158 GARDENS OF THE DAL LAKE 



the gardens are in ruins. Only a few sportsmen, 

 or hardy tourists, venture their boats up the 

 narrow canal, and anchor in the shadow of 

 the old chenars. Fashion sets away elsewhere, 

 toward the English hill stations, with their small 

 log huts perched high up on the mountain sides. 

 But the Mughals, with their love of scenery 

 and genius for garden - building, rarely chose a 

 better site than the shores of this loveliest and 

 loneliest of all the Kashmir lakes. 



Akbar was the first Emperor to enter Kashmir. 

 He built the fort at Srinagar called Hari Pabat 

 (the Green Hill), and planned a large garden not 

 far away on the shores of the Dal, that beautiful 

 lake which lies between the city and the mountain 

 amphitheatre to the north of Srinagar. The 

 Nisim Bagh, Akbar's garden, stands in a fine 

 open position well raised above the lake; and 

 takes its name from the cool breezes that blow 

 all day long under its trees. The walls, canals, 

 and fountains have disappeared ; and the avenues 

 of magnificent chenars with which it is closely 

 planted must have been added long after the 

 garden was laid out, if 'Ali Mardan Khan 

 was the first to introduce these trees into the 

 country. Fully grown they resemble heavy- 



