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Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)
Encyclopedia
The Shalimar Gardens sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan
in Lahore
, modern day Pakistan
. Construction began in 1641 CE (1051 AH) and was completed the following year. The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan
and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni
. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura
along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city. There are five geographical sources of inspiration for Shalimar Gardens: Central Asia
, Kashmir
, West Punjab
, Persia, and the Delhi Sultanate
. They are not to be confused with the Shalimar Gardens (Jammu and Kashmir).
. This garden was made on the concept of Char Bhagh. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort
, under the UNESCO
Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972.
as follows:
To irrigate the Gardens, a canal named Shah Nahar meaning Royal canal, later also known as Hansti nahar, meaning Laughing canal was brought from Rajpot (present day Madhpur in India), a distance of over 161 kilometers. The canal intersected the Gardens and discharged into a large marble basin in the middle terrace.
The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.
The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to one of the noble Zaildar families in the region, well known as Mian Family Baghbanpura
. The family was also given the Royal title of 'Mian
' by the Mughal
Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Mian family
, donated the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan
, after pressure was placed on the family by the royal engineers who wished to build on the site due to its good position and soil. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens. The Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years.
In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub Khan because leading Mian family
members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan
.
The Mela Chiraghan
festival used to take place in the Gardens, until President Ayub Khan ordered against it in 1958.
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, modern day Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Construction began in 1641 CE (1051 AH) and was completed the following year. The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan
Ali Mardan Khan
Ali Mardan Khan was a Kurdish noble at the court of Safavid King Shah Tahmasp but after surrendering the Afghan city of Qandahar to Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638, he was a well recognised figure at the Mughal court.-Life:...
and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni
Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni
Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni was an Iranian architect. He was born in Ferdows in 17th century.He cooperated with Ali Mardan Khan in the construction of the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore in 1641 C.E....
. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura
Baghbanpura
Baghbanpura is a town and Union Council of Shalimar tehsil, Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometres northeast of the main Lahore city....
along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city. There are five geographical sources of inspiration for Shalimar Gardens: Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, West Punjab
West Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
, Persia, and the Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
. They are not to be confused with the Shalimar Gardens (Jammu and Kashmir).
Architecture
The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretworkFretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn...
. This garden was made on the concept of Char Bhagh. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...
, under the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972.
The three level terraces of the Gardens
The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces, which are elevated by 4–5 metres (13-15 feet) above one another. The three terraces have names in UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
as follows:
- The upper terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure.
- The middle terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness.
- The lower terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of life.
Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens
410 fountains
From this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 120 °F (48.9 °C). The distribution of the fountains is as follows:- The upper level terrace has 105 fountains.
- The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.
- The lower level terrace has 153 fountains.
- All combined, the Gardens therefore have 410 fountains.
The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.
Buildings of the Gardens
The buildings of the Gardens include:
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Trees of the Gardens
Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included:
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Site history
Mian Family Baghbanpura
Mian family of Baghbanpura is a Pakistani noble family. It has enjoyed a prominent role in Punjabi and Pakistani politics since the days of the Mughal Empire...
. The family was also given the Royal title of 'Mian
Mian
Mian is family name and a title of nobility used by Muslims in the Punjab region of South Asia.-Mian Khan Pashtuns:The Pathans of Bihar , have a large community of Pashtuns in the state of Bihar in India, who are said to have settled in the region from the 13th Century onwards...
' by the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Mian family
Mian Family Baghbanpura
Mian family of Baghbanpura is a Pakistani noble family. It has enjoyed a prominent role in Punjabi and Pakistani politics since the days of the Mughal Empire...
, donated the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
, after pressure was placed on the family by the royal engineers who wished to build on the site due to its good position and soil. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens. The Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years.
In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub Khan because leading Mian family
Mian Family Baghbanpura
Mian family of Baghbanpura is a Pakistani noble family. It has enjoyed a prominent role in Punjabi and Pakistani politics since the days of the Mughal Empire...
members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The Mela Chiraghan
Mela Chiraghan
Mela Chiraghan or Mela Shalamar is a three day annual festival to mark the urs of the Punjabi Sufi poet and saint Shah Hussain. It takes place at the shrine of Shah Hussain in Baghbanpura, on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, adjacent to the Shalimar Gardens...
festival used to take place in the Gardens, until President Ayub Khan ordered against it in 1958.
External links
- The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
- Sattar Sikander, The Shalamar: A Typical Muslim Garden, Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre
- Chapter on Mughal Gardens from Dunbarton Oaks discusses the Shalimar Gardens
- Irrigating the Shalimar Gardens in addition to canal named Shah Nahar Youtube link in Urdu