Public Spaces & Everyday Routines in Old Srinagar Photos

A collection of old photographs showing public life and landscapes in Srinagar from the late nineteenth century to the 1980s. The pictures include the Srinagar Club building along the Veth River in 1911 with a small boat and river activity; a community gathering at Hazratbal in 1950 with men and children carrying bundles; a formal studio portrait of a Kashmiri couple in traditional attire from the late 1800s; a motor car loaded with luggage and hunting trophies on a mountain road near Uri in 1936; a couple preparing traditional Wazwan cuisine inside a houseboat kitchen on Dal Lake in 1982; and a family collecting water along a tree-lined canal near Nagin Lake toward Hazratbal in 1976. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This 1911 photograph shows the Srinagar Club situated on the right bank of the Veth River, just upstream of Abdullah Bridge. Constructed in 1899, the building served as a social club primarily for British residents and visiting foreigners during the colonial period. Membership was restricted, reflecting the segregated social spaces of the time, while local elites later established separate institutions elsewhere in the city. The image also captures everyday river activity, with a small boat moving across the water in the foreground. Over time, the function of the building changed, and the club ceased operations in the late twentieth century. The photograph preserves a visual record of colonial-era leisure spaces and their setting within Srinagar’s river landscape.

This photograph from 1950 shows a gathering at Hazratbal in Srinagar, with men and children seated and standing together in an open area, many carrying cloth bundles of personal belongings or food. Such gatherings were common during religious occasions, community events, and seasonal assemblies, where families traveled together and spent extended time outdoors. The image reflects the simplicity of daily life, traditional dress, and the strong sense of community that characterized public spaces in mid twentieth century Kashmir. It preserves a candid view of social interaction, shared routines, and collective presence around one of Srinagar’s important communal sites.

This late nineteenth century studio photograph presents a formal portrait of a Kashmiri couple seated side by side, dressed in traditional clothing. Studio photography during this period was a rare and deliberate occasion, often associated with dignity, personal pride, and social standing. The composed posture and careful arrangement reflect the seriousness with which such portraits were undertaken, sometimes requiring long journeys to reach a photographic studio. The image documents not only dress and ornamentation but also early photographic culture in Kashmir, preserving a moment of personal identity and aspiration at a time when photography itself was a marker of status and modernity.

  This 1936 photograph shows an early motor car halted on a mountain road near Uri while leaving the Kashmir Valley, heavily laden with luggage and hunting trophies, including antlers of the Hangul deer. Such vehicles were commonly used by visiting European elites during the interwar period, combining long-distance travel with hunting expeditions in remote areas. The car is equipped with wicker baskets, camping supplies, and travel gear, reflecting the logistics required for extended journeys through mountainous terrain. The image documents colonial-era mobility, leisure practices, and the material culture associated with travel and hunting in Kashmir during the early twentieth century.

This 1982 photograph shows a Kashmiri couple preparing Wazwan inside a houseboat kitchen in Srinagar for tourists staying on Dal Lake. The meal is being cooked using traditional methods and utensils, with ingredients laid out on the wooden floor of the houseboat. Houseboats commonly provided freshly prepared local cuisine to visiting guests, offering an immersive experience of Kashmiri hospitality. The scene documents everyday domestic labor within the houseboat economy, highlighting food preparation practices, interior living spaces, and the role of tourism in sustaining livelihoods along Dal Lake during the late twentieth century.

This 1976 photograph captures a quiet moment of everyday life near Nagin Lake, along the road crossing Ashaibagh and leading toward Hazratbal. A family is seen beside a narrow canal, collecting water and moving along the tree-lined roadside, reflecting routine domestic activity in the area. Such canals and paths formed part of the local infrastructure, supporting household needs and pedestrian movement between neighborhoods. The winter-bare trees and muted landscape suggest the colder season, while the scene documents ordinary life in a lakeside setting before later urban expansion altered many of these environments. The image preserves a candid record of daily routines and the close relationship between residents, waterways, and roads in mid twentieth century Kashmir.