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{{For|other gardens of the same name|Shalimar Gardens (disambiguation){{!}}Shalimar Gardens}}
{{Coord|31|35|09|N|74|22|55|E|type:landmark|display=title}}
{{short description|Mughal garden complex in Lahore, Pakistan}}
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
| WHS = Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| Image = [[Image:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-South wall pavilion with fountains.jpg|300px|South wall pavilion on first level]]
| image = Reflection of Farah Baksh Terrace (Upper Terrace) main building.jpg
| State Party = [[Pakistan]]
| image_upright = 1.2
| Type = Cultural
| Criteria = i, ii, iii
| WHS = Shalamar Gardens, Lahore
| ID = 171
| caption =
| location = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia|Asia-Pacific]]
| part_of = [[Lahore Fort|Fort]] and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore
| Year = 1981
| includes = <!--replace by summary if the list of sub-entities is too large or incomplete-->
| Session = 5th
| criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(i), (ii), (iii)}}(i), (ii), (iii)
| Danger = 2000-
| ID = 171-002
| coordinates = {{Coord|31|35|09|N|74|22|55|E|type:landmark|display=title, inline}}
| year = 1981
| locmapin = Pakistan Lahore #Pakistan Punjab#Pakistan
| map_caption =
|Criteria=}}
The '''Shalamar Gardens''' ({{langx|pnb|{{Nastaliq|شالمار باغ}}|translit=Śālamār Bāġ}}) or '''Shalimar Gardens''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|شالیمار باغات}}|translit=Śālīmār Bāġāt}}) are a [[Mughal garden]] complex besides [[Baghbanpura]], located in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], Pakistan. The gardens date from the period when the [[Mughal Empire]] was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith,<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|title=Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/171/|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=4 January 2017}}</ref> and are now one of Pakistan's most popular tourist destinations.


The Shalamar Gardens were laid out as a [[Charbagh|Persian paradise garden]] intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.<ref name="rehman"/> Construction of the gardens began in 1641 during the reign of Emperor [[Shah Jahan]],<ref name="rehman">{{cite journal|last1=REHMAN|first1=A.|title=Changing Concepts of Garden Design in Lahore from Mughal to Contemporary Times|journal=Garden History|date=2009|volume=37|issue=2|pages=205–217|jstor=27821596}}</ref> and was completed in 1642.<ref>[http://mughalgardens.org/html/shalamar.html Shalamar Gardens] Gardens of the Mughal Empire. Retrieved 20 June 2012</ref> In 1981 the Shalamar Gardens were inscribed as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] as they embody Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development.<ref name="UNESCO"/>
}}
The '''Shalimar Gardens''' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], {{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|شالیمار باغ}}}}), sometimes written '''Shalamar Gardens''', is a [[Persian garden]] and it was built by the [[Mughal empire|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]].<ref>http://mughalgardens.org/html/shalamar.html</ref> They are not to be confused with the [[Shalimar Gardens (Jammu and Kashmir)]].


==Architecture==
==Names==
[[File:Chatting at Shalimar Gardens.jpg|thumb|The gardens provide a popular recreation spot for Lahore's men]]


The courtiers told the Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] "that Shala was a [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] word which means pleasure and the mar means the place to live in".<ref>{{cite book|author=Nazir Ahmad Chaudhry|title=Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage|year=1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bIPjAAAAMAAJ|page=279|isbn=9789693509441}}.</ref> "The arguments of the courtiers in favour of the Turkic signification of the word failing to make any impression on Ranjit Singh, he gave his own name to the garden, and called it “''Shahla Bagh''” شهلا باغ, “''Shahla''” meaning in Persian “sweetheart” with dark gray eyes and a shade of red and “''Bagh''” meaning “garden.”"<ref name="Latif">{{cite book|author=Latif, Syad Muhammad |author-link=Syad Muhammad Latif|year=1984|title=History of the Panjáb from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RzBAAQAAMAAJ|page=361}}</ref>
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 [[fretwork]]. 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.
{{quote|The courtiers present passed high eulogies on the Maharájá's ingenuity in selecting so charming a name for the famous gardens of Láhore, and it was ordered, accordingly, that henceforward the gardens be called by that name, and written so in all public correspondence.<ref name="Latif"/>}}


