Houseboats in Kashmir are a British invention. They came into life around 1880- as a British solution to a land purchasing prohibition imposed on foreigners.

The Maharaja of that time allowed foreigners to live on the lakes and rivers only.
The British took on the challenge of creating luxurious floating houses using the best handicrafts Kashmir could offer. Cedar is the wood of choice for boat construction. The rooms have wooden walls and carved ceilings, walnut furniture, Kashmir handcrafted rugs, embroidery & curtains.