The Raj-era Mughal Gardens in the Rashtrapati Bhavan continue to remain the best of their kind and as such the showpiece of the art of gardening as it flowered in the medieval days. But what about the many baghs laid by the great Mughals themselves? The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) plan to restore four of them in Delhi, though much delayed, has nevertheless come as a welcome initiative. Among these, it’s worth repeating, Qudsia Bagh, Shalimar Bagh and Roshanara Garden deserve special mention. Qudsia Bagh was laid by Qudsia Begum, wife of Mohammad Shah Rangila and mother of Ahmed Shah. The garden laid by Qudsia Begum was on the Jamuna bank and was supposed to be the best in Delhi at that time as it included the remnants of Jahanara’s garden at Tis Hazari.
Shalimar Bagh in west Delhi, where a colony of that name has now sprung up, was laid by Bibi Akbarabadi, one of the wives of Shah Jahan, and was also known as Aizzabad, after her name (Aziz-un-Nissa Begum). This garden was laid in imitation of the famous one in Kashmir and was no less resplendent. The main showpiece of the garden is Sheesh Mahal where Aurangzeb was crowned emperor on July 31, 1658. During the First War of Independence in 1857 Shalimar Bagh was the scene of a battle between the British troops and the sepoys, aided by the residents of Shalimar village. The bagh is now a desolate place though part of it still has majestic trees and shady bushes. Roshanara Bagh was laid by Shah Jahan’s younger daughter, Roshanara Begum, whose tomb is situated in it. The Japanese-style garden added to it has also lost its charm. If the ASI plan materializes all these gardens may well become the cynosure of Delhi’s landscape again. Though Roshanara Bagh survives, the Tis Hazari gardens laid by her elder sister, Jahanara, no longer exists. However, part of her Begum Bagh near Chandni Chowk survives as Gandhi Park. The gardens inside the Red Fort have disappeared unfortunately, but Hayat Baksh, linked to the famous Garden of Iran, survives. Examples of the Mughal gardening heritage are to be found in the Mughal gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which were earlier known as the Viceregal gardens, with more than 90 gardeners working on their upkeep prior to World War II, with cannas and aureolas occupying pride of place. Gordon Sanderson, Superintendent of the ASI, did much to beautify these gardens and later President Zakir Hussain added a rosary, with a collection of rare plants from the world over. These gardens are opened to public every year in March. Talkatora Bagh is another garden where once a lake or tal existed. This garden originally shaped like a katora or cup, is still the venue for youth and folk dance festivals.
The garden tomb of Humayun, the first Mughal Emperor to be buried in India, is the first great architectural monument of the Mughals whose design was adopted eighty years later for the Taj Mahal. The garden of this tomb has preserved its original design, as has fortunately been in the case of the tomb of Safdarjang and probably the Red Fort too. But the Mubarak Bagh on the Grand Trunk has disappeared, along with the Mehtab Bagh.
In recent years some fancy gardens have come up in Delhi. The Garden of Five Senses is a park spread over 20 acres in Saidul Ajaib village, opposite Saket. The park was developed by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, at a cost of Rs. 10.5 crore, over a period of three years and opened in February 2003. Partly built over a rocky terrain, the garden has various theme areas, including a section on the lines of Mughal Gardens, plus pools of water lilies, bamboo courts, herb gardens and solar energy park.
Buddha Jayanti Park commemorates the 2,500th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, and is situated on the Delhi Ridge “with a seated Buddha statue, installed on an island in the waterway system and placed on a square platform surrounded by a circular stone fence and a circumambulatory path, called Parikrama”.
Deer Park in South Delhi comprises many subsections such as Duck Park, Picnic Sports, Rabbit Enclosures etc. The park has tombs of Mughal era and is accessible from Safdarjung Enclave and Green Park. The Deer Park, along with the connected District Park and adjacent Rose Garden are collectively called “the lungs of Delhi”. It is called Deer Park because it has a large number of deer. The Aravali Biodiversity Park spreads over 692 acres on the South Central Delhi Ridge within the Aravali Range. In it planting of native species like dhau, babul, kair, and dhak has been carried out. A rangeland with native grasses has been developed. A conservatory of butterflies, orchidarium and fernery has also been developed in the park.
The author is a veteran chronicler of Delhi
