanqah-e-Moula, first Islamic centre in Kashmir
• Aali Masjid, in Eidgah Locality
• Hari Parbat hill hosts shrine of Sharika Mata temple
• Zeashta Devi Shrine a holy shrine for Kashmiri Hindus
• Shankaracharya temple
• Gurdwara Chatti Patshahi
• Pathar Masjid
• All Saints Church, Srinagar
• Holy Family Catholic Church (Srinagar)

Additional structures include the Dastgeer Sahib shrine, Mazar-e-Shuhada, Roza Bal shrine, Khanqah of Shah Hamadan, Pathar Masjid ("The Stone Mosque"), Hamza Makhdoom 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.{{Cite web |url=http://koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter4.html |title=Chapter 4 of Ancient Monuments of Kashmir by Ram Chandra Kak (1933) |access-date=1 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111035955/http://koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter4.html |archive-date=11 November 2012 |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web|title=Srinagar- The city of Bridges (Version 2.0)|work=Jammu & Kashmir tourism|date=22 July 2018 |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a53YZf69OeA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/a53YZf69OeA| archive-date=30 October 2021}}{{cbignore}} 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.{{cite book|author=Brigid Keenan|title=Travels in Kashmir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oilxiI9uso8C|date=20 May 2013|publisher=Hachette India|isbn=978-93-5009-729-8}} It was damaged by floods in 2014.[http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/flood-ravages-srinagars-british-era-buildings Flood ravages Srinagar's British-era buildings.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927054003/http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/flood-ravages-srinagars-british-era-buildings |date=27 September 2017 }} Noor-Ul-Qamrain, The Sunday Guardian, 27 September 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2017. It contains a number of war graves.[https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/144300/KARACHI%201914-1918%20WAR%20MEMORIAL Karachi 1914–1918 War Memorial.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921225830/https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/144300/KARACHI%201914-1918%20WAR%20MEMORIAL |date=21 September 2018 }} Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 9 October 2017. The notable interments here are Robert Thorpe[http://www.dnaindia.com/locality/srinagar/grave-kashmirs-first-known-martryr-lies-beneath-rubble-after-floods-43613 Grave of Kashmir's first known martryr lies beneath rubble after floods.]{{Dead link|date=January 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Swati Bhasin, DNA of Srinagar, 10 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2017. and Jim Borst.

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

{{main|Music of Kashmir}}

Kashmiri cuisine is an important part of Srinagar’s Culture. Here, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes can be found. Wazwaan is a multi-course meal generally served at weddings. It is served on beautiful huge Copper plates called tream. Wazwaan is prepared by Male chefs.{{cite web |title=Wazwan |url=https://ethnq.com/wazwan/?srsltid |website=Ethnq |date=4 March 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2025}}

Kahwa is a form of green tea and is made by boiling green tea leaves with local saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and Kashmiri roses.

Harissa is winter delicacy here generally eaten during chilai kalan ( a period of extreme cold ; 40 days from Dec 20 ).Garnished with two wazwaan delicacies along and topped with hot smoking mustard oil, this is the spicy slow cooked meat usually served with Kashmiri bread Tchot. It is prepared for hours usually overnight and generally eaten in the early cold winter.{{cite magazine |last=Firdous |first=Mehran |date=Jan 12, 2024 |title=Harissa — Kashmir's Winter Staple |url=https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/south-asia-journal/harissa-kashmirs-winter-staple |magazine=Whetstone Magazine |access-date=Jan 3, 2025}}

File:University Convocation Complex, University of Kashmir.png]]

{{See also|List of colleges in Srinagar}}

Srinagar is home to various premiere Higher Education Institutes including the University of Kashmir, the Cluster University of Srinagar, Central University of Kashmir besides the National Institute of Technology Srinagar formerly known as Regional Engineering College (REC Srinagar). Most of these are among the oldest and earliest Institutions of the country including the University of Kashmir dating back to 1948 while the National Institute of Technology Srinagar was established during the second Five year plan. The educational institutions in the City include:

Schools

• Tyndale Biscoe School
• Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School
• Burn Hall School
• Khalsa High School, Srinagar
• Mallinson Girls School
• Delhi Public School, Srinagar
• Woodlands House School
• Little Angels High School, Srinagar
• Green Valley Educational Institute

Medical colleges

• Government Medical College, Srinagar
• SMHS Hospital
• Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences

Universities

• University of Kashmir
• Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
• Central University of Kashmir
• Cluster University of Srinagar

General degree colleges

• Amar Singh College
• Sri Pratap College
• Islamia College of Science and Commerce, Srinagar

Srinagar is broadcasting hub for radio channels in UT which are Radio Mirchi 98.3FM,{{cite news |title=FM: Mirchi 98.3 starts operations in Srinagar |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/mirchi-98-3-starts-operations-in-srinagar/articleshow/64630395.cms |access-date=30 October 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=18 June 2018}} Red FM 93.5{{cite news |title=Eid-ul-Azha: Red FM launches station in Srinagar |url=http://www.uniindia.com/~/eid-ul-azha-red-fm-launches-station-in-srinagar/India/news/1326138.html |access-date=30 October 2020 |work=uniindia.com |date=21 August 2018}} and AIR Srinagar. State television channel DD Kashir is also broadcast.{{cite news |title=J&K govt starts tele-classes for Valley students |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/j-k-govt-starts-tele-classes-for-valley-students/story-TPEti3YV33R44IlhArCWuO.html |access-date=30 October 2020 |work=Hindustan Times|date=28 April 2020}}

