Srinagar is the largest city and the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated in the Kashmir Valley along the banks of the Jhelum River and the shores of Dal Lake, the city is known for its Mughal-era gardens, traditional wooden architecture, houseboats, and handicrafts such as Pashmina shawls, Kashmiri carpets and papier-mâché work.
| Srinagar — Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Region | Kashmir Valley |
| District | Srinagar |
| River | Jhelum |
| Civic body | Srinagar Municipal Corporation |
| Languages | Kashmiri, Urdu, English |
| Status | Summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir |
Srinagar lies in the central part of the Kashmir Valley, an oval basin enclosed by the Pir Panjal range to the south-west and the greater Himalayas to the north-east. The city stretches along both banks of the Jhelum, which is crossed by a series of historic bridges locally known as kadals. Notable water bodies within or adjacent to the city include Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake and Anchar Lake, while Wular Lake lies further downstream. The city sits at an elevation of roughly 1,585 metres above sea level and experiences a humid subtropical/continental climate marked by warm summers, a distinct autumn, and cold winters with snowfall.
Srinagar has a long recorded history stretching back over two millennia. Tradition associates its founding with the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, who is said to have established a settlement called Srinagari in the Kashmir Valley. The valley later came under the Karkota dynasty in the 7th–8th centuries CE, during whose reign king Lalitaditya Muktapida expanded the kingdom significantly.
From the 14th century onward, the region transitioned to Muslim rule under the Shah Mir dynasty and later sultans such as Zain-ul-Abidin, who patronised local crafts and learning. Srinagar was incorporated into the Mughal Empire in 1586 under Akbar, after which the Mughals laid out several terraced gardens around Dal Lake, including Shalimar Bagh (built by Jahangir, 1619), Nishat Bagh (laid out by Asaf Khan, 1633) and Chashme Shahi.
Mughal control gave way to Afghan rule under the Durranis in the mid-18th century, followed by Sikh rule under Ranjit Singh from 1819. After the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846 transferred the region to Gulab Singh, founder of the Dogra dynasty, and Srinagar became the summer capital of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the accession of the state to India in October 1947, the city continued in this capacity within the Indian Union.
The city is administered by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Srinagar functions as the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, with administrative offices shifting to Jammu in winter under the practice formerly known as the Darbar Move. It is the headquarters of Srinagar district and hosts the Jammu and Kashmir High Court along with several offices of the union territory administration.
Srinagar's economy combines tourism, handicrafts, horticulture and trade. The city is a long-standing centre for the production of Kashmiri shawls (including Pashmina and Shahtoosh historically), hand-knotted carpets, walnut wood carving, papier-mâché, crewel embroidery and copperware. Saffron from the nearby Pampore area, along with apples, walnuts and almonds from the valley, are traded through Srinagar's markets. Tourism — centred on houseboats, shikara rides on Dal Lake, the Mughal gardens and onward travel to Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg — is a major source of employment.
Srinagar is connected by air through Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport at Budgam, which handles domestic flights and limited international services. National Highway 44 (formerly NH 1A) links the city to Jammu and the rest of India via the Jawahar Tunnel and the Banihal–Qazigund road tunnel. The Banihal–Baramulla railway line, part of the broader Jammu–Baramulla rail project, serves Srinagar railway station at Nowgam. Within the city, road transport is supplemented by water transport on the Jhelum and the lakes.
Major institutions based in or around Srinagar include the University of Kashmir, the National Institute of Technology Srinagar, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura, and Government Medical College Srinagar. The city also hosts the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu's affiliated activities and various research and cultural bodies.
Srinagar is the cultural heart of the Kashmir Valley. Kashmiri is the principal language, with Urdu serving as the official language of the union territory. The city has a strong tradition of Sufi music, especially Sufiana mausiqi, and folk genres such as Chakri and Rouf. Cuisine is centred on the elaborate Wazwan, a multi-course meal prepared by hereditary cooks called wazas. Festivals observed in the city include Eid, Navroz, Urs at major shrines, and Hindu festivals associated with the Kashmiri Pandit community.
Beyond its administrative role, Srinagar holds enduring significance as the historical capital of Kashmir, a centre of Indo-Persian Islamic culture in the Indian subcontinent, and a symbol of the valley's syncretic Kashmiriyat tradition. It has also been at the centre of political and security developments concerning Jammu and Kashmir since 1947.