From around 6am each morning, a floating market convenes on the northern section of Dal Lake where the main channels intersect. Shikara after shikara loaded with produce — lotus roots, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, gourds — poles out from the floating gardens to meet buyers waiting in their own boats. The transaction is done shikara-to-shikara without anyone touching land. The whole affair is over by 8am, when the boats scatter back to the gardens or to the shore markets.
This is not a staged performance for tourists — it is the actual supply chain that feeds a significant portion of Srinagar's vegetable consumption, operating exactly as it has for centuries. The market is on the lake because the floating gardens are on the lake, and moving produce by boat is more efficient than bringing it to shore and loading it onto vehicles. Hiring a shikara for 5:30am departure from Boulevard Road costs little more than the standard daytime rate; the boatmen are well-practised at this particular tour. Bring a jacket — the lake is cold at that hour — and a decent camera if you have one. The combination of the mist, the loaded boats, and the early light is the most photogenic sight in Srinagar.