Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Sep 23: The famous Shikaras of Dal Lake also referred to as the “floating taxis of Kashmir,” now lie idle, their vibrant canopies fading under the sun.
With tourists vanishing after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the men who rowed them for generations are being pushed to desperate choices.
Wali Mohammad, President of the Shikara Association Kashmir said that many owners have been forced to abandon the lake.
“Shikaras have been our identity, our lifeline. Today, the same boats float empty. Many owners are now running small shops, pushing carts, or doing gig work because they too have to feed their families,” he said.
He added that the crisis has shaken the pride of the community.
“My father and his father before him rowed Shikaras in Dal. Never did I imagine I would have to think of selling vegetables to survive. But when children ask for school fees, you can’t keep telling them to wait,” said one of the Shikara owners, who switched his work, his face pale and eyes moist.
Ghulam Rasool, another shikara owner, said he hasn’t had a single passenger for weeks. “Before, one ride could bring in Rs 500–700. Now, there is nothing. I borrowed money to repair my shikara last year. Today, that repair feels like a curse.”
Moreover, local vendors around Dal said their livelihoods are also hit hard. “Tourists mean rides and rides mean buyers. When there are no shikaras moving, even a handicrafts stall feels like a ghost shop,” said a seller near Nehru Park.
Meanwhile, the Association estimates that out of thousands of shikaras that once ferried tourists across Dal and Nigeen, barely a fraction operate today. The rest are tied to the banks, gathering dust and algae.
“We are not asking for luxuries,” the president, Wali Mohammad, told KNO, echoing the pain of houseboat owners. “We just want our children in schools and food on the table. Right now, even that feels like rowing against a storm,” he said.
It is worth mentioning, shikaras—wooden boats mainly found in Srinagar’s Dal Lake and other water bodies in the Valley—traditionally serve multiple functions: passenger transport, floating markets, ferrying goods and tourist rides. Since the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the shikaras of Dal Lake and Nigeen remain idle, waiting for passengers just as their owners wait for the revenue they once generated.
