The
Land of Extended Gardens - Kashmir
Kashmir, befittingly famed as the paradise on land is famous for its
praiseworthy Mughal Gardens - with vast picturesque hillsides, excellent
waterbodies and packed flowering shrubs and trees, laid in decorous
quadrangles by the Mughal emperors, whose love fro the land was illustrious.
Formally laid out lawns, vibrant flower beds, earthward fountains,
surrounded by the vista of Dal lake in front of them, the gardens in Kashmir
are captivating and delightful. The harmonious amalgam of designs; creative
use of the landscapes & plantings and the miscellaneous mixture of
colours, textures and plants presents a sense of bliss to the beholders. The
Mughal gardens of Shalimar, Nishat, Chashmeshahi and others like Pari Mahal
and Harwan are like exquistely carved lawns with stepped terraces and rich
waterbodies.
The Gardens you can spot in Kashmir :
Shalimar Garden
Located in
Srinagar,
Shalimar Gardens or Shalimar Bagh was laid out by Emperor Jehangir for his wife
Nur Jahan in 1616. Shalimar Gardens are the magnum opus of Srinagar's many gardens
and parks.
This beautiful garden was originally named the Farah Bakhsh or 'delightful
garden', but today it is known as the 'garden of love'. The garden features
a canal, lined with polished stones and is supplied with water from Harwan
runs through the middle of the garden. The fourth terrace was once reserved
for royal ladies. It represents a pavilion built of black stone in the
centre of the tank, which was used as a banquet hall. Shalimar Bagh has an
air of solitude and quietude, and its rows of amazing fountains and shaded
lined trees seem to retire towards the snow dressed mountains. A sound and
light show is held here every evening between May to October in the tourist
season.
Nishat Bagh
Nishat Bagh is smaller than Shalimar Garden, but is more movingly
beautiful. Nishat Bagh was built by Asaf Khan, Empress Nur Jahan's brother.
Nishat is celebrated for its stately chinar (plane) trees, imported to
Kashmir from Persia by the Mughals. Among these, many of the giant chinar
trees have been planted by the Mughal Emperors.
Nishat has 12 terraces representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which seems
to gradually descend and merge in the Dal Lake's periphery. The terraces
viewed along with the bed of flower, a mosaic of bright and beautiful
colours, creates an unforgettable sight. Also found within its surroundings
are some remnants of Mughal era buildings including a double storey pavilion
enclosed on two sides latticed windows.
Gardens
of Chashma Shahi
Laid out by Shah Jehan, the gardens of Chashma Shahi, so named because of a
mountain spring that waters it. The gardens include three terraces, an
aqueduct, waterfalls and fountains.
Cheshmashahi is the Ist Mughal Garden you will come across after Nehru Park.
Smallest of the
Srinagar
Mughal gardens, the Chasma Shahi, or 'Royal Spring', are well set up the hillside,
above the Nehru Memorial Park. The fresh water spring in these pleasant, calm
gardens is renowned to have medicinal values. There is also a small shrine,
the Chasma Sahibi, close to the gardens, which also has a fresh water spring.
Pari Mahal
Pari Mahal was initially a garden founded by Dara Shiko, Mughal Emperor
Shah Jehan's eldest son for his Sufi teacher, Mulla Shah. Once dotted with
numerous springs, which have dried up now, the Pari Mahal gardens are now
the treasure possession of the state. Pari Mahal is bedazzling with radiant
lights at night, and though located on the spur of a hill, can he seen from
most places in Srinagar.
Pari Mahal, once a Buddhist monastery, was converted into a school of
astrology by Dara Shikoh. Pari Mahal gardens are now fully maintained by the
state government.
Harwan
South of the village Harwan, on the hillside, one can see some remarkable
remains of ancient ornamented tile pavements of the Buddhist era. The tiles
depict the dresses of the people of that time, such as loose trousers,
Turkoman caps or close fitting turbans and large ear-rings which presents
the central Asian influence.