The gardens are however still known as the "Shalimar Gardens" nowadays. According to Muhammad Ishtiaq Khan,
===The three level terraces of the Gardens===
{{quote|The most plausible interpretation, however, seems to be that the word "Shalamar" is a corruption of original "Shalimar" [...].<ref>{{cite book|title=World heritage: sites in Pakistan|page=88|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xZuAAAAMAAJ|last1=Khan|first1=Muhammad Ishtiaq|year=2000}}</ref>}}
The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces, which are elevated by 4–5 metres (13-15 [[foot (length)|feet]]) above one another. The three terraces have names in [[Urdu]] as follows:


==Location==
* The upper terrace named ''Farah Baksh'' meaning ''Bestower of Pleasure''.
The Shalimar Garden is located next to the [[Grand Trunk Road]], about {{convert|5|km}} east of the [[Delhi Gate, Lahore|Delhi Gate]] of the [[Walled City of Lahore]]. Near Bhaghbanpura Lahore
* The middle terrace named ''Faiz Baksh'' meaning ''Bestower of Goodness''.
* The lower terrace named ''Hayat Baksh'' meaning ''Bestower of life''.


==Background==
===''Shah Nahar'' : Irrigation of the Gardens===
[[File:Faiz Baksh (Bestower of Goodness) terrace view from Farah Baksh (Bestower of Pleasure) terrace.jpg|thumb|View from Farah Baksh (Bestower of Pleasure) terrace]]
[[Image:Shalamar garden burhan.JPG|thumb|300px|[[Blueprint]] of Shalimar Bagh, Lahore]]
Lahore's Shalimar Gardens were built by the Mughal royal family primarily as a venue for them to entertain guests,<ref name="clark"/> though a large portion was open to the general public. The gardens' design was influenced by the older [[Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar|Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir]] that were built by Shah Jahan's father, Emperor [[Jahangir]].<ref name="clark">{{cite book|last1=Clark|first1=Emma|title=The Art of the Islamic Garden|date=2004|publisher=Crowood|isbn=186126609X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CwIpAQAAMAAJ&q=shalimar+gardens+lahore|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> Unlike the gardens in Kashmir which relied on naturally sloping landscapes, the waterworks in Lahore required extensive engineering to create artificial cascades and terraces.<ref name="schimmel"/>
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 Shalimar Gardens were designed as a Persian-style ''[[Charbagh]]'' "Paradise garden" - a microcosm of an earthly utopia.<ref name="rehman"/> Though the word ''Bagh'' is translated simply as "garden", ''bagh'' represents a harmonious existence between humans and nature, and represents a poetic connection between heaven and earth.<ref name="rehman"/> All natural elements of the ''bagh'' are appreciated - including the sun, moon, and air.<ref name="rehman"/> [[Muhammad Saleh Kamboh]], historian to [[Shah Jahan]], reported that the gardens of Kashmir inspired the design for the Shalimar Garden in Lahore,<ref name="rehman"/> and that a wide variety of trees and flowers grew together in the garden.<ref name="rehman"/>
===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 {{convert|120|°F|°C}}. The distribution of the fountains is as follows:
The site was chosen for its stable water supply.<ref name="rehman"/> The project was managed by Khalilullah Khan, a noble of [[Shah Jahan]]'s court, in cooperation with and [[Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni]]. [[Ali Mardan Khan]] was responsible for most of the construction, and had a 100-mile-long canal built to bring water from the foothills of Kashmir to the site.<ref name="schimmel">{{cite book|last1=Schimmel|first1=Annemarie|title=The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture|date=2004|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=1861891857|url=https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne/page/295 295]|quote=shalimar lahore public.|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref>

The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to the [[Arain]] [[Mian Family Baghbanpura]]. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Arain [[Mian Family Baghbanpura|Mian family]], ceded the site of ''Ishaq Pura'' to the Emperor Shah Jahan in order for the gardens to be built. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Arain Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens, and the gardens remained under their custodianship for over 350 years.

