Accommodations in Srinigar are for the most part houseboats on Dal Lake. The story says that during the Raj era Kashmir's ruler forbid the British to own land here. Fond of Kashmir's beauty and the cooler climate, the Brits escaped Delhi's heat by building elegant houseboats here. Each have several bedrooms with private baths and lavishly ornate (if not a bit aged) parlors and dining rooms. The setting is quite beautiful although marred by a massive military presence of Indian army. They have maintained an uneasy peace for the past three years, but the majority of the locals do little to hide the fact that they consider themselves to be Pakistani. Most agree, though, that the Army's presence there has benefited the local economy by allowing the return of tourism on which they rely heavily.