Motorised shikaras set to sail into Delhi

Tourism department attempts to cash in on CWG tourist influx

Tourism department attempts to cash in on CWG tourist influx

None of the Delhi lakes may have ambience comparable to the Dal in Srinagar, but the famous Shikaras are making their way to the capital's waterways. The Delhi tourism department is in the process of buying motorised versions of the water chariots for various lakes in the city.


Boating at the Purana Qila Lake in New Delhi on Thursday.
PIC/SUBHASH BAROLIA

A senior Delhi Transport and Tourism Development Corporation (DTTDC) official told MiD DAY that the new shikaras would be further modified after acquisition. Boating and other water sports facilities are available at four lakes in the city-- Purana Qila Lake, Model Town Lake, Sanjay Lake and Bhalsawa Lake.

"So far there has not been a very good response to adventure tourism activities in the city but as the

Chic shikaras

Like the Venetian gondolas, shikaras are a cultural symbol of Kashmir. Some shikaras are still used for fishing, harvesting aquatic vegetation (usually for fodder), and transport in the deeper parts of Dal Lake, while most are covered with tarpaulins and are used by tourists. Some are used as floating homes by poor people. Drivers use oars having a unique spade-shaped bottom to row the shikara. A usual shikara seats half-a-dozen people, with the driver sitting at the lower end.

Commonwealth Games are approaching, such activities will get an impetus," said the official.

Boating is probably most popular at the Purana Qila Lake; about five such rides take place everyday. "But it is very low if we compare it to the number of visitors to the lake," added the official.

"To lure the visitors, the shikaras would be redesigned and made more aesthetically pleasing. Also the wooden seats would be replaced with cushioned seats. They would have seating capacity of six persons each," he said.

The DTTDC currently operates boats and years old shikaras in these lakes. "Most of them are have gone out of order now. At least five shikaras will be bought. We can increase the number depending upon the terms offered by the supplying firm," said the official.