==History==
[[Image:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-Sideview of marble enclosure on the second level.jpg|thumb|Inside Shalimar Gardens]]
[[Image:Shalimar Gardens Lahore 1895.jpg|thumb|Shalimar Gardens in 1895]]

Construction of the gardens began on 12 June 1641, and took 18 months to complete.<ref name="rehman"/> During the [[Sikh empire|Sikh era]], much of the garden's marble was pillaged and used to decorate the [[Golden Temple]] and the [[Ram Bagh Palace]] in nearby [[Amritsar]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turner|first1=Tom|title=Garden History: Philosophy and Design 2000 BC – 2000 AD|date=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134370825}}</ref> while the gardens' costly [[agate]] gate was stripped and sold by [[Lehna Singh Majithia]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Latif|first1=Syad Muhammad|title=Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107067|date=1892|publisher=New Imperial Press|location=Oxford University}}</ref>
[[File:Lithograph titled 'The Shalimar Gardens, Lahore', from 'The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing' by William Godolphin Osborne, ca.1840.jpg|thumb|The garden during Sikh-rule. Lithograph titled 'The Shalimar Gardens, Lahore', from 'The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing' by William Godolphin Osborne, ca.1840.]]
In 1806 Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] ordered the Shalimar Gardens to be repaired.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hari Ram Gupta|title=History of the Sikhs|year=1991|isbn=9788121505154 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwFDAAAAYAAJ}}.</ref>

The Gardens were nationalised in 1962 by [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|General Ayub Khan]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Upon A Trailing Edge: Risk, the Heart and the Air Pilot|page=268|year=2015|publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd}}</ref> because leading [[Arain]] [[Mian Family Baghbanpura|Mian family]] members had opposed his imposition of martial law in [[Pakistan]].{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

The annual [[Mela Chiraghan]] festival used to take place in the gardens until [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|General Ayub Khan]] forbade it in 1958.

==Design and layout==
[[File:Shalimar Gardens, Lahore (Faiz Baksh Tarrace- 2nd tarrace of the Garden).jpg|thumb|The middle level terrace of the garden, known as the ''Faiz Bakhsh'' terrace, was the Emperor's garden.]]

Mughal Gardens were based upon [[Timurid Empire|Timurid]] gardens built in Central Asia and Iran between the 14th and 16th century.<ref name="rehman"/><ref name="Smithsonian">{{cite web|title=Shalimar Gardens|url=http://mughalgardens.org/html/shalamar.html|website=Gardens of the Mughal Empire|publisher=Smithsonian Productions|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref> A high brick wall richly decorated with intricate [[fretwork]] encloses the site in order to allow for the creation of a ''[[Charbagh]]'' paradise garden - a microcosm of an earthly utopia.<ref name="rehman"/>

The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of a rectangle aligned along a north–south axis, and measure 658 metres by 258 metres, and cover an area of 16 [[hectare]]s. Each terrace level is 4–5 metres (13–15 [[foot (length)|feet]]) higher than the previous level.

The uppermost terrace of the gardens is named ''Bagh-e-Farah Baksh'', literally meaning ''Bestower of Pleasure''. The second and third terraces are jointly known as the ''Bagh-e-Faiz Baksh'', meaning ''Bestower of Goodness''. The first and third terraces are both shaped as squares, while the second terrace is a narrow rectangle.

