Chashme Shahi, Srinagar - Timings, Entry Fee, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 8 km from Srinagar Bus Station, Chashme Shahi is a beautiful Mughal garden located in Srinagar. Situated near Raj Bhawan, it is one of the three Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, and among the Srinagar tourist places.

Located in the Zabarwan range & overlooking the Dal Lake, Chashme Shahi was built in 1632 AD by the Mughal Governor Ali Mardan Khan on the orders of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his eldest son Dara Shikoh. The garden is built around a freshwater spring that was unearthed by Rupa Bhawani, a renowned female Kashmiri saint from the Sahib clan of Kashmiri Pandits, and the garden was named Chashme Sahibi after the saint. Later, the name got corrupted and today the garden is known as Chashme Shahi which means the Royal Spring.

With 108 m long and 38 m wide, the garden is spread over an acre of land and is considered the smallest garden among the three Mughal gardens of Srinagar, the other two being the Shalimar Garden (largest) and Nishat Garden (second largest). Also known as Chashme-i-Shahi, this artistically build Mughal garden has Iranian influence in its art and architecture and the design is based on the Persian gardens. It is a three-terraced garden dotted with walkways, colorful plants, and pools of water.

The main highlight of the garden is the spring which flows down in terraces and is divided into three sections - an aqueduct, waterfall, and fountains. A two-storey Kashmiri hut stands on the first terrace which is the origin of the spring. The water then flows down through a water ramp (chadar) into the second terrace that serves as a water pool with a large fountain in its center. Then, the water again flows down into the third terrace, which is a square five-fountain pool. Visitors need to climb a flight of stairs on both sides of the terraces which lead up to the origin of the spring. Tourists visit this attraction to drink water from the spring which is said to have medicinal properties.

The garden remains open for tourists from March to November. The best time to visit the garden is from May to June when the garden is in full bloom.

Timings: 8 AM - 7 PM from Monday - Saturday, & 2 PM - 9 PM on Sunday

Entry: Rs. 20 for Person