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Photo: Vinay Parepalli, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pari Mahal, literally meaning the palace of the fairies, is a seven terraced garden located at the southeast corner of Dal Lake. The garden was constructed by Dara Sukho, elder brother of Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals. It was constructed in the mid 17th century. The uppermost terrace contains two baradari-styled structures and a reservoir. The walls consists of arched gateways and there are several other structures in the compound.
Pari Mahal is a seven-terraced Mughal garden built on the top of the Zabarwan mountain range. It overlooks the city of Srinagar and the south-west of Dal Lake in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This garden is a fine example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, featuring arched doorways, terraced gardens, and intricate water channels. The garden is a popular tourist destination and also provides a view of Dal Lake and the city below.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Chashme Shahi is the smallest of the three Mughal gardens of Srinagar, but in spite of its small size, the garden has its share of elegance. Cheshma Shahi (or Royal Spring) derives its name from a water source, a spring located at the uppermost terrace of the Garden. The water of the spring is said to possess some curative properties, especially for stomach ailments. The triple terrace garden is located on the southeastern edge of Dal Lake and offers a great view of the lake area and the Jhelum River valley. The garden was constructed by Ali Mardan Khan, governor of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 – 33.
Nehru Garden
A well-maintained park with lake by Dept of Floriculture with organised parking lot next to the park. The park occupies a large area and has a beverage shop run by the J&K Tourism department. They serve hot and flavoured "Kahva", a traditional drink of Kashmir. A cup costs ₹25. The nearby Tulip Park only has seasonal access. There is adequate parking adjacent to the park.
Located on the eastern side of the Dal Lake, the Tulip Garden covers an area of 30 ha (74 acres) and is the largest tulip garden of Asia. It is located at the foothill of Zabarwan Range and overlooks the Dal lake. The garden was opened in 2007 with the aim of promoting floriculture tourism. It used to be known as Siraj Bagh. The garden is home to 65 varieties of tulip along with several other plants including daffodils, hyacinth and ranunculus. During its opening about 1.5 million bulbs of Tulip were flown in from Amsterdam. The Tulip Garden is also the venue for the Tulip Festival which happens every year in the month of April.
The musical fountain along with laser show was inaugurated in April 2019. It runs three times a day after 7 pm and consists of a 15-minute show. Apart from the musical fountain the show also depicts the history of Kashmir through a laser show.
Rupa Lank, literally meaning silver island, is in the Dod Dal (central area of Dal Lake). The man-made island was constructed by Murad Baksh, brother of the last Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. The island consists of four giant chinar trees in the four corners and the entire island consists of manicured lawns and paved pathways. There is a small house boat restaurant next to the island.