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 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.

[edit] 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 Urdu 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.

[edit] Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens

An example of a Mughal garden

Blueprint of Shalimar Bagh, Lahore

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.

[edit] 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 degrees fahrenheit. 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.

[edit] Buildings of the Gardens

The buildings of the Gardens include:

 Sawan Bhadum pavilions  Aramgah or Resting place

 Naqar Khana and its
buildings
 Khwabgah or Sleeping
chambers
 Hammam or Royal bath
 The Aiwan or Grand hall
 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 & ordinary
audience with the emperor
  Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the
Gardens

[edit] Trees of the Gardens

Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included:

 Almond  Peach
 Apple  Plum
 Apricot  Poplar
 Cherry  Quince Seedless
 Gokcha  Sapling of Cypress
 Mango  Shrubs
 Mulberry  Sour & sweet oranges

 Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non odoriferous and fruit giving
plants

[edit] Landscape
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[edit] Site history

The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore

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.