Shalimar's main entrance was onto the lower-most terrace, which was open to noblemen, and occasionally to the public.<ref name="rehman"/> The middle terrace was the Emperor's Garden, and contained the most elaborate waterworks of any Mughal garden.<ref name="rehman"/> The highest terrace was reserved for the Emperor's ''harem''.<ref name="rehman"/>

The square shaped terraces were both divided into four equivalent smaller squares by long fountains flanked by brick ''khayaban'' walkways designed to be elevated in order to provide better views of the garden.<ref name="schimmel"/> Cascades were made to flow over a marble paths in what are known as ''chadors'', or "curtains" into the middle terrace. Water collected into a large pool, known as a ''haūz'', over which a seating pavilion was made.<ref name="rehman"/>

===Water features===
The Shalimar Garden's contain the most waterworks of any Mughal Garden.<ref name="rehman"/> It contains 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools, each known as a ''haūz''. The enclosed garden is rendered cooler than surrounding areas by the garden's dense foliage, and water features<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hann|first1=Michael|title=Symbol, Pattern and Symmetry: The Cultural Significance of Structure|date=2013|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1472539007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWABAQAAQBAJ&q=shalimar&pg=PR25|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> - a relief during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding {{convert|120|°F|°C}}. The distribution of the fountains is as follows:


* The upper level terrace has 105 fountains.
* The upper level terrace has 105 fountains.
* The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.
* The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.
* The lower level terrace has 153 fountains.
* The lower level terrace has 153 fountains.
* All combined, the Gardens therefore have 410 fountains.
* All combined, the Gardens has 410 fountains.


The Gardens have 5 water cascades including ''the great marble cascade'' and ''Sawan Bhadoon''.
The Gardens have 5 water cascades including ''the great marble cascade'' and ''Sawan Bhadoon''.


===Buildings of the Gardens===
===Garden pavilions===
[[File:A fragment of the painted door from Shalimar Gardens in the Lahore Museum.jpg|thumb|Painted door from Shalimar Gardens]]
The buildings of the Gardens include:
The buildings of the Gardens include:
{|-
{|-
|-
|-
|
|
* ''Sawan Bhadum'' pavilions
* ''Sawan Bhadun'' pavilions
* ''Naqar Khana'' and its buildings
* ''Naqar Khana'' and its buildings
* ''Khwabgah'' or Sleeping chambers
* ''Khwabgah'' or Sleeping chambers
Line 54: Line 93:
* ''Khawabgah'' of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife
* ''Khawabgah'' of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife
* ''Baradaries'' or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains
* ''Baradaries'' or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains
* ''Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam'' or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor
* ''Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam'' or Hall of special and ordinary audience with the emperor
* Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens
* Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens
|}
|}


===Trees of the Gardens===
===Conservation===
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.


==Gallery==
Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included:
<gallery>
{|
File:Shalimar Gardens, Nigar Khana.jpg|Nigar Khana
|-
File:Shalimar bagh.12.jpg
| valign="top"|
File:Chini Khanas, Shalimar Gardens, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.jpg|
* Almond
File:Shalimar garden 1.JPG|
* Apple
File:Faiz Baksh means Bestower of Goodness. (Middle Terrace).jpg|
* Apricot
File:Corridor of Faiz Baksh terrace.jpg|
* Cherry
File:Shalamar Baradari.jpg|
* Gokcha
File:Shalimar garden lahore.jpg|
* Mango
File:Shalimar Gardens - Aunzee 43.jpg|
* Mulberry
File:Shalimar Gardens - Aunzee 50.jpg|
| valign="top"|
File:Shalimar Gardens - Aunzee 48.jpg|
* Peach
File:Beautiful pavilion of Faiz Baksh terrace.jpg|
* Plum
File:Faiz Bakhsh Terrace (Shalimar Gardens middle terrace) by Aunzee.jpg|
* Poplar
File:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-East wall corner of the second level.jpg|East wall corner of the second level terrace
* Quince Seedless
File:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-Minaret on west corner of second level.jpg|Minaret on the west wall corner of the second level terrace
* Sapling of Cypress
File:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-East side red pavilion on second level.jpg|A Mughal style structure inside the gardens
* Shrubs
File:Iphone5_(6386).JPG|
* Sour & sweet oranges
File:Hayat Baksh (Bestower of life) terrace - Shalimar Gardens.jpg|
|-
File:Painted door of Shalimar Gardens, Lahore.jpg
| colspan="2"|
</gallery>
* Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non odoriferous and fruit giving plants
|}


==Landscape==
==See also==
*[[Shalimar Gardens (Kashmir)]]
{{wide image||850px|<div class="center">An extensive view of the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. </div>}}
*[[List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan]]

*[[Lahore Fort]]
==Site history==
*[[List of parks and gardens in Lahore]]
[[Image:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-Sideview of marble enclosure on the second level.jpg|thumb|250px|The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore]]
*[[List of parks and gardens in Pakistan]]
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 Empire|Mughal]] Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the [[Mian Family Baghbanpura|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 Baghbanpura|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 (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]] ordered against it in 1958.