File:RSGC.jpg]]

The city is home to the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, where international cricket matches have been played.{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=2;id=559;type=ground |title=Records / Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar / One-Day Internationals |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=7 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813232013/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=2%3Bid%3D559%3Btype%3Dground |archive-date=13 August 2014 }}

The first international match was played in 1983 in which West Indies defeated India and the last international match was played in 1986 in which Australia 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).{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} Srinagar has an outdoor stadium namely Bakshi Stadium for hosting football matches.{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-stadium-hosts-football-match-after-25-year-gap/articleshow/14972629.cms | title = J&K stadium hosts football match after 25-year gap | date = 16 July 2012 | access-date = 7 December 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130511194756/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-16/india/32697338_1_football-clubs-bakshi-stadium-santosh-trophy | archive-date = 11 May 2013 | url-status = live | work = The Times of India }} It is named after Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad. 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.{{cite web|title=India|url=http://www.rtj2.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=55&Itemid=37|publisher=Robert Trent Jones – Golf Architects|access-date=21 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212020422/http://www.rtj2.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=55&Itemid=37|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}} Football is followed by the youth of Srinagar and the TRC Turf Ground is redeveloped for the particular sport in 2015. Srinagar is home to professional football club of I-League, Real Kashmir FC and Downtown Heroes FC of I-League 2.{{Cite web |date=28 December 2022 |title=Downtown Heroes FC management meets AIFF top brass |url=https://kashmirreader.com/2022/12/29/downtown-heroes-fc-management-meets-aiff-top-brass-2/ |access-date=14 January 2023 |website=Kashmir Reader |archive-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114080329/https://kashmirreader.com/2022/12/29/downtown-heroes-fc-management-meets-aiff-top-brass-2/ |url-status=live }} There are certain other sports being played but those are away from the main city like in Pahalgam (Water rafting) and Gulmarg (skiing).

• Agha Shahid Ali (1949–2001)
• Joanna Lumley (1946–present)
• Bakshi Abdur Rashid (1923–1977)
• Reshma (1951/1952–2022), singer and transgender activist
• Pandit Jia Lal Saraf, Sanskrit scholar

• Kashmir conflict
• Downtown (Srinagar)
• Kashmir Shaivism
• List of State Protected Monuments in Jammu and Kashmir
• List of colleges in Srinagar
• Lal Chowk
• Karan Nagar

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{citation |last=Hamdani |first=Hakim Sameer |year=2021 |title=The Syncretic Traditions of Islamic Religious Architecture of Kashmir (Early 14th–18th Century) |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 978-0-367-55009-7 }}
• Hewson, Eileen. (2008) Graveyards in Kashmir India. Wem, England: Kabristan Archives. {{ISBN|978-1906276072}}
• {{citation |last=Kaul |first=Shonaleeka |title=The Making of Early Kashmir: Landscape and Identity in the Rajatarangini |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-948292-4 |year=2018 |url=https://india.oup.com/product/the-making-of-early-kashmir-9780199482924 }}
• {{citation |last=Khan |first=Mohammad Ishaq |author-link=Mohammad Ishaq Khan |year=1978 |title=History of Srinagar 1846–1947: A Study in Socio-Cultural Change |publisher=Srinagar: Aamir Publications |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TwYKAQAAIAAJ }}
• {{citation |last=Rabbani |first= G. M. |title= Ancient Kashmir: A Historical Perspective |year=1981 |publisher=Srinagar:Gulshan Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUhuAAAAMAAJ }}
• {{citation |first1=Muhammad Ashraf |last1=Wani |first2=Aman Ashraf |last2=Wani |year=2023 |title=The Making of Early Kashmir: Intercultural Networks and Identity Formation |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-032-15830-3 }}
• {{citation |last=Bazaz|first=Prem Nath |author-link=Prem Nath Bazaz|year=1941 |title=Inside Kashmir |publisher=Gulshan Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RfhKAAAAIAAJ |isbn= 978-8-186-71457-7 }}

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{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Wikivoyage inline}}
• [http://srinagar.nic.in/ Srinagar district administration]
• [http://jammukashmir.nic.in/ Official website of Jammu and Kashmir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915154945/http://jammukashmir.nic.in/ |date=15 September 2017 }}
• [https://kashmirinsights.com/delhi-to-srinagar-train Delhi to Srinagar train] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408115408/https://kashmirinsights.com/delhi-to-srinagar-train |date=8 April 2019 }}

{{Kashmir Valley}}

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Category:Metropolitan cities in India

Category:Cities and towns in Srinagar district

Category:Indian union territory capitals

Category:Cities in Jammu and Kashmir