MUGHAL

GARDENS
N NDA
1a[ Mahal Carden
W 1he mausoleum and garden were made beLween 1632 and 1634 as a
memorlal Lo MumLaz Mahal
W Carden ls cenLral Lo Lhe overall archlLecLural concepLlon of 1a[ Mahal
W lL ls a classlcal fourfold paradlse garden wlLh Lhe Lomb on Lhe edge
overlooklng Lhe 8lver !umna
W lL cover an area of over 20 acres of Lrees and shrubs planLed along a
regular lnLerlocklng grld of broad parLerres and waLer channels
W 1he gaLehouse ls aL Lhe end of Lhe axls and Lhere are pavlllons aL Lhe ends
of Lhe crossaxes
W lL ls derlved from Lhe garden Lombs of Pumayun(uelhl) Akbar(laLehpur
Slkrl) and !ehanglr
W 1a[ Mahal ls placed aL an end whlch ls dlsslmllar from Lhe oLher garden
Lombs of Mughals
W 1he garden was Luropeanlzed durlng Lhe nlneLeenLh cenLury wlLh lnformal
LreeplanLlng
W ased on Lhe Mughal ConcepL of Charbagh
Wlne
Poney
Mllk
WaLer
W unlque layouL helps ln havlng a LoLally unobsLrucLed
panorama of enLlre garden enclosure
W Such a placemenL of mousoleum and lLs subsldlary
sLrucLures around Lhe perlmeLer of an unobsLrucLed
garden reflecLs sophlsLlcaLed concern for vlsual unlLy
and LoLal plannlng
4 CuarLers
furLher
dlvlded lnLo
4 quarLers
whlch agaln
are dlvlded
lnLo 4
parLerres
W 1he garden uses ralsed paLhways
LhaL dlvlde each of Lhe four
quarLers of Lhe garden lnLo 16
sunken parLerres or flowerbeds
W A ralsed marble waLer Lank aL Lhe
cenLer of Lhe garden halfway
beLween Lhe Lomb and gaLeway
wlLh a reflecLlng pool on a norLh
souLh axls reflecLs Lhe lmage of
Lhe mausoleum
W 1he ralsed marble waLer Lank ls
called ol nowJ olkowtbot ln
reference Lo Lhe 1ank of
Abundance promlsed Lo
Muhammad
W Llsewhere Lhe garden ls lald ouL
wlLh avenues of Lrees and
founLalns
8alsed aLhway
WaLer
1ank
Shallmar Carden
W !ahanglr bullL Lhls beauLlful garden for hls wlfe nur !ahan
W ln 1630 under Lmperor Shah !ahan's orders Zafar khan Lhe governor of
kashmlr goL lL exLended
W uurlng Lhe rule of Mahara[a 8an[lL Slngh Lhe marble pavlllon was Lhe guesL
house for Luropean vlslLors
W LlecLrlflcaLlon of Lhe premlses was done durlng Mahara[a Parl Slngh's rule
W Shallmar agh was Lhe lmperlal summer resldence and Lhe 8oyal CourL of
!ahanglr
W lL ls consldered Lhe hlgh polnL of Mughal horLlculLure
W 1he beauLlful mounLalns ln Lhe background makes lL even more
aesLheLlcally beauLlful
W Also Lhe locaLlon of Shallmar garden le rlghL nexL Lo Lhe ual Lake ln
Srlnagar makes lL a hoL LourlsL desLlnaLlon especlally ln summers
W 1hls garden bullL on a flaL land on a square plan wlLh four radlaLlng arms
from a cenLral locaLlon as Lhe waLer source could noL be exacLly repllcaLed
Lo Lhe hllly condlLlons ln Lhe kashmlr valley
W 1he garden exLends Lo an area of 31 acres bullL wlLh a slze of 387 meLers
lengLh on Lhe maln axls channel and wlLh a LoLal wldLh of 231 meLers
W lL ls anoLher example of Charbagh concepLPowever Shallmar garden ls
recLangular whlch ls dlfferenL from Lhe orlglnally planned square paLLern
W 1he archlLecLural deLalls of Lhe Lhree Lerraces of Lhe
garden are elaboraLe
1he flrsL Lerrace
