What’s in a name? A lot, when you’re referring to Srinagar, the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In Sanskrit, “sri” is “wealth” and “nagar” is “city”, giving the most common reading of the name. However, “sri” can can also refer to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, as well as to the sun itself. This name captures the glowing beauty and abundance of the city, which prides itself on its tourist economy dating back the 19^th century, when only 200 tourist passes a year were issued by the government. Even then, the city was one of the most popular sites.Srinagar is also known as the “Land of Lakes”, which signifies its main tourist attraction. Straddling a length of the 480-mile Jhelum River, the city does indeed host several lakes. The Dal Lake is the best known, as well as the second largest in the state. Causeways subdivide the larger body of water into four parts: Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, and Nagin Lake. Wular Lake is about 40 kilometers away and is the largest body in the state. Tourists flock there to see the remains of King Zain-Ul-Abidin’s island, which was built in the 1400s.Other attractions in the city showcase its spiritual side. The Temple of Shankaracharya, for example, is known far and wide across India as the site where the philosopher Sri Shankaracharya stayed when he visited Kashmir. The temple’s construction is equally impressiveit’s balanced on a hilltop plinth and made of smoothed rocks.The Dachigam National Park is the best site to see the plants and animals of Jammu and Kashmir. The rare Kashmiri Hangul Stag lives within the confines of the park, along with more familiar but still exotic creatures like leopards and Himalayan brown bears. Dachigam is also a favorite among bird-watchers.