Late 19th to Mid-20th Century Srinagar Markets & Urban Life Photos

A collection of old photographs showing everyday commerce, landmarks, and leisure in Srinagar from the late nineteenth century to the 1980s. The pictures include a weekly market at Hazratbal in 1963 with foreign tourists among local vendors under canvas shelters; the Jamia Masjid with its traditional burza mud roofing in the mid twentieth century; young English visitors boating on Dal Lake in 1929; Boulevard Road along the lake in the 1970s–1980s with houseboats and pedestrians; Hari Singh High Street in the early 1940s showing its planned shopping-residential blocks; and a vegetable seller at a market stall in 1896 surrounded by baskets of local produce like knol kohl and gourds, with Kashmiri Pandit customers. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This 1963 photograph shows a weekly market scene at Hazratbal in Srinagar, with a foreign tourist couple standing among local vendors and residents. Temporary market stalls are set up under canvas shelters, a common practice for Friday markets and festival days in this area, particularly near the Tailbal locality. The presence of foreign visitors highlights Srinagar’s role as an international travel destination during the mid twentieth century, when tourists regularly interacted with everyday city life. The scene reflects informal commerce, neighborhood exchange, and the coexistence of local market traditions with early tourism activity in Kashmir.

This mid twentieth century photograph shows the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar, a major architectural and religious landmark with origins dating to the late fourteenth century. Commissioned in 1394 CE by Sultan Sikandar Shah Miri at the behest of Mir Mohammad Hamadani and completed in 1402 CE, the mosque later underwent expansion under Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, who enhanced the structure and added a turret. The image highlights the traditional burza mud roofing layered with grass, a construction method that provided insulation against heat and cold while also helping to confine fires. For over six centuries, Jamia Masjid has served as a central space for religious practice and communal life in Kashmir, and this photograph preserves a view of its historic form prior to later alterations.

This 1929 photograph shows young English visitors paddling a wooden boat on Dal Lake in Srinagar, reflecting the popularity of Kashmir as a leisure destination during the late colonial period. Dal Lake attracted foreign travelers for boating, fishing, and scenic retreats, often supported by local boatmen and lake communities. The image captures a moment of informal recreation on the water, illustrating early twentieth century tourism and cross-cultural presence in Kashmir. Such scenes highlight how Dal Lake functioned not only as a livelihood space for local residents but also as a site of relaxation and exploration for foreign visitors during this period.

This color photograph from the 1970s to 1980s shows Boulevard Road running along the edge of Dal Lake in Srinagar, with houseboats moored on the water and the surrounding mountain range visible in the distance. Boulevard Road functioned as a prominent urban promenade, linking residential areas, hotels, and lakefront activity while offering views of Dal Lake and the landscape beyond. Pedestrian movement along the roadside reflects everyday city life during this period, when the lakefront remained closely integrated with transport, tourism, and local routines. The image preserves a visual record of Srinagar’s urban setting before later changes to traffic patterns, lake management, and waterfront development.

Early 1940s photograph of Hari Singh High Street, Srinagar, taken from the Amira Kadal side. The thoroughfare was constructed under the orders of Maharaja Hari Singh, with work commencing in 1928 and reaching completion in late 1931. The Major Public Works portfolio was overseen by G. E. C. Wakefield, CIE, OBE, Head of the Council of Ministers, while Engineer Francis Green, Chief Engineer of the Bombay Presidency, was specially engaged for the execution of this and other major projects, including the Karan Boulevard, the underground sewage system of uptown Srinagar, and the Karan Nagar Road. Along Hari Singh High Street, twenty purpose-built shopping-cum-residential blocks were erected on both sides of the road, most of which survive substantially intact. Each block comprised eight ground-floor shops, with eight residential apartments (“sets”) arranged across the first and second floors above. These blocks were auctioned to the general public in 1932, subject to the condition that no individual or family could acquire more than one block, reflecting the regulated approach to urban development and property distribution of the period.

This 1896 photograph shows a vegetable seller seated at a market stall in Srinagar, surrounded by baskets of locally grown produce and attended by customers. The scene reflects a period when vegetables were sourced entirely from within the region, as long-distance import was limited by transport and logistics. Visible produce includes knol kohl, gourds, aubergine, potatoes, garlic, dried fish, and pumpkin, arranged carefully for sale. The customers on the right include members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, identifiable by their traditional dress and style of turban. The image offers a detailed view of everyday market life in late nineteenth century Kashmir, documenting local food systems, trade practices, and social interaction within the urban marketplace.