Hokersar Lake in Srinagar is a wetland situated where thousands of migratory birds come to from Siberia and other regions in the winter season. These birds use the wetlands in Kashmir as their transitory camps between September and October and again around spring. Hokersar is 14 kms north of Srinagar. It is a world class wetland that spreads over 13.75 square kilometres including the lake and the marshy area.
It is the most accessible and well-known wetlands of Kashmir. The other well known wetlands of Kashmir are Hygam, Shalibug and Mirgund. Birds found in Hokersar include Migratory ducks and geese like Brahminy Duck, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Garganey, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Common Merganser, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Red-Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, and Eurasian Wigeon. These wetlands help in sustaining a large population of wintering, staging and breeding birds.
It is the most accessible and well-known wetlands of Kashmir. The other well known wetlands of Kashmir are Hygam, Shalibug and Mirgund. Birds found in Hokersar include Migratory ducks and geese like Brahminy Duck, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Garganey, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Common Merganser, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Red-Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, and Eurasian Wigeon. These wetlands help in sustaining a large population of wintering, staging and breeding birds.
During the 14th century the Kashmir valley came under the control of the several Muslim rulers, including the Mughals. Srinagar became the capital during the reign of Yusuf Shah Chak who was tricked by Akbar when he failed to conquer Kashmir by force. Yusuf Shah Chak was then buried in Bihar and Akbar established the Mughal rule in Srinagar and Kashmir valley. In 1707 after the downfall of Mughal Empire due to the death of Aurangzeb, infiltrations into the valley of Kashmir began. The Pashtun tribes entered and kept increasing, and the Durrani Empire ruled the city for several decades. 
In 1814 Raja Ranjit Singh ruled a major part of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, and the city came under the influence of the Sikhs. In 1846, under the treaty Gulab Singh was made the independent and sovereign ruler of the region by the British. Srinagar became part of his kingdom but remained only until 1947 as one of the several princely states of undivided India. After, independence, in 1947 many Muslim tribes mostly the Pashtuns entered the valley. They were actively supported by elements of the Pakistani forces. They came to the valley to help the large number of local Muslim majority of Srinagar and the whole of Kashmir to gain independence from the Hindu Dogra Ruler. 
This event was termed as the Indo-Pak war of 1947 and was the first war between India and Pakistan. While the Pakistan Army gained control of the majority of Srinagar it was not able to secure Srinagar Airport. This in turn enabled India to air lift the Indian Army along with all the heavy weapons and they were able to capture the city and its surroundings. Due to the fear of infiltration by armed forces and the fear of the possibility of his kingdom, including the city of Srinagar falling into civil war, Hari Singh signed a covenant in late 1947 with the Government of India.
According to the covenant Jammu and Kashmir was integrated into the newly formed Republic of India, conditioned on having a plebiscite after the conflict had ended. The Government of India immediately air-lifted Indian troops to Srinagar, and the city was prevented by the Indian Army. But in the meanwhile, the matter had already been escalated to the United Nations, and a cease fire was imposed under its authority, resulting into certain parts of Hari Singh's kingdom going into Pakistan's hands, which is now called the Azad Kashmir state under Pakistani administration.
The city of Srinagar has thereafter remained administered by India. Various historians, especially British Alaister Lamb, says that no such agreement was signed by the maharaja. The current status is that India and Pakistan have never been able to solve the problem of Kashmir which is still a disputed territory. Pakistan all these years have tried many times to capture Kashmir through infiltrations and terrorism but ended up loosing.
The City of Lakes, as Srinagar is often called, is located on both the sides of the Vyath river. Vyath is the kashmiri name for Jhelum. Jhelum river passes through the city and moving forward making its way through the Kashmir valley deepens in to the Wular Lake. Srinagar is rich in old bridges and has nine of them connecting the two parts of the city. The city experiences warm summers from June through August, and winters from December-February. City also receives some snowfall from December to February but the snow seldom accumulates for longer periods. 
Crops like wheat and Rice are grown fro local consumption in the back country lands of Srinagar. There are beautiful green orchards that produce a number of fruits, particularly apples. Srinagar and the surrounding areas serve as collecting points from where fruits and handicraft products are taken to several parts of the Indian subcontinent. According to the 2001 census Srinagar had a population of 894,940. The languages spoken in Srinagar are Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi and English. 
