“Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” (#5 in series)

 

 

 

I took the photo at 6.35 am on 06 May 2024, as we were nearly back at “our” luxurious houseboat, after a very early morning visit to Dal Lake’s (floating) vegetable market.

The pictured houseboat is one of the lake’s biggest; “ours” was pretty substantial, but much smaller…and rather nicer, I suspect.

Atop the big hill – and widely visible from many points in and around Srinagar – is Hari Parbat Fort.

There are some visible, outer fortifications which date from the late 16th century, when Moghul Emperor Akbar began – but failed to complete – construction of a major fort.

Most of the now-visible fort was constructed from the late 18th and into the early 19th century by the Afghan Governor of what was then the Kashmir Province, within the (Afghan) Durrani Empire.

The vale of Kashmir has since enjoyed/endured rule/misrule by Sikhs (briefly) , and the Dogras (for a century, under British patronage) and India (post-1947)

Hari Parbat Fort’s current “ high point” is a giant pole, from which flutters a huge Indian flag; pole and flag are distantly-visible in my photo.

For a well-illustrated, closer look at the only such “hilltop fort” in the region, click here.