Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Shikaras
Shikaras are a type of boat made up of wood, found on Dal Lake, and other water bodies of Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Shikaras are of different sizes and are used for various purposes, together with transportation of people. Drivers make use of oars having a unique spade-shaped base to row the shikara. A normal shikara seats half-a-dozen people, and driver sitting at the lower end. Like the Venetian gandolas, a cultural symbol of Kashmir. Some shikaras are still using for fishing, seaweed-harvesting, and transport in the deeper parts of Dal Lake, while most are covered with tarpaulins and are used for tourism. Some are used by poor people as floating houses.
Shikaras have become relatively a popular tourist attraction, with tourists taking cruises along the Dal and Nageen lakes, visiting places of interest. A very popular postcard photo of a shikara is the florist's shikara, in which the florist carries different flowers intended for sales.
Shikaras have become relatively a popular tourist attraction, with tourists taking cruises along the Dal and Nageen lakes, visiting places of interest. A very popular postcard photo of a shikara is the florist's shikara, in which the florist carries different flowers intended for sales.
