Around the Dal Lake

Temple of Shankaracharya and Mughal Gardens

There are many beautiful lakes in the Kashmir Valley which yield plenty of water-nuts, lotus roots and fish. Some of these lakes contain floating gardens producing pumpkins, water melons, musk melons, cucumbers and other vegetables. In them are also found geese, duck, teal and other game birds.

Dal Lake is situated on the outskirts of Srinagar and is a vast expanse of water, five miles long and nearly half a mile broad. It is divided by causeways into several portions, each of which has a number of minor offshoots with floating gardens. The lake is surrounded on all sides by places of picturesque beauty and charm. As we start from the Dal Gate along the famous boulevard, the replica of Marine Drive, we see on our right a pyramidal hill, one thousand feet in height, at the top of which stands the ancient stone temple of splendid charm.

Water skiing in the Dal lake, Srinagar.

Rajtarangini states that it was first built by Jalauka, the son of great Emperor Ashoka, about 200 B.C. The temple was later rebuilt and dedicated to Jyesthesvara by Gopaditya, who ruled from 253 A.D. to 328. The hill was called Gopadri and the village at its foot on the south is still called Gopkar.

It is also said that once Shankaracharya, a famous Hindu saint, came to Kashmir from South India to revive Hinduism. He stayed on the top of the hill for sometime and the hill thus came to be known as Shankaracharya hill.

Shankracharya Temple, Srinagar (URL)

This temple stands on a solid rock and consists of an octagonal basement of 13 layers. Each of the four sides has two projections which terminate in pediment and agable, the latter intersecting the main roof half way up its slope.

Bamzai, the great historian, gives the following description of the temple:

"The body of the temple is surrounded by a terrace enclosed by a stone wall or parapet, 3.5 feet high. This in following the outline of the basement, preserves its octagonal shape. The surrounding of the temple is reached by three flights of stone steps, numbering respectively 6,7 and eighteen, the last being encased between two walls. From the terrace another flight often steps leads to the door of the temple. The interior is a chamber, circular in plan, with a basin containing a lingam. Its general shape is that of a cone with four sides formed by the rectangular adjustment of gable-shaped slabs of masonry .... The interior of the temple is 14 feet in diameter; the ceiling is flat and 11 feet high; the walls which are 7.5 feet thick, are covered with white plaster composed of gypsum, and the roof is supported by four octagonal limestone pillars. The whole of the building is of stone, which is laid throughout in horizontal courses, no cement appearing to have been used ".

The temple shows the early Kashmiri style. "It tries to introduce the early Sihara style and has still one-storeyed gable pediment which is evident even now. Here we find the early specimen of the horse shoe arch, prominent in the final stages of this architecture, as, for example, in Martand".

Leaving the Shankaracharya hill behind, we see, on the right side of the boulevard, a line of magnificent mansions, some of which contain hotels and some showrooms of the big business houses of Kashmir. There are also magnificent palatial buildings which have been converted into a hotel, known as Oberoi Palace Hotel. Above on the height, close to Shankaracharya, is Dr. Karan Singh's Palace, known as Karan Niwas.

PARI MAHAL

Next to Maharaja's palace we find the ruins of Pari Mahal, "the fairies abode", upon the mountain slope. It is situated to the west of Cheshma Shah, and a ruined garden palace. The construction of this palace is ascribed to Dara Shikoh, who was beheaded in 1659 by Aurangzeb. The garden consists of six terraces, with a total length of about 400 feet. The width of the terraces varies from 197 feet to 205 feet.

Pari Mahal is surrounded by gardens.

In the uppermost terrace are the ruins of two structures, a baradhari, facing the lake, and a water reservoir, built against the mountain side. The reservoir was fed by a spring which has since gone dry. In the middle of the second terrace exactly in front of the baradhari is a large tank with brick sides measuring 36'-6" by 26'-6".

The third terrace is quite an interesting part of the garden. The entrance arched in front and behind with a central domed chamber, is in the middle of the east. It is painted with white plaster. On either side of it are a few large rooms, one of which appears to have been a hammam. Its interior is most decorated. On the south of the entrance are a few other chambers.

CHASHMA SHAHI

Aldous Huxley says that Chashma Shahi is "architecturally the most charming of the gardens near Srinagar". High up in the hollow of the mountain which overlooks the Dal Lake is Chashma Shahi, the small garden containing the Royal Spring. It is at a distance of five miles from Srinagar. Shah Jehan built a pavilion and laid out this garden in three terraces with fountains and waterfalls. The spring, famous for its pure, digestible and cold water, is situated in a small garden on the slope of the Zabarwan mountain. It is said that the garden was actually laid out by the Mughal Governor, Ali Mardan Khan at the behest of Shah Jehan in 1632 A.D.

Chashma Shahi, Srinagar.