W lL ls a publlc garden or Lhe ouLer garden endlng ln Lhe ulwane
Aam (publlc audlence hall) ln Lhls hall a small black marble
Lhrone was lnsLalled over Lhe waLerfall
1he second Lerrace garden
W lL ls along Lhe axlal canal lL has Lwo shallow Lerraces 1he
ulwanlkhas (Lhe Pall of rlvaLe Audlence) whlch was
accesslble only Lo Lhe noblemen or guesLs of Lhe courL ls ln lLs
cenLre
ln Lhe Lhlrd Lerrace
W Lhe axlal waLer channel flows Lhrough Lhe Zenana garden
whlch ls flanked by Lhe ulwanlkhas and chlnar Lrees
W AL Lhe enLrance Lo Lhls Lerrace Lhere are Lwo small pavlllons or
guard rooms whlch are bullL ln kashmlr sLyle on sLone pllnLh
LhaL ls Lhe resLrlcLed and conLrolled enLry zone of Lhe royal
harem
W Shaha[ahan bullL a baradarl of black marble called Lhe lack
avlllon ln Lhe zenana garden lL ls enclrcled by a founLaln pool
LhaL recelves lLs supply from a hlgher Lerrace
W A double cascade falls agalnsL a low wall carved wlLh small
nlches behlnd Lhe pavlllon 1wo smaller secondary waLer
canals lead from Lhe lack avlllon Lo a small baradarl
W Above Lhe Lhlrd level Lwo ocLagonal pavlllons deflne Lhe end
wall of Lhe garden 1he baradarl has a lovely backdrop of Lhe
snow mounLalns whlch ls consldered a beflLLlng seLLlng for Lhe
agh
W 1he Shallmar agh ls well known for nblol
kbooos or arched nlches behlnd garden
waLerfalls 1hey are a unlque feaLure ln Lhe
agh 1hese nlches were llghLed aL nlghL wlLh oll
lamps whlch gave a falry Lale appearance Lo Lhe
waLer falls Powever now Lhe nlches hold poLs
of flower poLs LhaL reflecL Lhelr colors behlnd
Lhe cascadlng waLer
W 1he garden also provlded large waLer Lroughs
where a varleLy of founLalns were flxed
W 1he garden ls consldered Lo be very beauLlful
durlng Lhe auLumn and sprlng seasons due Lo
Lhe colour change ln leaves of Lhe famed Chlnar
Lrees
nlshaL agh
W lL ls also known as Carden of leasure'
W lL ls locaLed aL Lhe bank of Lhe ual Lake wlLh Lhe Zabarwan
MounLalns as lLs backdrop
W nlshaL agh ls a garden of bllss LhaL commands a
magnlflcenL vlew of Lhe lake beneaLh Lhe snow capped lr
an[al mounLaln range LhaL sLands far away Lo Lhe wesL of
Lhe valley
W 1he agh was deslgned and bullL ln 1633 by Aslf khan
elder broLher of noor !ehan
W Llke oLher Mughal gardens nlshaL garden ls also based on Lhe Charbagh concepL
W Powever Lhe plan lnsLead of belng cenLral wlLh four radlaLlng arms ln a square
paLLern as ln Lhe case of Chahar was changed Lo an axlal sLream flow deslgn Lo flL
Lhe hlll condlLlon wlLh waLer source orlglnaLlng aL Lhe Lop of Lhe hlll end 1hls
resulLed ln plannlng a recLangular layouL raLher Lhan a square layouL 1hls helped
ln dlspenslng wlLh Lhe long slde arms
W 1hus a recLangular layouL wlLh easLwesL lengLh of 348 meLer and wldLh of338
meLers was adopLed
W 1hus nlshaL agh as lald ouL now ls a broad cascade of Lerraces llned wlLh
avenues of chlnar and cypress Lrees whlch sLarLs from Lhe lakeshore and reaches
up Lo an arLlflclal faade aL Lhe hlll end
W 8lslng from Lhe edge of Lhe ual Lake lL has Lwelve 12 Lerraces represenLlng Lwelve
Zodlac slgns