==References==
==References==
Line 99: Line 134:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)}}
*[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/171/ UNESCO World Heritage Site Profile]
*[http://www.pem.org/library/collections/offen The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum]
*[http://www.pem.org/library/collections/offen The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum]
*[http://archnet.org/library/pubdownloader/pdf/4883/doc/DPC0715.pdf Sattar Sikander, ''The Shalamar: A Typical Muslim Garden'', Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060214214014/http://archnet.org/library/pubdownloader/pdf/4883/doc/DPC0715.pdf Sattar Sikander, ''The Shalimar: A Typical Muslim Garden'', Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre]
*[http://www.doaks.org/publications/doaks_online_publications/Perspectives/perspec06.pdf Chapter on Mughal Gardens from Dunbarton Oaks discusses the Shalimar Gardens]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101123145354/http://doaks.org/publications/doaks_online_publications/Perspectives/perspec06.pdf Chapter on Mughal Gardens from Dunbarton Oaks discusses the Shalimar Gardens]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qUtNdXOq3c, ' Irrigate the Gardens in addition to canal named Shah Nahar Youtube link in Urdu']
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qUtNdXOq3c Irrigating the Shalimar Gardens in addition to canal named Shah Nahar Youtube link in Urdu]


[[Category:Mughal gardens]]
{{Mughal Empire}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan |state=autocollapse}}
[[Category:Lahore]]
{{World Heritage Sites in Pakistan|state=expanded}}

[[Category:1642 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Mughal gardens in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mughal terraced gardens]]
[[Category:Fountains in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Parks in Lahore]]
[[Category:Persian gardens in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Lahore]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Lahore]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1642]]
[[Category:Islamic architecture]]
[[Category:Landscape design history]]
[[Category:World Heritage in Danger]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Persian gardens]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Danger]]
[[Category:Fountains in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Gardens in Lahore]]

[[cs:Šalimarovy zahrady]]
[[de:Die Festung und die Shalimar-Gärten in Lahore]]
[[es:Jardines de Shalimar]]
[[fa:باغ شالیمار]]
[[fr:Jardins de Shalimar (Lahore)]]
[[ko:샬리마르 정원 (라호르)]]
[[hi:शालीमार उद्यान, लाहौर]]
[[hr:Šalimar vrtovi u Lahoreu]]
[[it:Giardini Shalimar]]
[[he:גני שאלימאר]]
[[ka:შალიმარის ბაღები]]
[[lt:Šalimaro sodai]]
[[ja:シャーラマール庭園]]
[[pa:ਸ਼ਾਲਾਮਾਰ ਬਾਘ]]
[[pnb:شالامار باغ]]
[[pt:Forte e Jardins de Shalimar em Lahore]]
[[ru:Сады Шалимара]]
[[fi:Shalamarin puutarha]]
[[sv:Shah Jahans trädgård]]
[[ur:شالامار باغ]]

Latest revision as of 07:55, 24 December 2024

For other gardens of the same name, see Shalimar Gardens.

Shalamar Gardens, Lahore
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationLahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Part ofFort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore
Reference171-002
Inscription1981 (5th Session)
Coordinates31°35′09″N 74°22′55″E / 31.58583°N 74.38194°E / 31.58583; 74.38194
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore is located in Lahore
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
Location of Shalimar Gardens, Lahore in Lahore
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore is located in Punjab, Pakistan
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore (Punjab, Pakistan)
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore is located in Pakistan
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore (Pakistan)

The Shalamar Gardens (Punjabi: شالمار باغ, romanized: Śālamār Bāġ) or Shalimar Gardens (Urdu: شالیمار باغات, romanized: Śālīmār Bāġāt) are a Mughal garden complex besides Baghbanpura, located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The gardens date from the period when the Mughal Empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith,[1] and are now one of Pakistan's most popular tourist destinations.

