Nishat Bagh, or the garden of Gladness, is the most easily reached from Srinagar, and a shikararide through the lotus blossoms of the Dal Lake and underneath the high-arched bridge of the Satu causeway, brings one to the landing-place just outside the small entrances set in the gardens imposing wall. Nishat has ten terraces some of which are of considerable elevation. It was constructed by Asaf Jah, the brother of Jehangir's queen, and a person who because of this connection, suppported by his intrinsic ability, rose to a position of great influence in the royal court. Nishat is the best preserved of the gardens, and its immense chenars and-in proportion- its immense tulips, are its noteworthy features.From its commanding position it has a splendid view across the lake, and in summer one can see throughout the day a continous stream of shikaras converging on it.
Nishat originally stretched down to the lake, and to appreciate its origibal splendor, it has to be remembered that its lawns terminated in the clear waters of the Dal. But modern times have demanded, reasonably enough, the construction of a good road to link up the northern side of the Dal Lake with the capital. Across the proposed route of the road stretched the great length of the Nishat Bagh. To circumvent the garden would have meant an awkward and arduous detour round the hillside. So Nishat lost its lower terraces, sacrificed to the demands of modern convenience. Now its wall stands near the water, yet cutting the garden off and giving it an isolation and land-locked character that for centuries it did not possess. The lost ground constituted a link that increased the attractiveness of the garden many fold, and the combination of the series of terraces with the lake and its lotus blossom must have made up a diversity and perfection that the present garden, beautiful though it is, cannot attain.
Source: Kashmir- An Historical Introduction by James P. Ferguson
Nishat originally stretched down to the lake, and to appreciate its origibal splendor, it has to be remembered that its lawns terminated in the clear waters of the Dal. But modern times have demanded, reasonably enough, the construction of a good road to link up the northern side of the Dal Lake with the capital. Across the proposed route of the road stretched the great length of the Nishat Bagh. To circumvent the garden would have meant an awkward and arduous detour round the hillside. So Nishat lost its lower terraces, sacrificed to the demands of modern convenience. Now its wall stands near the water, yet cutting the garden off and giving it an isolation and land-locked character that for centuries it did not possess. The lost ground constituted a link that increased the attractiveness of the garden many fold, and the combination of the series of terraces with the lake and its lotus blossom must have made up a diversity and perfection that the present garden, beautiful though it is, cannot attain.
Source: Kashmir- An Historical Introduction by James P. Ferguson
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