Each of the three terraces of the garden is separated from each other by a height of 18 feet. The pavilion and reservoirs were later repaired by the Sikh Governor Sheikh, Gulam Mohi-ud-Din in 1258 A.D.

NISHAT BAGH

Morning in the shadow of the Nishat Bagh
Evening in the breezes of the Nasim
Shalimar and its tulip fields
These are the places of
Pleasure in Kashmir and none else.

Nishat Bagh, meaning the Garden of Gladness, is situated at a distance of about seven miles from Srinagar. The garden was laid out by Asaf Khan, brother of Queen Noor Jehan in 1634 A.D.

Nishat Garden, Srinagar.

Originally, this garden had 12 terraces rising higher up the mountain side from the eastern side of the Dal Lake but the lower terrace, which stretched down to the lake, no longer exists now, having been cut off by the modern road. The garden, thus, consists of only nine terraces at present.

The brightest spot in the garden is the second terrace. This, in the words of R.C. Kak, "with its thick groves of Persian lilacs, its high, broad and vertical cascade of sparkling water and its beds of brilliant pansies, is the most fragrant beauty". R.C. Kak further says that the "twenty-three small niches in the arched recess immediately behind the cascade were originally intended for rows of lamps, whose flickering light, reflected

and multiplied in the transparent sheet of water behind which they lay, must have presented a singularly pleasing spectacle at night". Mrs. Stuart, in her poetic language, quoted by Dr. Sufi, says : "The stream tears foaming down the carved cascade, fountains play in every tank and water-course, filling the garden with their joyous life and movement".

There are two main pavilions, one at the lower and the other at the upper end of the garden. In the middle there is a reservoir of about 14 feet square and three feet deep with a few fountains.

SHALIMAR

"The best example of the existence of a garden tradition in Kashmir from ancient times is provided by the famous Shalimar on the Dal where as early as the time of King Pravarsena 11, the founder of Srinagar, there is said to have been a villa called Mar-Shall orthe "Hall of Love", so says Mrs. Stuart in "Gardens of the Great Mughals". At Haman, it is said, a saint called Swami Sukram lived and the king on his way to or from that place used to rest in the villa. The villa disappeared but round the villa grew a village which came to be known as Shalimar.

Shalimar Garden, Srinagar.

Jehangir laid out a garden there in 1619 and eleven years later Zaffar Shah, Governor of Kashmir in the time of Jehangir, extended the garden. Shalimar is a typical Mughal garden where the water flows down a canal from higher level to lower forming a beautiful cascade. There are shady walks, charming chinars, lawns and flower beds on both sides of the canal.

There are four terraces rising one above the other and nearly of equal dimensions. Bamzai, giving the graphic description ofthe garden, writes: "There is a line of tanks or reservoirs along the middle of the whole length of the garden and these are connected by a canal, 18 inches deep and from 9 to 14 yards wide. The tanks and the canal with their scheme of fountains and cascades, are lined with polished limestone, resembling black marble. The water to feed these is obtained from the Haman stream behind the garden".

The fourth terrace was the private portion of the garden. The ladies stayed there. "It contains in its centre a magnificent black stone pavilion on which is raised a platform, a little more than three feet high and sixty-five feet square. Its sloping roof is almost 20 feet high and is supported on each side by a row of six elaborately carved black marble pillars, which are polygonal-shaped and fluted". It was used as a banquet hall.

It was in this garden that the Emperor Jehangir enjoyed the intense delight of making up the quarrel he had with his queen, Noor Mahal, "the Light of the Palace". The poet, Thomas Moore, has immortalised the scene thus:

"And well do vanished frowns enhance,
The charms of every brightened glance,
And dearer seems each dawning smile;
And happier now for all her sights
For having lost its light a while;
And happier now for all her sights
And on his arm her head reposes
She whispers him with longing eyes
"Remember, love, the feast of roses".

About the middle or third enclosure Mrs. Villiers Stuart writes in 'Gardens of the Great Mughals', "Here the whole effect culminates with the beautiful black marble partitions built by Shah Jehan which still stands in the midst of the water shining in the smooth polished marble, the deep rich tone of which is repeated in the cypress trees. Round the baradhari the whole colour and perfume of the garden is concentrated with the snows of the Mahadev for a background".

NASIM BAGH

Nasim Bagh is situated at a distance of seven miles from Srinagar. It is the "Garden of Morning Breezes" as its name indicates. It has no fountain. cascades, spring or terraces but has hundreds of lofty shady chinar trees. Nasim Bagh is the nearest excellent camping ground from Srinagar and its chief lure lies in its calm and tranquil atmosphere and bracing breezes of the lake fragrant with the essences of flowers of hills, dales and lotus of the lake. Looking out from the shade of chinars, we catch sight of Shalimar Bagh across the Dal Lake with the snowy Mahadev Peak towering above.