Pari Mahal

Pari Mahal, also known as The Palace of Fairies, is a seven-terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range, overlooking the city of Srinagar and the south-west of Dal Lake in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Pari Mahal
TypeGarden
LocationDal Lake, Zabarwan mountain Range, near Cheshmashahi, Srinagar, India
Opened1650 AD
FounderPrince Dara Shikoh, son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Operated byState Government
Statusclosed

History

The Pari Mahal, or Palace of Fairies,[1] was built as a library and residence for the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh in the mid-1600s.[2] Dara Shikoh was said to have lived in this area in the years 1640, 1645, and 1654. It was further used as an observatory, useful for teaching astrology and astronomy.[3] The gardens have since become the property of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.[4]

The Pari Mahal has also been used as a top-secret interrogation centre and as a base for high-level bureaucrats.[1]

See also

References
  1. Swami, Praveen (2006). India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad: The Covert War in Kashmir, 1947-2004. Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-13413-752-7.
  2. S. P. Agrawal, Modern History of Jammu and Kashmir: Ancient times to Shimla Agreement, p. 10
  3. "Srinagar Municipal Corporation ::. Official Website of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, J&K-Pari Mahal". Smcsite.org. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  4. "Pari Mahal - Srinagar". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.

Further reading
  • Brookes, John. Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens. New York: New Amsterdam, 1987.
  • Kak, Ram Chandra. Ancient Monuments of Kashmir. New Delhi: Sagar Publications, 1971.
  • Sharma, Suresh K., and S. R. Bakshi. Encyclopaedia of Kashmir. New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt Ltd, 1995.

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