Dal Lake & River Jhelum Scenes in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing everyday landscapes and community life in Srinagar and Baramulla from the 1870s to the 1960s. The pictures include the Dalgate weir and lock system in the 1880s with wooden boats along earthen embankments; houseboats and residential buildings along Dal Gate in 1960 with traditional mud roofs; a panoramic view of the Zero Bridge site around 1910 with houseboats, the Srinagar Club, and Chunt Kul canal; medical treatment outdoors at the Mission Hospital in Baramulla in the early 20th century by missionary sisters; an elevated 1875 view of the River Jhelum and Fateh Kadal bridge with densely clustered wooden houses on both banks; and a Kashmiri woman with a child in traditional attire at Nishat Garden in 1964. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This rare 1880s photograph documents the Dalgate area of Srinagar, showing the early weir and lock system that regulated the outflow of Dal Lake into the River Jhelum. Dalgate served as one of the two primary outlets of Dal Lake, the other being Amir Khan Nallah, which connected Dal Lake with Nagin and Anchar lakes. Constructed in the nineteenth century, the Dalgate control system was essential for managing seasonal water levels, reducing flood risk, and maintaining stable lake and river circulation. The image reveals wooden boats, earthen embankments, and limited human presence along the shoreline, reflecting the functional and controlled character of the site rather than an urban setting. This view preserves an important phase in Kashmir’s traditional water-management infrastructure, long before Dalgate evolved into a major administrative and commercial gateway of Srinagar.

This 1960 photograph presents a detailed view of the Dal Gate area of Srinagar as seen from the Chinar Bagh Bund, capturing a transitional phase in the city’s lakeside landscape. Houseboats rest quietly along the water’s edge, while rows of residential buildings line the raised embankment in the background. Several structures visible in the image still feature traditional mud roofs, locally known as burza push, reflecting older construction practices that were gradually disappearing during this period. The scene illustrates the coexistence of traditional wooden architecture with emerging urban development around Dal Lake, highlighting Dal Gate’s role as a key residential and transport corridor linking the lake with the city. This image preserves an important moment in Srinagar’s mid-20th-century architectural and social history.

This panoramic photograph from around 1910 shows the site of present day Zero Bridge in Srinagar, captured from the left bank of the River Jhelum near the Raj Bagh side while looking upstream. Taken with a wide-angle camera, the image creates a sense of distance that makes background structures appear farther away than they were in reality. Visible across the river is the Srinagar Club building, with its sun deck discernible in the background, along with the Chunt Kul intake gate, which was later reconstructed following the devastating floods of 1903. The riverbanks in this area once supported numerous houseboats, many occupied by foreign visitors, particularly British residents, while nearby Sonawar Bagh served as a common campsite. The scene reflects the importance of this stretch of the Jhelum as a residential, recreational, and hydrological zone in early twentieth-century Srinagar, long before the construction of the modern Zero Bridge.

This early 20th century photograph records a medical treatment scene at the Mission Hospital in Baramulla, depicting Sisters of the Franciscan Missionary of Mary attending to a local patient in an outdoor setting. The image reflects the early phase of organized medical care in Kashmir, when missionary dispensaries played a vital role in providing healthcare to the population. The Mission Dispensary at Baramulla was established on 21 September 1921 and later developed into the fully fledged St. Joseph’s Hospital by 1926. By 1931, the hospital included multiple wards along with private rooms, X-ray, and laboratory facilities. Missionaries also operated hospitals and dispensaries at locations such as Drugjan Rainawari, Zanara Hospital at Nawadal, Lepper Hospital, Cottage Hospital Gupkar in Srinagar, and facilities in Tangmarg and Islamabad. This image stands as an important visual record of early medical service, humanitarian work, and the foundations of modern healthcare and education in Kashmir.

This historic photograph, taken by Francis Frith in 1875, presents an elevated upstream view of the River Jhelum and Fateh Kadal bridge from the house of Safiullah Baba, located near the Khanqah Shah Hamadan in Srinagar. The original caption described the scene as “Srinuggur with Safoola Baba’s House Cashmere,” confirming the vantage point from a prominent residence overlooking the river. Safiullah Baba was a well-known Pashmina shawl merchant of his time, frequently mentioned in British travel accounts, and his house stood on the left bank of the Jhelum, opposite the dense residential quarters of the city. The photograph captures an extensive panorama of Srinagar, with tightly clustered wooden houses lining both banks of the river and Fateh Kadal clearly visible at the center. Buildings seen along the right bank were later used to house the CMS School at Fateh Kadal, marking an important phase in the area’s educational history. This image remains one of the most detailed nineteenth-century visual records of Srinagar’s river-based urban form and architectural landscape.

This 1964 photograph captures a quiet and dignified portrait of a Kashmiri woman standing with a child at Nishat Garden in Srinagar. The woman is dressed in traditional attire with a head covering, reflecting the cultural values of modesty and simplicity that were widely observed in Kashmir during the mid-20th century. The image was shared by group member Mr. Surindar Koul and features his grandmother, offering a personal and intimate glimpse into everyday family life rather than a staged or ceremonial moment. The blurred garden setting in the background suggests a public yet calm space, reinforcing the contrast between individual presence and collective social surroundings. This photograph serves as a valuable social record, preserving the lived reality, clothing practices, and generational continuity of Kashmiri society during the 1960s.