Rare Vintage Kashmir Photos: 1970s-1980s Srinagar Streets & Dal Lake

A collection of old photographs showing daily life in Srinagar and around Dal Lake from the 1940s to the 1980s. The pictures include busy market lanes with women and children in 1981, shikara boats moored on the lake in the 1970s, wooden houses along the water's edge, early morning at Lal Chowk in 1972 with buses and tongas, old wooden houses and shops in 1981, lively Lal Chowk street in the 1960s, Batyaar Temple in Ali Kadal, Charar-e-Sharif shrine, Kashmiri basket makers at work, and visitors at Shalimar Garden in 1945. Simple views of old Kashmir.

A busy street scene from Srinagar in 1981, capturing everyday movement through a narrow market lane in the old city. Kashmiri women walk together carrying baskets and children, while men pass alongside wrapped in traditional clothing. The closely built houses, shop signs, and worn walls reflect the lived-in character of Srinagar’s older neighborhoods, where daily life unfolded in shared public spaces. The photograph quietly documents routine activity, family presence, and the natural rhythm of the street during an ordinary day.

A calm view of shikara boats moored along the edge of Dal Lake in Srinagar during the 1970s. The still water reflects the surrounding mountains, houseboats, and wooden boats lined neatly along the shore, showing how the lake functioned as both a workplace and a transport space. Such scenes were part of everyday life on Dal Lake, where shikaras were used daily for travel, trade, and routine movement, quietly shaping the rhythm of life around the water.

A quiet lakeside view from Srinagar showing wooden houses and houseboats built close to the water’s edge. The still surface reflects the structures and surrounding trees, highlighting how homes and daily life were closely connected to the lake. Such settings were common around Srinagar’s waterways, where living, working, and movement took place directly alongside water, shaping a distinct rhythm of everyday life within these lakefront neighborhoods.

An early morning scene at Lal Chowk in Srinagar in 1972, showing the area coming to life as buses prepare for routes toward Jammu and local transport gathers along the roadside. Taxis, tongas, and tempos share the street with pedestrians, while shopfronts, hotel balconies, and signboards frame the busy junction. The photograph reflects Lal Chowk’s role as a central meeting point for travel, commerce, and daily movement, capturing the layered rhythm of a working city beginning its day.

A street scene from Srinagar in 1981 showing rows of old wooden houses with balconies and shuttered windows lining the road. Small roadside shops operate at ground level, while everyday movement continues with pedestrians, a parked car, and a cyclist passing through the frame. The mix of residential buildings and street-level activity reflects the lived character of Srinagar’s urban neighborhoods, where homes, trade, and daily travel existed closely together along busy roads.

A lively street scene at Lal Chowk in Srinagar during the 1960s, showing pedestrians, cyclists, and tongas sharing the road in the heart of the city. Shops line both sides of the street with signboards and balconies overlooking the movement below, while people gather, walk, and travel in different directions. The photograph captures the everyday rhythm of Lal Chowk as a central space for commerce, transport, and social interaction in mid-twentieth-century Srinagar.

A view of the Batyaar Temple in the Ali Kadal area of old Srinagar, situated along the banks of the Jhelum River. The stone-based structure with its distinctive roof stands amid closely built traditional houses, reflecting the dense urban fabric of Sheher-e-Khaas. The river steps beside the temple show everyday activity along the water, where washing, gathering, and routine tasks were part of daily life. The temple holds long-standing cultural importance for the Kashmiri Pandit community and remains closely tied to the river-centered life and heritage of downtown Srinagar.

A view of the Charar-e-Sharif shrine in the Budgam district of Kashmir, showing its distinctive wooden architecture and central spire. The shrine is associated with Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, also known as Nund Rishi, whose teachings shaped the spiritual and cultural life of Kashmir for centuries. The open courtyard, surrounding fence, and people gathered nearby reflect the shrine’s role as a shared space of devotion, daily visitation, and quiet reflection, deeply rooted in the everyday religious life of the region.

Kashmiri basket makers work by hand, shaping willow strips into sturdy baskets using techniques passed down through generations. Seated along a brick wall, the artisans carefully weave each piece with precision, reflecting the skill of traditional Shaksaaz craftsmen. Such work formed an important part of everyday craft life in Kashmir, producing baskets used for storage, transport, and household needs, and preserving a heritage of manual skill closely tied to local materials and community knowledge.

A scene from Shalimar Garden in Srinagar in 1945, showing visitors walking along the water channels and fountains that define the garden’s formal layout. People move calmly through the shaded paths, with terraced pools and cascading water forming the center of activity. The photograph reflects Shalimar Garden as a shared public space, where families and visitors spent time strolling, resting, and enjoying the carefully designed landscape that had long been part of everyday leisure in the city.