Ghulam Nabi Kenzu, of Baba Mohalla, Dal Lake,smokes a hookah, taking a break from his busy schedule of making shikaras to cater to the rising tourist foot fall in Srinagar. The shikara has become a cultural symbol of Kashmir. Like the Venetian gondolas, it is a wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies, primarily of Srinagar in Kashmir. Shikaras are of various sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. A usual shikara seats six people, with the driver paddling at the rear. The tourist shikara has half a bed on one side, where one can lean in or even lie down, and a bench on the other side.

The long boats now crowd the Dal Lake.Some shikaras are still used for fishing, harvesting aquatic vegetation, and transport, while most are covered with tarpaulins and are used by tourists. They are used for getting back and forth from the houseboats or for longer tours of Dal Lake. The sellers of various items like souvenirs, artifacts, textiles, fruits, flowers etc also use the shikaras in the Dal Lake to sell their wares to the tourist. Kehwa, barbecued meats and many snacks too are sold in these.

The boats used for living, by the Haenz/ Hanjis are called donga. The Hanjis

have lived for centuries on the Dal. They draw their livelihood from the lake and carrying out activities such as; water transporters, fishermen, vegetable-growers, wood-cutters, grain carriers, dealers of construction materials, collectors of various lake products, paying guest keepers and tourist guides etc.

The shikara is made of deodar wood (Himalayan cedar), which does not decompose in water, and ranges from 25 to 41 feet in length. The pointed front end is followed by a central section made of 8 planks of wood and the boat eventually ends in a flat rear segment. Two planks of wood lend to each of the side elevations a vertical height of 1.5 feet. It has a conspicuous spade shaped base.

The nails and iron clamps used for joinery are flush and fixed into the wood diagonally when they are red hot, to ensure stronger bonding. Care is taken to keep them hidden for the visual aesthetics of the boat. Caulking uses a paste containing poplar seed. The boat is created over 10 to 12 days.

Seating arrangements are organized in the central segment of the boat by positioning cushions and related upholstery over the built-in storage space underneath. A canopy is supported on four pillars. The centre and the ends are equipped with iron anchor rings and wooden pegs, which are used to fasten the shikara on the banks of the lake. The shikaras are eventually painted in bright colors and may further be polished, engraved and embellished.