Dal Lake freezes in Srinagar, adding to Kashmir’s famed beauty

Snow in Kashmir is a pleasant feeling, just like its breezy summers and dulcet autumns. Following the cold wave that has gripped the valley these days, the weather is likely to remain chilly with freezing temperatures.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions will prevail in Kashmir in the weeks ahead.

It is so cold that the world-famous Dal Lake, stretched over 16 kilometres in Srinagar, has frozen over in parts.

This is not a first though: The lake completely froze in 1962 as per records. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K used to have a Prime Minister until 1965, after which the post was abolished), drove a Jeep on the frozen Dal Lake, a picture of which was splashed across front pages of local newspapers the next day.

The lake completely froze in the years 1959, 1962, 1964 and 1986 as per records.

No one drives a Jeep on the frozen lake anymore. In recent years, the Kashmir authorities have issued advisories to people not to walk or play on the frozen surface of waterbodies, especially the Dal Lake after videos emerged of youth playing cricket on the frozen lake.

Straight out of a fairy tale

While the valley is stunning in all seasons, there is something very enchanting about Kashmir winters. It appears bewitching, straight out of a fairy tale, with tiny bakeries bellowing away fragrant smells in the mornings against the snowy landscape.

As fisherfolk head out in the frozen, frigid lake, overlooking the majestic Dargah Hazratbal, it appears like a period of great longing in Srinagar.

Whether that longing is a lament for a return to simpler times or a prayer of peace, one cannot tell. What is sure though is the fact that you cannot help yourself being moved to ecstasy, almost to tears, by the sheer beauty of Kashmir.