The Shalimar Bagh was constructed in 1653 by Izz-un-Nissa Begum, wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, as a tribute to the Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir. The garden bears witness to key events in India’s history, including Aurangzeb’s enthronement in 1658 and Nadir Shah’s encampment in 1738, during his invasion of Delhi. Later absorbed into British estates, the site, features remnants of colonial-era constructions, many of which have since fallen into ruin. Presently, only the Sheesh Mahal, complex and a few formerly dilapidated structures now restored remain.
The garden is quite well maintained and is lush green during the rains. Peacocks can be seen roaming around. Well maintained pathways are there for walking
This is one of the few gardens in Delhi where the focus has been on trees and not on artificially made lawns. Not many ornamental trees can be seen. Some of the fruit trees are at least 100 years old here
Some buildings like Sheesh Mahal has been recently restored. Two other Mughal era dilapidated builds have been restored and repurposed as Readers cafe and Shalimar cafe. I will cover them in subsequent posts
The Park is generally open from 6 am till 7 pm. Entry is free. Apart from the nice cafe there are several other amenities for visitors like Clean well maintained restrooms, benches and wheel chairs.
Unfortunately the cover image of the place on Google maps does not do justice to the splendour of the place.
