HOUSEBOATS - floating palaces of Kashmir

The fascinating Houseboats are to Jammu and Kashmir what Maharaja Express, the luxurious tourism train, is to Indian Railways. Just, spending some precious moments in a houseboat, the highly elegant floating palaces of the valley, are with a difference in living anywhere on land. If you haven’t been inside earlier, don’t miss the chance next time. Time, season or class could be your exclusive choice but what counts is an enjoyable stay therein. 

Once on a visit to Kashmir, don’t forget to a live in for a few days and enjoy the scenic beauty around in a floating palace preferably at Nagin or Dal lake. Otherwise, a slip or miss to stay in a houseboat would be a big mistake. No doubt, it will certainly consume some additional hard money beyond one’s planned budget but the experience of a dream in houseboat on the floating waters in these lakes would definitely be an unforgettable and unique experience in itself. The big multi-star movable houses, on the surface of water are moored along the western periphery of the lake close to lakeside of Boulevard road right from the Dal gate.

        The living houseboats are peculiar to Kashmir. The valley of Kashmir, being a mountainous land endowed with lakes, rivers and waterways here the boats were the mode of transport and communication in the past connecting people with one another. Those who lived in the ultimate massive wooden structures earlier were only their homes but later a complete means of livelihood with success.

History      

    

           The origin of houseboats dates back to the 19^th century, with the opening of the Jhelum Valley Road (1890 A.D) and the Banihal Cart Road (1915), described as the feats of engineering skill, when the Maharaja of Kashmir forbade the British to buy land in the state. The houseboats of Kashmir have a relationship with Pandit Narain Dass, a well learned, the English speaking youth, one among the first lot to learn the language of English from Rev. Doxey, the founder of the famous Kashmir Mission School in the year 1882, who declined to enter the tradition of joining any profession but realized the needs of the then visiting Europeans and started a store shop but unfortunately the shop was burnt down. Thereupon, he lifted the remaining un-burnt stores and shifted those to a ‘Doonga’ which proved, a blessing in disguise, to the surprise of Pandit Narain Dass that the ‘Doonga shop’ offered positive and sufficient indications of smooth running with   better profitability than the old shop.

Once, he identified the plus and minuses especially the weathering damages to the stores he immediately carried out necessary alterations such as roofing the boat with planks, topped with shingles which in return offered and ensured him a successful entrepreneurship. Soon, British officials spotted the Pandit Naraindass boat rightly and beautifully covered which could not stop their allurement and offered him a good price for his residential purpose during the summer holidays in Srinagar. He became the premier builder of houseboats in Kashmir.  The British official, this way skirted the Maharaja’s ban to own immovable property in the state. This proved to be the genesis and actually gave birth to Houseboats in Kashmir used for the visitors stay. Pandit Naraindas immediately preferred to switch over to the business of houseboat making which earned him the distinction of a nickname, NAV-I-NARAIN (Boat-wala Narain). It is a reality that the   picking up of the nicknames are inborn with the Kashmiri Pandits and call everyone with nicknames which ultimately used to develop and turn into the ‘surnames’.   

The boat manufacturing business of Pandit Naraindas began to prove a success and flourish. The Englishman, Mr. M. T. Kennard, again re-modified the conceived  Naraindas’s idea  with further transformation  of the boats into two-storey houseboat exclusively for living purpose, into a living quarter which he quite appropriately named ‘VICTORY’. Kennard’s, this two-storey

houseboat, was commonly called by the Kashmiris as “Kennard Saheb’s boat”, moored somewhere around, on the banks of the Jehlum river at Rajbagh locality in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Sir R. Harrey Bart, Colonel R. Sartorins and Martyn Kennards besides others later improved upon the previous ideas and carried out further modifications to the then houseboats. Initially, these luxurious and highly furnished houseboats were built, occupied and owned by the Englishmen and Europeans till 1947.

Deodar wood & Interior

The larger ones were moved while the smaller boats were used to move around. Shikara, a small boat attached to every houseboat, rather the water taxi is to ensure frequent mobility, is

as good on the lake water as a two-wheelers or taxis on any road. In fact, the houseboats get all day to day supplies like flowers, milk, fruits, bakery, periodicals and newspapers besides the merchant selling and famous artistic goods, shawls, papier mache, wood carved, small carpets and rugs made by the local artisans of the valley.

Today, the houseboats, built of ‘deodar wood’ and no other wood except the ‘deodar ’has emerged acceptable in the manufacture of houseboat so far which has retained much of the British legacy. The rooms are well appointed with wooden floors with large glazed windows and walls elegantly designed. The ceilings are invariably of the patterns of Kashmir’s “Khatambandi” type ceilings, tiny and thin carved walnut wood pieces arranged in beautiful geometrical designs which are aesthetic sense of all boatmen. The rooms are well furnished with wooden carpets, crewel work upholstery and comfortable wooden furniture offering a luxurious view inside the floating palaces. Truly, these deserve to be rented out to the holiday makers to enjoy the panoramic view all around.

Most of the houseboats are generally about 75ft to 100ft or more in length and 15 ft in width with open well decorated sun deck on rooftops but owners of the houseboats, some claim that a single storey houseboat, the largest one is 180 ft long, 20 ft wide and 12 ft in height. A typical houseboat has a verandah in front for viewing the magnificent lakeside scenery besides Sun decks or evening Cocktails. The massive floating houses comprise of a drawing-cum-living room, a dining room, 2-3-4 bed rooms with separate baths as required. The servant quarters and the kitchenette are in a separate boat moored astern of the main boat. The fill up in the bath-rooms and toilets, which are well sanitary fitted with modern plumbing vary according to the

category of the houseboat. The boats are classified as Special, First and Economy by the State tourism authorities. Also, one can say that these have been divided into A, B, C and D category depending upon the facilities available, services provided and rendered. The best are richly furnished and carpeted, some even having paneled living rooms. The valley’s water surfaces almost accommodates about touching 7000 houseboats comprising of luxurious and economical level one’s on the waters of the valley at different places in and around the Nagin lake, Dal lake, and Wular lake whereas the small houseboats (Doonga’s) for residential purposes have been put across the banks of the Jhelum river in Srinagar.

        Today, an economy class houseboat approximately costs minimum somewhere around    25-35 lakhs and the luxurious one’s with high class floorings, furnishing and bar counter, pantry besides other facilities and single or double storey cost somewhere between 1.5 crore or even more depending upon the additional comforts and services available. Sun-bathing atop the houseboat, one really feels as if the world has come to you. The floating palace requires a crew of six to twelve people to help move it from one place to another.

      To enjoy a stay in a houseboat you have to contain your emotions and stay back. No doubt, tourists visit the valley but the fear psychosis due to militancy persists even today besides the political disturbances now and then, which widely contributes to ruin the tourist seasons causing much damage to this trade every year. One has to be patient enough till the militancy vanishes and is completely off the scene to allow peace to blow parallel with cool breeze across the valley and ensure a safe, fearless and truly enjoyable trip to the Kashmir valley. Till then just relax and beyond it you can have dreams too.