In 1959, 1964 AND 1986, THE DAL LAKE IN SRINAGAR FROZE COMPLETELY

                                 

    (THE  DAL   LAKE  OF KASHMIR  FROZE   COMPLETELY   IN 1959, 1964 AND 1986 )

 In January 1959, I don’t know but many elders told me that Dal lake froze completely. It remained frozen for more than 30 days. The frozen crust was more than 3 feet in depth making it a solid surface that could hold the weight of a Moving jeep that Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, the then prime minister of the J&K State drove over it. Many people have told me that he was accompanied by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru as well. as well. Many people from Rainawari who were going to Badami Bagh for their duties, chose to go on foot using the shortest route that was over the surface of the frozen lake.

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 ( Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad in a jeep over frozen Dal lake)

 The lake again froze in January 1964. It froze again for about 30 days. That winter, some police officials drove a vehicle over the frozen surface. I have heard it from many elders and houseboat owners in the lake. 

 In January 1986, I saw the frozen lake and walked over it. From Nehru Park, we went right up to the 'Bathing Boats' on foot. We saw some persons selling tea and cake pieces on a Reddi. We saw children playing cricket. football and hockey over the frozen surface. We saw a person selling roasted water chestnuts ( Singara ) on a Reddi over the frozen surface. A few tourists with cameras could also be seen that day. I also saw some persons enjoying a bicycle ride on the frozen lake surface. I believe the lowest temperature recorded during winter that time was something around minus 12 degrees celsius.

                                                                     

                                      ( Children Playing Cricket on  Frozen Dal Lake in Srinagar  )

My friend Rajesh Kaul has this to say:-

 " In 1986, I shot some scenes of my Urdu serial `KAB TAK` on frozen DAL and some scenes on frozen snow around some ruins under the nearby foothills and Hari Parbhat fort. The serial was telecast in early 1987 from DDK, Srinagar."

Noted Poet Farooq Nazki has this to say:-

 " I remember in 1964, our friend and M P Shamim Ahmad Shamim. cycling at Gagribal on the frozen surface of Dal lake. It became part of the documentary shot by Mr Kumar senior-most cameraman of the Department of Information "

Mukta Lall, daughter of poet Jagan Nath Azad has this to say:-

 " I remember our father telling us that in 1959 when the lake froze Pundit Nehru was also taken there for a ride in the jeep. He also commented that what a foolish adventure it was - just in case the lake surface cracked at any place " 

The lake also froze partially in January 2021.Some latest photographs of the partially frozen  lake are uploaded hereunder.

                                           

( Photos source: Facebook )

 ( Avtar Mota )

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