Pari Mahal

Srinagar witnesses a large number of tourists throughout the year. From all over the world travelers consider this beautiful valley as a paradise. The sightseeing in the Srinagar is an incredible experience. There are beautiful lakes, charming sceneries, ancient monuments that add to the beauty of this place. Out of all the monuments in Srinagar, Pari Mahal which was a royal observatory in the former times has a special significance among the tourists. Pari Mahal is located at 5 minutes’ drive from Cheshma Shahi, the smallest Mughal Garden in Srinagar.

Pari Mahal, literally meaning The Fairies’ Abode is a beautiful seven terraced garden that overlooks the striking city of Srinagar from the top of the Zabarwan mountain range. The garden is located towards the South-west of the famous Dal Lake. Pari Mahal belongs to the Mughal period hence its architecture portrays the beautiful Islamic architecture that was one of the patronages during the rule of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

The architecture of the garden includes a small spring, surrounded by outlandish flowers and ornamental plants arranged out in terraces vanquished by the remains of the exquisite building. The monument is lightened during the night and the magnificent view of the illumed building at the top of the hill can be viewed from most of the places in Srinagar. This splendid monument reveals the grandeur of the taste of the Mughal emperors. The ruins of the building still showcase the rich history of the Mughal period. Nonetheless it is one of the most to visit places in Srinagar.

Pari Mahal also known as the ‘House of Fairies’, is also popularly called as ‘Quntilon’.Located at a distance of ten kilometers from the city Centre, the building has a beautiful lawn with a spring in between. The sight had some ruins of a Budhist Monastery before mid-1600s. Later the Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh established this beautiful architecture at the same sight.

History
On the remains of a Buddhist monastery, this garden was established in the mid-1600s by the Dara-Shikoh who was the son of the Great Mughal Emperor Shah-Jahan. This garden was built by Dara following the orders Sufi Islam. He built it for his tutor and later it was used as an observatory for teaching astronomy and astrology.