Dal Lake

Subject – Geography

Context – Ripples over Dal Lake: Air Force planes inspire awe with a stunning show

Concept –

Dal is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is an urban lake, which is the second largest in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Lake of Flowers”, “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.
The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.
The houseboats (Shikaras) are closely associated with Dal Lake which provide accommodation to tourists in Srinagar.
Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.