Shalimar Bagh

Shalimar Bagh is a historic Mughal garden located on the northeast shore of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Built in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir for Empress Nur Jahan and later extended by Shah Jahan, it is the largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley. Laid in Persian charbagh style across three terraces, it features fountains, water channels, Chini Khanas, chinar trees and pavilions overlooking Dal Lake and the Zabarwan Range.

Visitors can explore a large terraced Mughal garden laid out on three levels connected by water channels and fountains fed from Dal Lake. The garden features Chini Khanas (niches behind waterfalls), black marble pavilions including Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-Khas, rows of mature chinar trees, flowerbeds, and manicured lawns. The upper terrace offers views of Dal Lake and the Zabarwan mountain range. Pathways allow leisurely walks, photography and sightseeing of Mughal architecture and landscaping.

Built in 1619 by Mughal Emperor Jahangir for his wife Empress Nur Jahan as Farah Baksh (the delightful). In 1630, Emperor Shah Jahan extended the garden and added Faiz Baksh (the bountiful) with the black marble pavilion and baradari. It represents the Persian charbagh concept adapted to Kashmir and is considered the largest and most celebrated Mughal garden in the valley.

Shalimar Bagh is a prominent example of Mughal horticulture and Persian-influenced garden design in Kashmir. It reflects the Mughal appreciation for landscaped gardens, water architecture and integration with natural lake and mountain scenery, and remains an important cultural and heritage attraction of Srinagar.