Step Outside: Shalimar Gardens

The Shalimar Gardens (شالامار باغ‎), are a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The gardens date to 1642, the political and cultural height of the Mughal Empire.

The Gardens were laid out as a Charbagh, a style of Persian paradise garden laid in a strict grid, designed to emulate the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Qur'an.

As the gardens were built for the entertainment of the royals and their guests, the gardens are surrounded by walls. These also provide shade, and cut off the noise and distractions of the city beyond.

A key feature of a Charbagh is the presence of water. To provide Shalimar with the quantity of water necessary, canals nearly 100 miles long were dug from the foothills of Kashmir. The pools this water fills seem almost endless.

This central area of the gardens was known as the Bagh-e-Faiz Baksh (Bestower of Goodness) and reserved for the Emperor himself. The water features here are the most elaborate of any Mughal garden. There are here alone 152 fountains.

The garden north of the Emperor's section was reserved for nobles. Very occasionally, the public were allowed to enter. South of Emperor's section was reserved exclusively for his harem.

The Shalimar gardens contain many varieties of fruit trees, including apricots, mangoes, peach, plum, quince, and pomegranate. The effect is of an abundant paradise on Earth, where humans and nature live in perfect harmony.