House Boats

 

Houseboats are owned by Boat people or Hanjis; who claim to be descendants of Noah. Built of seasoned cedar, the early houseboats were small and highly mobile. They would escape the heat of mid-summer Srinagar by being towed down river to the Wular Lake. Today’s houseboats are too large to permit such ease of movement. Anchored in a long line along the fringes of the Dal and Nagin lakes, their appearance ranges from palatial to tattered, even though the basic design remains the same.

A Dogra ruler passed a rule that no outsider could buy immovable property in Kashmir. Britishers decided to build houses on water instead. The houseboats which existed during that period were transported by Britishers according to their choice. They turned ordinary houseboats into luxurious floating houses containing all amenities. After British rulers left, these houseboats were converted into hotels and soon they became icons of Kashmir. A houseboat now contains well furnished living room, filled with walnut-wood furniture, curios, and crewelwork upholstery, exquisitely carved ceilings, embroidered wall hangings and carpets. Beyond that are the dining room, and still further, a corridor leading to the bedrooms with attached toilets, with cold and warm water. At a distance is the cook boat, source of all meals.

The tourists get personal attention from the houseboat owners and the attendants. The houseboat owners are the best hosts. With their hospitality they make you feel that you are part of their family and are staying in their home, not any impersonal hotel. Most of them speak English and other languages fluently and also serve continental food. Apart from that they arrange for local sightseeing in Srinagar, shikara rides, organize your trips (including transport and stay) to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg or any other tourist destination. They also accompany you for expeditions and treks arranging everything from tents to equipment and cooks, etc. By making all the arrangements perfectly they really let you enjoy your well-deserved holiday without any stress. At least four generations of the houseboat owners have been in this business so they know how to take good care of their guests.

The magic of staying in the houseboat lies in the sheer fact of being on water and the unobstructed views it offers of the lake and mountains. The deck is the best place to enjoy the crimson glow of dawn and dusk and watching birds leap and glide along the water surface. Shopping comes to the houseboat in the shape of shikaras loaded with flowers, boxes of apples, peaches and apricots, handicrafts, shawls, silks, carpets, walnut wood, jewellery and gleaming Papier Mache boxes.

Once if you stay in a houseboat, you just can’t have enough of this experience and wish to come back again and again.

“No wonder Sir Walter Lawrence wrote in his will “Bury me in a houseboat.”