Shalimar
is a very old garden. Jahangir had it laid out in 1619. It is two miles
from Nishat Garden.
It
is claimed that Jahangir had this garden planned for Nurjahan. Shalimar is
about eight miles from Amira Kadal. One can go there in a shikatra, tonga,
or taxi. There is a beautiful mountain full of trees in the back of the
garden. In the front of it is Dal Lake, which is filled with lotuses.
There
are four balconies in Shalimar Garden. Waterfalls run through these
balconies. The source of the waterfalls is in a small house which is
behind the fourth balcony.
Shalimar
is decorated with beautiful flowers. In the middle of the flower beds
there are pathways for people to walk. As in other Mughal gardens,
Shalimar, too, has fountains. On Sundays, these fountains sparkle with
colorful lights. The whole garden glitters with a variety of colors.
There
are many chinar trees and fruit trees in Shalimar. On Sundays, many
Kashmiris come with their families to relax under these trees. The garden
looks colorful with samovars and various types of phirans and sarees.
There
is a big hall in the garden. It has beautiful walls on which Persian
poetry is written. Craftsmen have done very attractive carving on the
stones. Sitting in the hall Jahangir would enjoy the view of the
lake and the mountains.
A
lot of Kashmiris go there in .
Shalimar is really worth seeing.
Chapter
33
