Srinagar lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Dal, Anchor and Indus Lakes. It is the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu, and a gateway point into Kashmir. Srinagar is an extraordinary city, so old that the buildings are still made of wood, often held together with only wooden nails. It is steeped in history with some of the most exquisite mosques in all of India, narrow dusty streets and a very vibrant street life.

Srinagar is the entry for Lake Dal, a holiday area that abounds with tourists. There is a beautiful boardwalk alongside which you can find very surprising and delicious French bakeries. And then, there are the houseboats which are magnificent. Houseboats here work like hotels and people get around in brightly decorated shikaras, which is the local name for a canoe.

The city is also famous for its gardens and there are some exquisite Botanical and rose gardens worth visiting. They’re always filled with tourists, locals on a romantic lunch break and school kids playing ball games. As dusty and chaotic as Srinagar is, Dal Lake is peaceful and calm, with silvery still waters and the magnificent Himalayan Mountains as a backdrop.

Srinagar is called the ‘Venice of the East’ and this is definitely true for the lakes. From Dal Lake you can do excursions into the mountains and while the roads are bad, once you are in the mountains it is absolutely beautiful. Srinagar itself is a fascinating city, and one that is under huge regrowth, with constant building, upgrading and road management. For now it is dusty and busy but superbly interesting.

The economy of Srinagar is hugely dependant on tourism but there is also a lot of small industry – kitchen hard-wear, utensils, small machinery, delicious food and vegetables, dried fruit and in particular, spices and tea. The spice market is enormous and the tea market is huge, with Kashmiri tea being exported worldwide.

Information Technology has of course reached this area, as it has reached all parts of India, and there are several software companies that have set up. There is an IT department in the University of Srinagar, there is a National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology and companies like Sybex Information Technologies and Northern Information Technology have set up shop.

There is definitely opportunity for people with skills in IT in Srinagar. If you are good at website development or website design, or have done Advance Web Design training in Srinagar or Drupal Training in Srinagar, you will find work. If you don’t have any IT experience or certificates, look at doing a course. You can do one, or many, with AcePro Schools, or who brilliant online training. They’re the best in the market, with excellent teachers, courses and back up.

Srinagar is interesting. And beautiful, with the mountains in all directions and the extraordinary lakes nearby. There is good public transport, including a bus system and the auto-rickshaws, a great community and a real love for life here.