The Shalamar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.[2] Construction of the gardens began in 1641 during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan,[2] and was completed in 1642.[3] In 1981 the Shalamar Gardens were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as they embody Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development.[1]

Names

[edit]
The gardens provide a popular recreation spot for Lahore's men

The courtiers told the Maharaja Ranjit Singh "that Shala was a Turkic word which means pleasure and the mar means the place to live in".[4] "The arguments of the courtiers in favour of the Turkic signification of the word failing to make any impression on Ranjit Singh, he gave his own name to the garden, and called it “Shahla Bagh” شهلا باغ, “Shahla” meaning in Persian “sweetheart” with dark gray eyes and a shade of red and “Bagh” meaning “garden.”"[5]

The courtiers present passed high eulogies on the Maharájá's ingenuity in selecting so charming a name for the famous gardens of Láhore, and it was ordered, accordingly, that henceforward the gardens be called by that name, and written so in all public correspondence.[5]

The gardens are however still known as the "Shalimar Gardens" nowadays. According to Muhammad Ishtiaq Khan,

The most plausible interpretation, however, seems to be that the word "Shalamar" is a corruption of original "Shalimar" [...].[6]

Location

[edit]

The Shalimar Garden is located next to the Grand Trunk Road, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of the Delhi Gate of the Walled City of Lahore. Near Bhaghbanpura Lahore

Background

[edit]
View from Farah Baksh (Bestower of Pleasure) terrace

Lahore's Shalimar Gardens were built by the Mughal royal family primarily as a venue for them to entertain guests,[7] though a large portion was open to the general public. The gardens' design was influenced by the older Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir that were built by Shah Jahan's father, Emperor Jahangir.[7] Unlike the gardens in Kashmir which relied on naturally sloping landscapes, the waterworks in Lahore required extensive engineering to create artificial cascades and terraces.[8]

The Shalimar Gardens were designed as a Persian-style Charbagh "Paradise garden" - a microcosm of an earthly utopia.[2] Though the word Bagh is translated simply as "garden", bagh represents a harmonious existence between humans and nature, and represents a poetic connection between heaven and earth.[2] All natural elements of the bagh are appreciated - including the sun, moon, and air.[2] Muhammad Saleh Kamboh, historian to Shah Jahan, reported that the gardens of Kashmir inspired the design for the Shalimar Garden in Lahore,[2] and that a wide variety of trees and flowers grew together in the garden.[2]

The site was chosen for its stable water supply.[2] The project was managed by Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni. Ali Mardan Khan was responsible for most of the construction, and had a 100-mile-long canal built to bring water from the foothills of Kashmir to the site.[8]

The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to the Arain Mian Family Baghbanpura. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Arain Mian family, ceded the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan in order for the gardens to be built. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Arain Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens, and the gardens remained under their custodianship for over 350 years.

History

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Inside Shalimar Gardens
Shalimar Gardens in 1895

Construction of the gardens began on 12 June 1641, and took 18 months to complete.[2] During the Sikh era, much of the garden's marble was pillaged and used to decorate the Golden Temple and the Ram Bagh Palace in nearby Amritsar,[9] while the gardens' costly agate gate was stripped and sold by Lehna Singh Majithia.[10]

The garden during Sikh-rule. Lithograph titled 'The Shalimar Gardens, Lahore', from 'The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing' by William Godolphin Osborne, ca.1840.

In 1806 Maharaja Ranjit Singh ordered the Shalimar Gardens to be repaired.[11]

The Gardens were nationalised in 1962 by General Ayub Khan[12] because leading Arain Mian family members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan.[citation needed]

The annual Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the gardens until General Ayub Khan forbade it in 1958.

Design and layout

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The middle level terrace of the garden, known as the Faiz Bakhsh terrace, was the Emperor's garden.

