THE Himayat Bagh is 17th century garden that now houses the Fruit Research Station & Nursery, which is a part of the Marathwada Agricultural University

Marathwada Agricultural University

Marathwada Agricultural University is an agricultural university at Parbhani in the Indian state of Maharashtra. This university was established on May 18, 1972.-Colleges:The following ten colleges are affiliated to the Marathwada Agricultural University:...

. It is located near Delhi Gate

Gates in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

One of the things that makes Aurangabad stand out from the several other medieval cities in India were its 52 "gates", each of which have a local history or had individuals linked with them...

 in Rauza Bagh area of Aurangabad. It is a sprawling complex spread over 300 acres (1.2 km²), naturally green and in the olden days it was known as the Mughal garden.

Mughal Era

In Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...

's time, Khizri talao extended the whole length of the northern wall, (extending from present day Salim Ali Lake

Salim Ali Lake Aurangabad

Salim Ali Sarovar popularly known as Salim Ali Talab is located near Delhi Gate, opposite Himayat Bagh, Aurangabad. It is located in the northern part of the city. During the Mughal period it was known as Khiziri Talab...

 till Begumpura / Makbara

Bibi Ka Maqbara

Bibi Ka Maqbara is a maqbara built by the Mughal Prince Azam Shah, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Rabia Durrani . The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument...

) but the exhalation and dampness proved unhealthy and Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...

ordered the portion immediately in front of his palace (Kila-e-Ark) to be filled in and converted into fields. This reclaimed portion was later developed into Mughal garden, (now known as Himayat Bagh) by one of the officials of Aurangzeb's court, with many fruit bearing trees of different varieties for the royal court and its officials.

Barra Darri

Himayat Bagh also houses the Barra Darri which was erected by Ivaz Khan. A covered aqueduct passes over one of the buildings and in the olden day’s water descended in a shower into an oblong cistern below containing several fountains.
A marvelous feat of engineering that involved an underground water chamber; it created a natural air-conditioning that cooled the entire area when in operation. It is now inoperative, but the system still exists and is worth a study.
Barra Darri now houses the office of Fruit Research Station.

Present Period

The Himayat Bagh is a tourist attraction in itself because of its greenery and cool environment. Visitors can have a look at various plants and trees in the nursery, on which research is being conducted.

What is nice about the place is that visitors are encouraged to buy plants that are being grafted by experienced local malis(gardeners) in the gardens. There are saplings from Tamarind to Mango, and one can see the saplings and then see how the tree looks when it is fully grown!.

External links

• Marathwada Agricultural University