Kashmir Gardens

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Exquisitely laid out lawns, cascading fountains, bright flower beds, surrounded by the panorama of Dal lake in front of them, the gardens in Kashmir are astoundingly beautiful. The unity and harmony of design; innovative use of the site and plantings and the diverse mixture of colors, textures and plants impart a sense of ecstasy to the viewer. The Mughal gardens of Shalimar, Nishat, Chashmeshahi and others like Pari Mahal and Harwan are like perfectly carved lawns with stepped terraces and flowing watercourses.

Shalimar Bagh

Shalimar Bagh was built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jahan, 'light of the world' in 1616. Although it is known today as the 'garden of love' it was originally named the Farah Bakhsh or 'delightful garden'. A canal is lined with polished stones and is supplied with water from Harwan runs through the middle of the garden. The fourth terrace, by far the best, was once reserved for royal ladies. It included a pavilion made of black stone in the middle of the tank, which was used as a banquet hall. Shalimar Bagh has an air of seclusion and repose, and its rows of fountains and shaded trees seem to recede towards the snowcapped mountains. A Son Et Lumeiere or sound and light show is put on here every evening during the may to october tourist season.

Nishat Bagh

Nishat Bagh was built by Empress Nur Jahan's brother Asaf Khan. The largest of the Mughal gardens, Nishat has 12 terraces representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which descend gradually and seem to almost merge into the lake. These terraces viewed along with the flower-beds, a riot of brilliant colors, present an unforgettable sight. Directly behind the garden is the Gopi Tirth, a small spring gushing forth crystal clear water, which feeds the garden water. Also found within its vicinity are some remains of Mughal period buildings including a double storey pavilion enclosed on two sides latticed windows.

Chasma Shahi

Cheshmashahi is the first Mughal Garden you will pass after Nehru Park. Smallest of the Srinagar Mughal gardens, the Chasma Shahi, or 'Royal Spring', are well up the hillside, above the Nehru Memorial Park. The fresh water spring in these pleasant, quieter gardens is reputed to have medicinal properties. The gardens were laid out in 1632 by Ali Mardan Khan and include three terraces, an aqueduct, waterfalls and fountains. The water from the spring supplies the fountains and then goes through the floor of the pavilion and falls to the lower terrace in a fine cascade of five meters, over a polished black stone chute. There is a small shrine, the Chasma Sahibi, near the gardens, which also has a fresh water spring.

Pari Mahal

Pari Mahal, a Buddhist monastery at one time, it was converted into a school of astrology by Dara Shikoh, Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan's eldest son. Pari Mahal gardens are now exclusively maintained by the state government. Built around a small spring, they house exotic flowering plants laid out in terraces surmounted by the ruined arches of a once beautiful building. Pari Mahal is illuminated at night, and can be seen, located on the on the spur of a hill, most places in Srinagar.

Harwan

On the hillside, south of the village Harwan, remarkable remains of ancient ornamented tile pavements of the Buddhist period have come to light. The tiles depict the dresses of the people, such as loose trousers, Turkoman caps or close fitting turbans and large ear-rings which reveal central Asian influence.