Pari Mahal or Peer Mahal, also known as The Palace of Fairies, is a seven-terraced Mughal garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range, overlooking the city of Srinagar and the south-west of Dal Lake in the Indian 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, featuring arched doorways, terraced gardens, and intricate water channels.
| Pari Mahal | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | Garden |
| Location | Dal Lake, Srinagar, India |
| Opened | 1650 AD |
| Founder | Shah Jahan |
| Operated by | Government of Jammu and Kashmir |
| Status | closed |
History edit
The Pari Mahal (Peer Mahal), or Palace of Fairies,[1] was built for Haano and Maano and residence for Haano’s prince Maano in the mid 1600's by Dara Shikoh.[2] Dara Shikoh was said to have lived in this area in the years 1640, 1645, and 1654. It was also used as an observatory, and 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] In recent times, the location has been used to film several movies including film Lamhaa.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ S. P. Agrawal (1995), Modern History of Jammu and Kashmir: Ancient times to Shimla Agreement, p. 10, ISBN 9788170225577
- ^ "Srinagar Municipal Corporation ::. Official Website of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, J&K-Pari Mahal". Smcsite.org. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Pari Mahal - Srinagar". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ "Bollywood and Kashmir". India Today. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
Further reading edit
- 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.
External links edit
