Srinagar

Introducing Srinagar

Travel Alert: On 6 August 2010 a cloudburst hit Ladakh, resulting in fatal flash floods and landslides. Infrastructure and roads have been affected. Check the most up-to-date information before you go to avoid difficulties.

The attractions of Srinagar are myriad – placid mountain-backed Dal Lake with its slumbering houseboats, famous Mughal gardens, the historic wooden mosques of the old town and a remarkable wealth of home-grown handicrafts. Twenty years ago it was justifiably one of India's greatest attractions for foreigners. However years of unrest have left the tourist industry in tatters. In recent years things had been improving with an ever increasing influx of domestic visitors until summer 2008 when an arcane land dispute reignited tensions. While that dispute was settled, the continuing presence of vast military forces in the city remains the cause of considerable discontent (army personnel seem to occupy more hotels than tourists). Summer 2010 proved particularly bloody with protesters regularly pelting the armed forces with stones while over sixty civilians were killed by the army. Tourists are not targeted in the violence but the city has spent much of the summer locked down in curfews and strikes. Practically speaking this means that shops, restaurants and banks can be closed for days on end. And venturing into the Old City is unwise in case of stray stones and bullets. The Nehru park area and lake road are generally safe but ask advice before strolling too far. Many hotels are closed but houseboats are generally entirely away from any whiff of violence and are not only calm but prices are unseasonably low. If you do go through Srinagar at times of curfew, you might need to arrive and depart very late or before dawn to avoid barricades. Overall it is not necessary to avoid Srinagar altogether but you need to follow events carefully as the conflict doesn't seem ready to die down. Visiting Srinagar without thoroughly checking the latest security situation would be foolhardy.

Last updated: Aug 27, 2010