Rare Vintage Kashmir Photos: Dal Lake & Srinagar Everyday Scenes

A collection of old photographs showing everyday life and landscapes in Kashmir from the early 1900s to the 1970s–1980s. The pictures include a 1917 portrait of a Kashmiri Pandit woman, Nehru Park on Dal Lake in the 1970s–1980s, a traditional kiryana shop on Dal Lake in the 1960s–1970s, a view of the River Jhelum with houseboats and riverbank settlements, a pastoral scene in Gulmarg with grazing horses and village dwellings, Sher Garhi Palace in Srinagar from the early 1900s, Nagin Lake in the early 1900s with shikaras and the Himalayan backdrop, Lal Chowk in Srinagar during the 1960s–1970s, an early postcard view of Dal Lake with shikaras and houseboats, and a traditional shikara on Dal Lake from the early 1900s. Simple views of old Kashmir.

A postcard portrait of a Kashmiri Pandit woman photographed in Kashmir in 1917. Shown in profile, she wears traditional clothing with a head covering, reflecting the dress and presentation common at the time. The simple background and composed pose emphasize everyday dignity rather than formality, offering a quiet glimpse into personal identity and social life in early twentieth-century Kashmir. The postcard format itself reflects how such images were shared and circulated during this period.

A view of Nehru Park on Dal Lake in Srinagar photographed during the 1970s to 1980s, showing shikara boats moving across the water and moored along the edge. The lake is active with visitors and boatmen, while buildings and walkways of the park appear in the background. The scene reflects Dal Lake as a shared space of leisure, transport, and daily work, where tourism and local life met naturally on the water during this period.

A traditional kiryana shop on Dal Lake in Srinagar, photographed during the 1960s to 1970s. Built directly along the water’s edge, the small wooden shop is stocked with everyday household items arranged on shelves and hanging from the roof beams. A child sits near the entrance as the shopkeeper moves inside, reflecting how commerce and domestic life often blended in lakeside settings. The scene captures Dal Lake as a working landscape, where shops, homes, and daily routines existed closely alongside the water.

A vintage view of the Jhelum River in Kashmir showing houseboats moored along the water and small settlements lining the riverbank. The houseboats, with their layered wooden structures and shaded decks, reflect a time when the river served as both a place of residence and transport. Trees and distant mountains frame the scene, emphasizing the close relationship between river life, settlement, and landscape that shaped everyday living along the Jhelum.

An undated pastoral scene from Gulmarg in Kashmir showing horses grazing across open fields with village houses spread along the gentle slopes behind them. The wide meadow and simple dwellings reflect Gulmarg as a working landscape, shaped by seasonal grazing and rural settlement. The photograph captures a quiet moment of everyday life, where human habitation and animal presence exist in balance within the broader mountain environment.

Sher Garhi Palace in Srinagar, photographed in the early twentieth century when it served as the administrative center of Jammu and Kashmir. The grand multi-storey building stands prominently along the banks of the Jhelum River, with its long façades and arched windows reflected in the water below. Boats are moored near the river steps, highlighting the palace’s close connection to the river as a route of access and movement. The image reflects a period when architecture, governance, and river life were closely interwoven in the city’s central landscape.

A view of Nagin Lake in Srinagar photographed in the early twentieth century, showing traditional shikaras moving quietly across the water. The lake is bordered by reeds and trees, while the snow-covered Himalayan range rises in the distance beneath a dramatic sky. The scene reflects Nagin Lake as a calm extension of the city’s lake system, where boating, fishing, and daily movement unfolded against a striking natural backdrop. The photograph captures the balance between water, landscape, and everyday life that defined Srinagar’s lakes during this period.

A street scene at Lal Chowk in Srinagar photographed during the 1960s to 1970s, capturing everyday movement through the city’s main commercial area. Pedestrians walk along the road lined with shops and buildings, while vehicles and street activity fill the background. The view reflects Lal Chowk as a working urban space, shaped by routine travel, trade, and daily interaction, with the distant mountains remaining a constant presence beyond the city streets.

An early postcard view of Dal Lake in Srinagar showing shikaras moving across the water and houseboats moored along the tree-lined banks. People can be seen traveling by boat and standing near the water, reflecting how the lake functioned as a living space rather than a backdrop. The surrounding trees, distant hills, and clustered houseboats place the scene within the everyday rhythm of lakeside life, where transport, work, and daily routines unfolded directly on the water.

A traditional shikara on Dal Lake in Srinagar, photographed in the early twentieth century. The long wooden boat moves quietly through calm water as the boatman stands and rows, guiding it along the narrow waterway. Trees line the banks on both sides, creating a sheltered setting that reflects the everyday use of the lake for travel and routine movement. The image captures Dal Lake as a lived space, where shikaras were central to daily life, connecting homes, markets, and neighborhoods across the water.