Nishat Bagh, Srinagar

Objects Place

نشاط باغ (سرينغار)

Srinagar

The largest and steepest of the Lake Dal gardens in Kashmir, attributed to Asaf Khan, Nur Jahan's brother, c. 1625, originally laid out in twelve terraces 1 2.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Gunpowder Empires
Region
South Asia

In time

1610162016301640
The Gunpowder Empires

ArchitectureWater and animals

Overview

The Nishat Bagh lies on Lake Dal near the Shalimar Bagh. Brookes attributes it to Asaf Khan, Jahangir's brother-in-law and the elder brother of Nur Jahan, says it was supposedly built in 1625, and calls it the largest and most spectacular of the lake gardens. 3 1 2

Layout

It was not a royal garden, so it has fewer pavilions. It is tucked further into the mountain and climbs more steeply, so the water runs faster and the cascades are larger. There were originally twelve terraces, one for each sign of the zodiac, a number since reduced by the road that crosses it. A wide canal punctuated by fountains runs its length, with a cascade or chadar at each change of level. 1 4 The final zenana terrace is held up by an arched wall six metres high between balconied pavilions, and stone or marble thrones are set across the watercourses. 4 5

Connections

Explore the connections

Located in
Srinagar
Exemplifies
Chaharbagh (four-part garden)

People and things also explored

Chashma Shahi, Srinagar· Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar· Achabal garden, Kashmir· Bagh-i Vafa, Kabul· Ram Bagh (Aram Bagh), Agra· Verinag garden, Kashmir· Chadar (textured water chute)· Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens

Sources

  1. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens (London, 1987) , p.143
  2. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens (London, 1987) , p.145
  3. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens (London, 1987) , p.139
  4. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens (London, 1987) , p.144
  5. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise: The History and Design of the Great Islamic Gardens (London, 1987) , p.146
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Nishat Bagh, Srinagar”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/nishat-bagh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-04.

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Related

Chashma Shahi, Srinagar

A small hillside garden above Lake Dal built round a famous spring in 1632 and attributed to Shah Jahan, its water descending over three levels.