Mughal Gardens were based upon Timurid gardens built in Central Asia and Iran between the 14th and 16th century.[2][13] A high brick wall richly decorated with intricate fretwork encloses the site in order to allow for the creation of a Charbagh paradise garden - a microcosm of an earthly utopia.[2]

The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of a rectangle aligned along a north–south axis, and measure 658 metres by 258 metres, and cover an area of 16 hectares. Each terrace level is 4–5 metres (13–15 feet) higher than the previous level.

The uppermost terrace of the gardens is named Bagh-e-Farah Baksh, literally meaning Bestower of Pleasure. The second and third terraces are jointly known as the Bagh-e-Faiz Baksh, meaning Bestower of Goodness. The first and third terraces are both shaped as squares, while the second terrace is a narrow rectangle.

Shalimar's main entrance was onto the lower-most terrace, which was open to noblemen, and occasionally to the public.[2] The middle terrace was the Emperor's Garden, and contained the most elaborate waterworks of any Mughal garden.[2] The highest terrace was reserved for the Emperor's harem.[2]

The square shaped terraces were both divided into four equivalent smaller squares by long fountains flanked by brick khayaban walkways designed to be elevated in order to provide better views of the garden.[8] Cascades were made to flow over a marble paths in what are known as chadors, or "curtains" into the middle terrace. Water collected into a large pool, known as a haūz, over which a seating pavilion was made.[2]

Water features

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The Shalimar Garden's contain the most waterworks of any Mughal Garden.[2] It contains 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools, each known as a haūz. The enclosed garden is rendered cooler than surrounding areas by the garden's dense foliage, and water features[14] - a relief during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 120 °F (49 °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 has 410 fountains.

The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.

Garden pavilions

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Painted door from Shalimar Gardens

The buildings of the Gardens include:

  • Sawan Bhadun pavilions
  • Naqar Khana and its buildings
  • Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers
  • Hammam or Royal bath
  • The Aiwan or Grand hall
  • Aramgah or Resting place
  • Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife
  • Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains
  • Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special and ordinary audience with the emperor
  • Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens

Conservation

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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.

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  • Nigar Khana
    Nigar Khana
  • East wall corner of the second level terrace
    East wall corner of the second level terrace
  • Minaret on the west wall corner of the second level terrace
    Minaret on the west wall corner of the second level terrace
  • A Mughal style structure inside the gardens
    A Mughal style structure inside the gardens

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p REHMAN, A. (2009). "Changing Concepts of Garden Design in Lahore from Mughal to Contemporary Times". Garden History. 37 (2): 205–217. JSTOR 27821596.
  3. ^ Shalamar Gardens Gardens of the Mughal Empire. Retrieved 20 June 2012
  4. ^ Nazir Ahmad Chaudhry (1998). Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage. p. 279. ISBN 9789693509441..
  5. ^ a b Latif, Syad Muhammad (1984). History of the Panjáb from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time. p. 361.
  6. ^ Khan, Muhammad Ishtiaq (2000). World heritage: sites in Pakistan. p. 88.
  7. ^ a b Clark, Emma (2004). The Art of the Islamic Garden. Crowood. ISBN 186126609X. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Schimmel, Annemarie (2004). The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. Reaktion Books. p. 295. ISBN 1861891857. Retrieved 30 December 2017. shalimar lahore public.
  9. ^ Turner, Tom (2005). Garden History: Philosophy and Design 2000 BC – 2000 AD. Routledge. ISBN 9781134370825.
  10. ^ Latif, Syad Muhammad (1892). Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities. Oxford University: New Imperial Press.
  11. ^ Hari Ram Gupta (1991). History of the Sikhs. ISBN 9788121505154..
  12. ^ Upon A Trailing Edge: Risk, the Heart and the Air Pilot. Troubador Publishing Ltd. 2015. p. 268.
  13. ^ "Shalimar Gardens". Gardens of the Mughal Empire. Smithsonian Productions. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  14. ^ Hann, Michael (2013). Symbol, Pattern and Symmetry: The Cultural Significance of Structure. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1472539007. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
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