Heritage houses of Srinagar are the conglomeration of three civilizations

In a bid to restore the waning glory of the valley’s old hotels, homes and palaces which were once the marvel of architecture and craft, architect and heritage enthusiast  Zoya Khan has undertaken the task to bring them in the light of people by putting the scenes of vintage cult movies like Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan etc in the backdrop of heritage bazaars of the city. Srinagar used to be a city of bioscope with film posters pasted on the walls all across, it has lost 11 theatres over the time for the reasons known to all. 

Cataloguing the lost heritage in connexions with Bollywood is likely to make people reconnect with the past as the personage and sartorial sense of eminent actors would navigate the people in times of bygone era and give them the chance to romanticise the past.The bazaars of the old city still retains the charm of  everyday life.

Though many dwellings and palaces are now in ill state of repair they are the embodiment of a syncretic culture and reflect the culmination of  Indian, Persian and Chinese civilization.

Cover pic by Srinagar Tourism