Achabal-Kashmir, India

Achabal ‘Bag-e-Begum Abad’ Kashmir, India

Achabal is a quite possibly the most gorgeous of the Mughals gardens and it was said to be Empress Noor Jehan’s favourite pleasure retreat. Like other Kashmiri gardens, it is located on a hillside with its water source at the top but unlike other Kashmiri gardens it is the only Mughal Garden which is situated […]

Mazar-i-Shuhada (Graveyard of Martyrs)

Mazar-i-Shuhada (Graveyard of Martyrs)

Mazar-i-Shuhada (Graveyard of Martyrs) by Ahanger HOBO Taking a walk along the Valley floor it becomes obvious to the explorer that the history of Kashmir can be retold through its myriad mosques and shrines. Now, it was in the 20th Century that another narrative symbol came to define the modern Kashmir, that of the Martyr’s […]

Jamia Masjid Srinagar Kashmir

Jamia Masjid Srinagar Kashmir

Jamia Masjid Srinagar Kashmir by Ahanger HOBO. The main mosque of Srinagar is located in Nowhatta, the beating heart of the old city. Built for the first time in 1400 by Sultan Sikander, it is a large cathedral-like rectangle that echoes Buddhist monastic architecture, and was possibly built on the ancient site of a Buddhist […]

Pather Masjid Srinagar

Pather Masjid Srinagar

Pather Masjid Srinagar by Ahanger HOBO. Standing on the banks of the Jhelum opposite the Shah-i-Hamdan is the beautiful and cool open plan mosque of Empress Nur Jehan. The only of its kind in Srinagar, it is surrounded by an old stone wall, leaving the mosque quiet and calm and relatively free from distraction. Upon […]

Fort-Hari-Parbat Kooh-e-Maran

Fort Hari-Parbat / Koh-i-Maran

Fort Hari-Parbat / Koh-i-Maran | by Ahanger HOBO Visible from everywhere in the city is this central fort that overlooks all. According to legend, the Koh e Maran hill was once a huge lake inhabited by the demon Jalobhava. The inhabitants called on the goddess Parvati for help. She took the form of a bird […]

Cheshmashahi Garden

Cheshma Shahi (The Royal Spring) Srinagar, Kashmir.

Cheshma Shahi (The Royal Spring) Open every day, 8am-dusk, INR30 This was built Shah Jehan (Emperor Jehangir’s son) in 1642. It’s known as ‘Royal Spring’ due to the mineral-rich spring water that feeds the water courses. The source of this water emerges within a pavilion at the top of the garden. Many visitors to these […]

Avantipura Ruins Kashmir, India

Avantipura Ruins Kashmir, India

Avantipura Ruins Kashmir, India by Ahanger HOBO.

Aishumquam Shrine Kashmir, India

Aishmuquam Shrine Kashmir, India

Aishmuquam Shrine by Ahanger HOBO On the road to Pahalgam perched on the scarp of a hill amidst the fragrant pines sits the most famous of shrines, Aishmuquam. The location of this shrine is simply stunning and it is recommended you bring a picnic. Also located behind this shrine, are caves which were used in […]

Martand, The Sun Temple

Martand, The Sun Temple

Martand, The Sun Temple of Kashmir, India. The Martand Sun Temple was King Lalitaditya in the 8th Century, yet the foundation of the temple is said to have been built between 370- 500 AD, and its construction attributed to King Ranaditya and his Queen Amritaprabha. Located in the most glorious location with the mountains at […]

Nageen Lake Kashmir - The Jewel on the Ring

Nageen Lake Kashmir – The Jewel on the Ring

An extension of the Dal, the Nageen Lake is located to the east of the city, at the foothill of the mountain Zabarwan and can be reached by road or by Shikara. The Nageen is the smallest and deepest part of the Dal and is essentially a quieter, cleaner and some say more beautiful version […]