Nishat Bagh

Nishat Bagh (lit. 'Garden of Joy' or 'Garden of Delight') is a terraced Mughal garden built on the eastern bank of the Dal Lake, close to Srinagar in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the second-largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley after Shalimar Bagh. == History == The garden is located on the bank of Dal Lake, with the Zabarwan Range as its backdrop, and views of the lake beneath the Pir Panjal Range. The Bagh was designed and built in 1633 by Asif Khan, the elder brother of Nur Jahan. The name 'Nishat Bagh' is derived from Urdu, meaning "Garden of Joy". An anecdote is told of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan being in awe on beholding such a delightful garden. When Shah Jahan saw the garden after its completion in 1633, he expressed great appreciation of its grandeur and beauty. He is reported to have expressed his delight thrice to Asif Khan, his father-in-law, in the hope that Asif Khan would gift the gardens to him. As no such offer was forthcoming from Asif Khan, however, Shah Jahan was piqued and ordered the water supply to the garden to be cut off. The garden was then left deserted for a time.