Houseboat is a Novel type of accommodation available in Kashmir. Living on a houseboat experiences a fun and real joy for those who experience such stay and always carry cherishing moments along with as a memory for the entire lifetime. The Staff at service on a Houseboat comprises of a Captain, Room Boy, Chef, besides attached Shikara with Shikara-wala for to and fro Crossings and other Shikara Rides. Thus one feels homely atmosphere while one's stay on a Houseboat. The houseboat is usually made out of Cedar wood and constructed imparting modern amenities and facilities available like Corridor, Drawing room, Dining room, Pantry, 02 to 07 bed rooms with attached fully sanitary fitted bath rooms with hot and cold water running. The accessories usually are carved out of Walnut wood and to add to the beauty of house boats, these accessories are put in various rooms and even the doors and windows have walnut wood carving touch and also provide Sun Deck to have an experience of Sun bath. The interior furnishing is palatial which covers Carpets, Crewel Curtains, Embroidered Bed Sheets, foot mats etc.

Many tourists are attracted to Srinagar by the charm of staying on a houseboat, which provides the unique experience of living on the water in a cedar-paneled elegant bedroom, with all the conveniences of a luxury hotel. Srinagar's thousand or so houseboats are moored along sections of the Dal and Nagin Lakes and river Jhelum, each decorated fancifully and named romantically and even whimsically. Like hotels, houseboats vary in degree of luxury and have been accordingly graded by the Department of Tourism. A luxury houseboat, like a luxury hotel has fine furniture, good carpets and modern bathroom fittings, while the 'D category' (the lowest category) of houseboats, like low-budget hotels, is spartanly furnished.

Like hotels too, houseboats vary widely in their locations. Some overlook the main road, others look out onto lotus gardens and yet others face tiny local markets and villages, all right in the middle of the lake! All houseboats, regardless of category, have highly personalized service. Not only is there always a "houseboy" for every boat, but the owner and his family are never far away. The cost per day of hiring a houseboat includes all meals and free rides from the houseboat to the nearest jetty and back, as no houseboat on the lakes is directly accessible from the banks. Every standard houseboat provides a balcony in the front, a lounge, dining room, pantry and 3 or more bedrooms with attached bathrooms. All houseboats not moored to the bank of the river or lakes provide a Shikara as a free service from the houseboat to the nearest Ghat (jetty). Virtually every houseboat in Srinagar has been provided with a municipal water connection.

Srinagar is the summer capital of the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in the Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits. Srinagar has a long history, dating back at least to the 3rd century BC, and has been known by different names. The city was founded by the King Pravarasena II over 2,000 years ago, named it Parvasenpur. The city was then a part of the Maurya Empire, one of the largest empires of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka introduced Buddhism to the Kashmir valley, and the adjoining regions around the city became a centre of Buddhism. In the 1st century, the region was under the control of Kushans and several rulers of this dynasty strengthened the Buddhist tradition.[citation needed] Vikramaditya (of Ujjain) and his successors probably ruled the regions just before the city fell to the control of the Huns in the 6th century, and Mihirkula was the most dreaded ruler of the city and the valley.

Source: Wikipedia & http://www.royalhouseboats.com/houseboats.asp

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