Houseboats on the Lakes

Living in Kashmir 1979-80: A Year of People, Places and Memories

Houseboats

The British colonials were ever resourceful in escaping the fierce heat of the Indian plains. Each summer, they retreated to higher, cooler climes and nowhere offered quite the same beguiling refuge as Kashmir. Yet the rulers of Kashmir in the 1880s had closed the valley to European land ownership, and so foreign residents and visitors found an elegant solution: they commissioned floating houses. These were modelled on earlier versions of covered boats.

Kashmiri artisans proved themselves masters of their craft, gradually building larger and more comfortable vessels from deodar, the fragrant local cedar that lent each houseboat its distinctive warmth and character. Many grew into substantial structures that rivalled the better hotels for both comfort and service. Interiors were adorned with richly patterned Kashmiri carpets underfoot and exquisite wood carvings overhead.

The houseboats themselves were generously proportioned, typically offering four bedrooms, bathrooms, and a proper dining room. Above, an open deck invited guests to sit in the sun and gaze across the shimmering expanse of the lake, the distant Himalayan peaks on the horizon.

Enjoying the summer sun with friends on the upper deck

During our time in Kashmir, houseboats remained a favourite destination for visitors seeking to experience life on the lakes. We spent one short break on Lake Dal. Meals were included and often when booking a stay, one could not be sure whether we would have the place to ourselves.

  
Unfortunately for one unfortunate honeymoon couple we were sharing a rental. It was well after we were asleep one night that the dreaded effects of ‘Delhi belly’ set in. The evening meal had passed pleasantly but provided a nasty result. The walls of thin wood, charming in so many respects, offered precious little in the way of sound insulation, and one could only feel the deepest sympathy for the newlyweds.

A wide variety of creative names adorned the houseboats. From our summer photos we have Miss England and below the Princess Alexandra and the Alexandra Palace.

A steady procession of merchants arrived by shikara, each hoping to tempt residents with their wares. There were shikaras laden with fresh vegetables, others piled with craft goods: papier-mâché boxes, embroidered shawls and carved trinkets.

A well remembered visitor was a man known to us as Shining Roses, who glided alongside each morning in a shikara overflowing with the most beautiful blooms. He arrived quietly across the water, and delivered colour and fragrance to one's doorstep.

Times have changed for many houseboat owners but we retain pleasant memories of these elegant vessels.

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin