Beautiful 19th-Century Views of British Era Kashmir, 2 Photos 1890
Tw 1890 photographs of a beautiful British-era Kashmir in the 19th-century. The photos are of Kashmir’s golden age of travel. A time when the British elite sought refuge from the scorching heat of the Indian plains in the cool valleys of the Himalayas.
The first image is a breathtaking panoramic view of the Kashmir valley. Charming wooden cottages can be seen on the left, and in the middle of the photo, a fast-flowing river. The foreground seems to be alive with people and horse-drawn carts. The foothills of the massive Himalayan mountain range appear on the far right.
The second image depicts workers on flat-bottomed boats. Likely engaged in the age-old practice of removing weeds and lily pads from the water’s surface to maintain the lake’s health. The setting is almost certainly the iconic Dal Lake, appearing as a vast, glass-like mirror. In the distance, the Himalayan range is shrouded in a thick, drifting veil of mist. The sheer scale of the peaks against the rustic valley life creates a scenery of nothing short of blissful.
It’s easy to see why, during the British era, Kashmir became the premier holiday destination for Europeans, a landscape that remains as captivating today as it was over a century ago. Click first image to enlarge.
Did you know – in 1846, following the First Anglo-Sikh War, the British sold the entire Kashmir valley to Maharaja Gulab Singh for the sum of 75 lakhs of rupees.