There are several arts prominent in the city. They are:
Dal Lake has potential for adventure sports like canoeing and water skiing. Water trekking is local name for three to four day trip along the Jhelum River to various lakes in a shikara with camping gear. Dachigam National Park 22 km and Pahalgam 95 km from the city are popular destinations for hikers, trekkers and fishers. There is the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in the city where international cricket matches have been played. Sports like football and cricket are also popular among school children.
The beautiful and world famous hill station and skiing resort Gulmarg is just 50 km from the city. The other places worth seeing in Srinagar are:
Holy places of the city include:
According to the Nilamata Purana the Kashmir Valley's origin is from the waters. Ka means "water" and Shimir means "to desiccate". Thus, Kashmir stands for "a land desiccated from water", or vale. The Nilamata Purana gives the name Kaashmira to the Valley considering it to be an embodiment of Uma and it is the Kaashmir that the world knows today. But the Kaashmiris call it Kashir, which has also been derived phonetically from Kaashmir according to Aurel Stein who wrote introduction to Rajatarangini. 
In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir has been written by Kalhana in the 12th century. It is stated in Rajatarangini that the valley of Kaashmir was formerly a lake Satisar and was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Marichi, son of Brahma, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). Cashmere is a variant spelling of Kaashmir. Kashmir today is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. In the 19th century it was just a valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today Kashmir includes the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh, the Pakistani-administered provinces of the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, and the Chinese-administered region of Aksai Chin. 
But for India, Kashmir is a disputed territory. During the first half of the millennium Kashmir was an important center of Hinduism. Later it became a center of Buddhism. In the nineteenth century Shaivism rose in the region. In 1349, Shah Mirza became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and inaugurated the line Salatin-i-Kashmir. For the next five centuries Kashmir was rules by Muslim monarchs, including the Mughals, who ruled until 1751, and the Afghan Durranis, who ruled until 1820. In 1820 the Sikhs under rule of Ranjit Singh, attacked Kashmir. 
In 1846, under the treaty of Amritsar the region was purchased by the Dogra Ruler Gulab Singh from the British. Since then Kashmir was ruled by Dogra rulers under the rule of the British Crown. But his lasted until 1947, when the former princely state became a disputed territory. As told before the whole of Kashmir is now administered by three countries: India, Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China.
The above was a brief history of Kashmir. Now we precede to some information about Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir state of India. Kashmir region can be divided into 11 regions that are Kashmir Valley region, Anantnag District, Kulgam District, Pulwama District, Shopian District, Budgam District, Srinagar District, Ganderbal District, Bandipora District, Baramulla District and Kupwara District. According to 2001 census the population of Kashmir was more than 4 million out of which 95% were muslims and only 4% were hindus. 
Kashmiri cuisine includes dum aloo, tzaman (a solid cottage cheese), rogan josh (lamb cooked in heavy spices), zaam dod (curd), yakhayn (lamb cooked in curd with mild spices), hakh (a spinach-like leaf), rista-gushtava (minced meat balls in tomato and curd curry) and the signature rice which is particular to Asian cultures. The traditional wazwan feast involves cooking meat or vegetables, usually mutton, in several different ways. Alcohol and Beef normally not widely consumed here. There are two styles of making tea in the region one is nun chai, or salt tea, which is pink in color and popular with locals and the other is kahwah, a tea for festive occasions, made with saffron and spices.
Kashmir has an agriculture based economy with the staple crop of the valley being rice. In addition, Indian corn, wheat, barley and oats were also grown. Given its temperate climate, it is suited for crops like asparagus, artichoke, seakale, broad beans, scarletrunners, beetroot, cauliflower and cabbage. Fruit trees are common in the valley, and the cultivated orchards yield pears, apples, peaches, and cherries. The chief trees are deodar, firs and pines, chenar or plane, maple, birch and walnut, apple, cherry. 
Kashmir was earlier known world-wide when Cashmere wool was exported to other regions and nations. These exports have decreased a lot due to decreased abundance of the cashmere goat and increased competition from China. But now Kashmir is well known for Pashmina shawls, silk carpets, rugs, kurtas, and pottery. Saffron too is grown in Kashmir and fruits and vegetables are also exported to the Middle East. Srinagar is known for its silver-work, papier mache, wood-carving, and the weaving of silk.
