Nishat Bagh is the second largest terraced Mughal garden which was built on the banks of the Dal Lake, close to Srinagar in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. With splendid architecture and planning, the Nishat Bagh is considered to be one of the most attractive sights of Kashmir. Nishat garden is one of the historic and popular destinations of Srinagar valley.
Geography of Nishat Bagh
Located on the bank of the Dal Lake, with the Zabarwan Mountains as its backdrop, Nishat Bagh is a garden with views of the lake beneath the Pir Panjal mountain range. Nishat Bagh includes a wide area of 544 X 328 sq. metres which was designed by Asaf Khan, Shah Jahan"s father-in-law and elder brother of Noor Jehan. As such Nishat Bagh has been popularly known for its history, architecture, layout and design which makes it most attractive and picturesque sights of Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir.
History of Nishat Bagh
After the completion of the Nishat Bagh in 1633, when Shah Jahan saw this garden, he expressed great appreciation of its grandeur and beauty. He hoped that his father-in- law, Asif Khan would gift it to him but didn"t happen. Shah Jahan was annoyed and ordered closure of the water supply to the garden. The garden was deserted for some time and Asif Khan was desolate and heartbroken. One day, when he was resting under the shade of a tree, in one of the terraces, his servant was bold enough to turn on the water supply source from the Shalimar Bagh. When Asif Khan heard the sound of water and the fountains in action he was startled and immediately order closure of water supply as he feared the worst reaction from the emperor for this act of disobedience. Shah Jahan had heard about this incident at the garden and fortunately was not disturbed or annoyed by the disobedience of his orders. Instead, he appreciated the servant for the loyal service to his master and then ordered full restoration rights for the supply of water to the garden. Mughal Princess Zuhra Begum was buried in the garden; she was the daughter of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and granddaughter of Emperor Jahandar Shah.
Architecture of Nishat Bagh
Nishat Bagh is divided into 12 terraces with cascades, chinar trees, flower beds and fruit trees. Of the 12 terraces in Nishat Bagh; each terrace is associated with 12 zodiac signs. All the terraces are filled with different coloured roses, lilies, geraniums and asters.
Nishat Bagh is based on the models of "Charbagh" located in Persia, this garden too represents the architecture of Persia and their specifications in building the exotic gardens. Unlike the square shaped Char Garden of Persia, this garden was planned in an axial stream flow design to fit the hill condition and the water source that originate at the top of the hill. This resulted in rectangular shaped gardens instead of square shaped layout of the garden. As such Nishat Garden covers an area of 548 metres at length which stretches east-west and 338 metres in width.
Visiting Information of Nishat Bagh
Nishat Bagh is 11 kilometres away from the city centre. The nearest airport is at Humhama and Jammu is the nearest Rail Head. The National Highway NH1A connects the Kashmir valley with rest of the country. One way of visiting the Bagh is through the Dal Lake using the famous "water taxi" of Kashmir, the Shikara.
