Chashme Shahi
Chashme Shahi (translation: the royal spring), also called Chashma Shahi, is one of the Mughal gardens built in 1632 AD around aspiring by Ali Mardan Khan, a governor of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as per the orders of Mughal Emperor Sha Jahan to gift his elder son Prince Dara Shikoh, The garden is located in the Zabarwan Range, near Raj Bhavan (Governor's house) overlooking Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Chashme Shahi originally derives its name from the spring which was discovered by the great female saint of Kashmir, Rupa Bhawani, who was from the Sahib clan of Kashmiri Pandits. The family name of Rupa Bhawani was 'Sahib' and the spring was originally called 'Chashme Sahiba'. Over the years, the name got corrupted and today the place is known as Chashme Shahi (the Royal Spring).
The garden was constructed around the spring by the Mughal Governor Ali Mardan Khan in 1632. It was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his eldest son, Dara Sikoh. In the east of Chashma Shahi, the Pari Mahal (Fairy Palace) lies where Dara Sikoh used to learn astrology and where he was later killed by his brother Aurangzeb. The garden is 108 m long and 38 m wide and is spread over one acre of land. It is the smallest garden among the three Mughal gardens of Srinagar; the Shalimar garden is the largest and the Nishat garden is the second largest. All the three gardens were built on the left bank of the Dal Lake, with Zabarwan mountains at the backdrop.
