Bada Bagh

Bada Bagh panorama

Bada Bagh, also called Barabagh (literally Big Garden) is a garden complex about 6 km north of Jaisalmer on the way to Ramgarh, in the state of Rajasthan in India. Overlooking a mango grove sits a set of royal cenotaphs, or chhatris, of Maharajas of Jaisalmer state, starting with Jai Singh II (d. 1743).[1][2][3]

History

Chhatris upclose at Bada Bagh

A descendant of Maharawal Jaisal Singh, the founder of the state and Maharaja of Jaisalmer State, Jai Singh II (1688–1743), commissioned a dam to create a water tank during his reign in the 16th century. This made the desert green in this area.

After his death on September 21, 1743, his son Lunkaran built a beautiful garden next to the lake and a chhatri (Hindi for cenotaph) for his father on a hill next to the lake. Later on, many more cenotaphs were constructed here for Lunkaran and other Bhattis. The last chhatri, meant for maharaja Jawahar Singh, dates from the 20th century and remains unfinished after Indian independence.

Description

Bada Bagh is situated on a small hill. The entry to Bada Bagh is from the bottom of the hill. The first row has a few cenotaphs. There are many more cenotaphs, which are accessible by climbing the hills. The cenotaphs are of different sizes and carved of sandstone. There are cenotaphs for rulers, queens, princes and other royal family members. Each ruler’s cenotaphs has a marble slab, with inscriptions about the ruler and an image of a man on a horse.

References

  1. ↑ .Bada Bagh Archived 2012-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan website.
  2. ↑ "Sonar Qila". Financial Express. Jan 9, 2004.
  3. ↑ Lindsay Brown; Amelia Thomas (2008). Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra (Lonely Planet Travel Guides). Lonely Planet. p. 335. ISBN 1-74104-690-4.

Coordinates: 26°57′18″N 70°53′13″E / 26.955°N 70.887°E / 26.955; 70.887


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