Shalimar Bagh, Mogul garden in Srinagar, India.
Shalimar Bagh is a terraced garden in Srinagar, India, arranged across three rising levels with water channels, geometric patterns, and flowering plants spanning roughly 12 hectares. The pavilions of dark stone stand along the central axis and frame the fountains, while the beds are planted with roses, irises, and other seasonal blooms.
Jahangir enlarged an older garden into a royal one in 1619 and named it Farah Baksh; in 1630 Shah Jahan had governor Zafar Khan extend it as Faiz Baksh. After 1819 it served the Sikh governors, and under Ranjit Singh its marble pavilion housed European guests. Electrification came in Maharaja Hari Singh's reign.
The name's origin is uncertain: one suggestion is the Persian-Arabic shah al-'imarat (Master of Buildings), another the Kashmiri shali (rice paddy) and mar (black loamy soil). Jahangir first called the garden Farah Baksh and Shah Jahan's governor Zafar Khan renamed it Faiz Baksh. The chini khanas, arched niches behind the waterfalls, once held oil lamps lit at night; today they hold flower pots.
The garden opens daily from sunrise to sunset and is best visited between April and October during the flowering season. The paths are mostly level and well maintained, so walking between the terraces poses few difficulties.
The garden's water comes not from springs but from a well diverted from a higher elevation, feeding the Shah Nahar channel that supplies all three terraces in succession. Behind the waterfalls, arched niches called chini khanas once held oil lamps lit at night; today they hold flower pots whose colours show through the falling water.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,786 contributors worldwide.