m y m i n i a t u r e p a g e

AN EVENING IN SRINAGAR, KASHMIR

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Watching the sun go down behind the distant mountain, I just lost in my own thoughts. Hmm, definitely a sucker for those amazing colors and I could watch this scene over, and over again.

Cont'd from HERE

After a quick freshen-up and solat, we have been served an incredible Hyderabad Biryani for lunch. Well I'm not really a big fan of biryani but I was pleasantly surprised. Cannot comment much on whether it was a "real" Hyderabad, cause I ain't never had one before, mate! And was that a coleslaw? Never tried that one too!

To be honest, my stomach can't really tolerate with this kind of food, dia macam tak boleh telan, kenot go orang cakap. Being a mek, my comfort food would always be sayur air, sup, tom yam, budu! Ahaha #matilahnak.

But my friends said that was the best Biryani they've ever tasted! So, I think mama (we called Uncle Nabi's wife mama okay, haha, there's a story behind it, more on that later) really made with love using the best quality Basmathi rice, well-marinated chicken and the best saffron in town. Seriously I can't recall the taste of that Biryani because I've eaten something else; nasi impit and sambal ikan bilis my mom packed for me. Hehe. And they happily had my portion. Dasar kelaparan semua orang masa ni.

Hiks. Kena bebel walau di mana jua anda berada. Haha. Mom definitely knows best kan? She packed for me 30 small packets of nasi impit but I left 15 at home. Told her, that's too much. Hahaha. Rasain loh. Kalau orang tua cakap tu, tolong dengar dan ikut! Hehe.

On top of Houseboat Lily of Nageen

And while we waited for our shikara ride in the evening, we were sitting on the wooden floor on top of the houseboat. A great view of other houseboats lined up along the lake and we can clearly see shikaras in vibrant hues. Mostly in red and yellow, and they were so bright in colors, so vivid and beautiful.

Our boatman

When the boatman came, we then boarded a shikara together with Uncle Nabi. They took us to a non-tourist zone and we can feel the silence in a hidden corners of Nageen lake, floating literally on the surface of the waters. So calm and peaceful.

Pardon my acah-acah pose. Pretending to dip my hand in the water of Srinagar, checked!

Houseboats

It was cold that time. So cold to be honest, I shiver a bit. But seeing the reflections of the houseboats on the water, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Such a beauty.

Lily pond

Well, the boatman didn't speak much, perhaps because of language barrier. But we did chat with Uncle Nabi a bit. He told us that lotus season had not started, yet. The lake will only be surrounded with water lily and lotus somewhere in April. And from my observation, almost every house or houseboat in Srinagar had a little garden in their backyards. It is one of their sources of income, they might be selling bouquet of flowers or even the flower seeds to tourists.

We then floated in silence, embracing the moment. It was so amazing to sit in the slow moving shikara, watching the mountains around and you just see a life beyond what you've usually seen.

I felt calm. You see something so different. Almost every family here needed a shikara, their only modes of transportation to move around. And I don't know why, but when I see the ladies rowed their boat, just two of them, probably a mom and a daughter, that scene was a bit heart warming.

The famous Hazratbal Shrine

The sun almost going down into the lake, and the dark was slowly cloaking the sky. We literally had the sunset all to ourselves. And when we were approaching the famous Hazratbal Shrine (mosque) situated on the left bank of Dal lake, we were told that a single hair of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is preserved here. Maybe it was just a myth, I don't know. And we heard clearly they were reciting quran. Mungkin jugak sebab dah nak azan masa tu. Haha.

Hazratbal Shrine is visible from most parts of the Dal Lake

It's just beautiful

Nageen Lake, you've been dazzling but for now, au revoir!

To be continued,..

Labels: India, Kashmir, Srinagar, Travel

1:26 AM | 3 comments

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Noor Rafidah Jacob
Fida Jacob
Kuala Lumpur, MY
Chartered accountant
Tax Manager, BIMB
Kaplan Financial UK
IIUM Alumni
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Hi everyone! My weaknesses are pretty things and kindness. Knowledge is of high importance. I believe that everyone has the potential to become the best they can be and that beauty comes within. This is a spot where I'll share with you some of my adventures + my inner thoughts! Oh and don't forget to follow me on instagram! : @fidajacob