Hazratbal Mosque is situated on Dal Lake, in a small village of the same name. The elegance of its white marble construction can be seen clearly in the water of Dal Lake. This makes it more graceful. Hazratbal Mosque also has a hair of forecaster Muhammad. This hair streak is displayed to people on religious festivals, mainly at the time of fairs. It is the most wonderful holy place and it is the only embowed mosque in Srinagar. Situated in the opposite direction of Nishat Bagh on the western bank of Dal Lake, Hazratbal Mosque also has beautiful views of mountains and the lake around it.

About Hazratbal Mosque

Hazratbal Shrine is located in Srinagar on the banks of the famous and beautiful Dal Lake. Meaning holy place, the name Hazratbal is a combination of two words—Hazrat which means holy and Bal, which is a Kashmiri word that means place or enclosure. This mosque is known to have a historical relic in the form of a hair streak of Islamic forecaster Muhammad.

History

History of this mosque goes back to 17th century when a Subedar (Sadiq Khan) of Shahjahan the Mughal Emperor laid out a garden at the bank of Dal Lake and built a luxurious building by the name of Ishrat Mahal. It was built in 1623 and when Shahjahan visited this place in 1634 he got so touched that he ordered his people to convert the building into a prayer House with some minor changes.

At the time of Aurangzeb in 1635, Syed Abdullah, successor of the prophet brought this holy relic for the first time to India. He first visited Bijapur in Southern India. Syed Abdullah was forced by Mughal to sell the holy object to a Kashmiri businessman whose name was Khwaja Nur-ud-Din Eshai.

Later, when Aurangzeb came to know of what occurred, he asked for it to be sent to Ajmer to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The businessman who bought the holy object was imprisoned and later he died in prison. His body and relic were both sent to Kashmir to his daughter whose name was Inayat Begum. She was married in a Banday family. They made this mosque and from that time Banday family become the caretaker of this historical relic. They are known by the name of Nishaandehs, which means holder of the sign.

Hazratbal Mosque attracts people not only for its glorious heritage but also as of its scenic beauty.

Best Time to Visit

The best timeto visit Hazratbal Mosque is from April to October as it sees pleasant climate during this time.

How to Reach

By Air

Srinagar Airport is well-connected to all major cities in India. There are regular flights to Srinagar from Delhi, Mumbai and other big cities.

By Train

Srinagar Railway Station or Nowgam Railway Station is also well-connected to Jammu.

By Bus

Srinagar is well connected by road to Chandigarh (630 km), Jammu (290 km), Delhi (876 km), Leh (434 km) and Phalgam (96 km). Many tourist buses service this region.