Pari Mahal () is a seven-terraced Mughal garden built on the top of the Zabarwan mountain range. It overlooks the city of

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

and the south-west of Dal Lake in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

union territory Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the Government of India, central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own State governments of India, s ...

of Jammu and Kashmir. This garden is a fine example of

Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both Secularity, secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Muslim world, Islamic world encompasse ...

and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor

Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...

, featuring arched doorways, terraced gardens, and intricate water channels.

History

Pari Mahal was built in the mid-1600s by

Dara Shikoh Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659), also transliterated as Dara Shukoh, was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' () and was favoured ...

, the eldest son of Mughal emperor

. It was constructed on the ruins of an old Buddhist monastery. It also served as a library and a learning center for subjects like

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

and

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

is believed to have stayed here in the years 1640, 1645, and 1654. Later, the garden came under the ownership of the

Government of Jammu and Kashmir The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the principal administrative authority responsible for the governance of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Established on 5 March 1948 as the Government of Princely state of Jammu and Ka ...

. Over time, Pari Mahal has also been used as a top-secret interrogation centre and as a base for high-level bureaucrats. In recent times, the location has been used to film several movies, including the Bollywood movie Lamhaa.

Architecture and design

Pari Mahal has seven terraces, each one thoughtfully constructed on the slope. The beautiful style of Islamic architecture is reflected in the Mughal style plan, which has arched halls, fountains, symmetrical lawns, and tiny water tanks. A popular destination for tourists and photographers, the site also provides an amazing perspective of Dal Lake and the city below.

References

External links

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Ministry
{{Kashmir Valley Mughal gardens in India Gardens in Jammu and Kashmir Tourist attractions in Srinagar Buildings and structures in Srinagar 1650 establishments in India

History

Architecture and design

See also

References

Further reading

External links