W 1hus nlshaL agh as lald ouL now ls a broad cascade of Lerraces llned wlLh avenues of chlnar and cypress Lrees
whlch sLarLs from Lhe lakeshore and reaches up Lo an arLlflclal faade aL Lhe hlll end
W 8lslng from Lhe edge of Lhe ual Lake lL has Lwelve 12 Lerraces represenLlng Lwelve Zodlac slgns
W Powever lL has only Lwo secLlons namely Lhe publlc garden and Lhe prlvaLe garden for Lhe Zanana lnsLead of Lhe
four secLlons of Lhe Shallmar agh Lhls dlfference ls aLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe facL LhaL Lhe Shallmar agh caLered Lo Lhe
Mughal Lmperor whlle nlshad agh belonged Lo hls broLher ln law
W 1here are however some slmllarlLles wlLh Lhe Shallmar agh such as Lhe pollshed sLone channel and Lerraces
1he source of waLer supply Lo Lhe Lwo gardens ls Lhe same
W ullL ln an easLwesL dlrecLlon Lhe Lop Lerrace has Lhe Zenana garden whlle Lhe lowesL Lerrace ls connecLed Lo Lhe
ual Lake
W A sprlng called Lhe Copl 1hlrsL provldes clear waLer supply Lo Lhe gardens 1here are a few old Mughal perlod
bulldlngs ln Lhe vlclnlLy of Lhe agh
W 1he cenLral canal whlch runs Lhrough Lhe garden from Lhe Lop end ls 4 meLers wlde and has a waLer depLh of 20
cenLlmeLers
W WaLer flows down ln a cascade from Lhe Lop Lo Lhe flrsL Lerrace aL Lhe road level whlch could be also approached
from Lhe ual Lake Lhrough a shlkara rlde
W 1he waLer flow from one Lerrace Lo Lhe nexL ls over sLepped sLone ramps LhaL provlde Lhe sparkle Lo Lhe flow
W AL all Lhe Lerraces founLalns wlLh pools are provlded along Lhe waLer channel AL channel crosslngs benches are
provlded for people Lo slL and en[oy Lhe beauLy of Lhe garden and Lhe cascadlng flows and founLaln [eLs
Pumayun's 1omb
W Pumayun's 1omb ls placed ln cenLre of a 30acre Char agh Carden wlLh
quadrllaLeral layouL
W lL was Lhe flrsL of lLs klnd ln Lhe SouLh Asla reglon on such a scale
W 1he hlghly geomeLrlcal and enclosed aradlse garden ls dlvlded lnLo four squares
by paved walkways and Lwo blsecLlng cenLral waLer channels
W Lach of Lhe four square ls furLher dlvlded lnLo smaller squares wlLh paLhways
creaLlng lnLo 36 squares ln all a deslgn Lyplcal of laLer Mughal gardens
W 1he cenLral waLer channels appear Lo be dlsappearlng beneaLh Lhe Lomb sLrucLure
and reappearlng on Lhe oLher slde ln a sLralghL llne suggesLlng Lhe Curanlc verse
whlch Lalks of rlvers flowlng beneaLh Lhe Carden of aradlse
W 1he enLlre Lomb and Lhe garden ls enclosed wlLhln hlgh rubble walls on Lhree
sldes Lhe fourLh slde was meanL Lo be Lhe rlver ?amuna whlch has slnce shlfLed
course away from Lhe sLrucLure
W 1he cenLral walkways LermlnaLe aL Lwo gaLes a maln one
ln Lhe souLhern wall and a smaller one ln Lhe wesLern wall
W lL has Lwo doublesLorey enLrances Lhe WesL gaLe whlch
used now whlle Lhe SouLh gaLe whlch was used durlng
Mughal era now remalns closed
W Allgned aL Lhe cenLre on Lhe easLern wall lles a otoJotl
llLerally a pavlllon wlLh Lwelve doors whlch ls a bulldlng or
room wlLh Lwelve doors deslgned Lo allow Lhe free draughL
of alr Lhrough lL flnally on Lhe norLhern wall lles a
bommom a baLh chamber