Srinagar is the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in the Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits.
Etymologically Srinagar is composed of two Sanskrit words, srī (venerable) and nagar, which means 'city'. One theory of the origin of the name is that a Pandava King Ashoka (not to be confused with the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka) built the city of Srinagari (Srinagar). Another theory is that Mauryan Emperor Ashoka founded the original city of Srinagar, then situated on the site of the present village of Pandrethan, 5 km to the north of the existing capital.
Srinagar is one of several places that has been called the “Venice of the East” or the “Kashmiri Venice”. It is known for its lakes, which include Dal Lake – noted for its houseboats – and Nagin Lake.
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; and the Naseem Bagh. The Tulip Gardens have been recently opened to public by Sonia Gandhi.
The Sher Garhi Palace houses administrative buildings from the state government. Another palace of the Maharajas, the Gulab Bhavan, has now become the Lalit Grand Palace hotel. The hotel is located at a distance of 17 kms. From the Srinagar International Airport. The nearest railway station is Jammu at a distance of 300 Kms. The city center ( Lal Chowk ) is just 4 kms from the hotel.
The Sheri Kashmir International Auditorium is at a distance of 2 kms from the hotel. The world famous hill resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam are located at a distance of 52 kms and 96 kms with travel time of 1.5 hours and 2.30 hours respectively.
The famous shrine of Baba Reshi ,a highly revered kashmiri Sufi saint ,is another attraction of Gulmarg and is thronged by thousand of devotees all year around. The Gondola Cable car offers rides to the upland meadow of Kongdori and beyond to the top of Apharwat range to a height of 14000 ft for viewing the Himalays peaks in summer and for downhill skiing in winter.
