Lahore Shalamar Bagh , Shah Jahan’s Paradise: Discovering History, Pavilions and Three Terraces with Complete Guide

Introduction

Vast Gardens built during Mughal era to serve the Royalty. Built by Shah Jahan in 1641 and is a mix of fountains, pavilions and three terraces leveled from high to low. Three terraces you shall pass through, of the Bestowed of Pleasure, the Bestowed of Goodness, and the Bestowed of Life. It is a World Heritage site of UNESCO. Lahore Shalamar Bagh is a perfect esthetic for photography lovers and peaceful environment for the people who are seeking peace and nature.

 This article is completely about visiting Shalamar Bagh weather if you are a traveler, content creator or photography lover seeking for aesthetic and that dreamy vibe. Visiting Shalamar Bagh will probably be your best experience.

Location

Shalimar Bagh Lahore is located on AH1, Grand Trunk (GT) Rd, Shalimar Town, Lahore. Here is Google Map Location, Just 20 min distance from Joyland Amusement Park, Fortress Stadium. About 25 to 30 min from Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park and 25 to 30 min from Wagah Border Lahore. But the time can vary depending on traffic.

History

The Shalamar Bagh was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the same emperor behind the construction of one of the seven wonders, Taj Mahal, Delhi. The construction of this garden started in 1641 and ordered his architect and workers to construct a royal garden in Lahore.

The construction took nonstop work of more than a year building royal pavilions, fountains and the three terraces. During 18^th century, under Sikh control the white marble of pavilions were sent to Lahore Fort for decoration and the garden structures got damaged. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Architecture

Shalimar Bagh main architectural marvel is the geometry. The pathways, water channels and fountains are in perfect geometry with one another providing a gorgeous scene for video shooting. The pathways and high walls are constructed using the red brick providing good contrast with nearby greenery and making the environment warm. Shah Jahan used white marble to construct the pavilions and waterfalls in the Garden. Some areas were reserved for the emperor seating.

Fountains and Pavilion Structure

• Fountains: The whole garden is lively because there are 410 fountains that are divided across the three terraces with perfect symmetry and alignment. There are 105 on the upper, 152 on the middle, and 153 on the lower terrace.The fountains work on a mechanism based on and it is a 400-year-old mechanism where water is pushed through clay pipes and this creates enough pressure to make the water reach a high level.
• Pavilion Structure: One pavilion is named after two monsoon rain months, The Sawan Bhadon pavilion, offering a sitting area for the emperor to feel the thunder and dripping of rain water. Sawan Bhadon waterfall is also located there and the sound mimics the sound of rain. The Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam pavilion is another pavilion located inside Shalamar Garden and in center of middle terrace. This pavilion served a hall for emperor public and private audience. It has craved pillars with arches which frames the fountains.

Three Terraces of Lahore Shalamar Bagh

Upper Terrace

The upper terrace is named as Farah Baksh (The Bestower of Pleasure) and only the emperor, royals and some trusted persons had access to it and it is the private terrace of emperor. It has 105 fountains with trees aligned along the walking pathways.

Middle Terrace:

It is named as Faiz Baksh (The Bestower of Goodness) and is featured with 152 fountains with a massive central pool. It is the area where the pavilions are located. There host guests and musicians by emperor.

Lower Terrace

This terrace named as Hayat Baksh (The Bestower of Life) served as public area for all types of people. It is filled with greenery and does not have any noble structures. It has 153 fountains and trees of mango, plum apple and almonds.

Chandni Raatein Night Tour

This is a night show that highlights that how the Garden illuminates at night showing another side of Garden except the daytime beauty. The pavilions and fountains are lighten up creating a arm, lovely and romantic environment.

 A classical music is played and make the environment lively and they will tell you the Mughal history by telling and acting. This show is held every Saturday night, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, making the history live again.

Entry and Ticket

The entry fee for Shalamar Bagh is not expensive and different for locals and foreign tourists.

• Locals would pay about 20 to 50 PKR per person.
• Foreign tourists would pay 400 to 500 PKR per person.
• The special Chandni Raatein Night Tour requires 3000 PKR per person and advance booking on Walled City of Lahore Authority.

Timings

Lahore Shalamar Bagh remain open the whole week from Monday to Sunday and the timings Shalimar Garden is from 8:00 AM in the morning to 6:00 PM in the evening. And the timing for Chandni Raatein Night Tour is from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at night on Saturday.

Accessibility

The Shalimar Gardens is easily accessible as it is located on Grand Trunk (GT) Road and you can reach it by public or private transportation easily.

Public Transport

You can use Orange Line Train and Speedo Bus which is comfortable and travels from Ali Town near Thokar Niaz Baig to Dera Gujran, but it does not have any station in residential areas like DHA, Bahria Town and Cantt and other. So, if you are taking the orange line train, get off on Shalamar Bagh Station and walk to the Garden by yourself. If you do not have direct access to orange line, you can get a local rickshaw or bus and aim for the nearest orange line station and then reach your destination. If your visiting in Shalimar Garden after shopping from Packages Mall or Emporium Mall, this place is also best for relaxing and refreshing your mind

Private Transport

You can use your own vehicle and Google Maps are also here for you if you are not familiar with the route. Or you can book an online ride like Careem, InDrive and Yango to get there without any problem.

Tips for Visitors

• If you visit Shalimar Garden, make up your mind to spend 2 to 4 hours for completely exploring the Garden.
• It you are a content creator, bring light weight camera and phone because heavy photography tools can cause problem.
• Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated because you are going to walk a lot.
• You can bring homemade food to the Garden because the canteen food can sometime be not suitable to eat. And maybe the canteen will be closed or not there.
• Wear comfortable shoes because the Garden is a massive area and you will suffer from walking, so comfortable shoes will help a lot.
• Bring cash with yourself because at places like this, they will take cash rather than online payment. So, it could help you.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Shalamar Bagh is depend on you what do you want in this place. You can explore many historical places in Lahore like, Badshah-e-Mosque, Shahi Qila, Minar-e-Pakistan, Wazir Khan Mosque and Bagh-e-Jinnah, and Lahore zoo to see animals and beauty of the zoo it is not an historical places but this place is best for family and children. But Shalamar Garden is also best for its history and its beauty.

Season

The best to visit Shalimar Garden is November to March are the best because of cool and comfortable atmosphere. The temperature is 11°C to 27°C and you can easily explore every corner of the Garden as it is massive. Avoid peak summer because the temperature can be high and exhausting.

Best Time of Day

Early morning can be great because you can avoid heavy crowds and also the atmosphere is pleasant and provides a soft light for photography. However, late afternoon can also be the best because of the golden hour photography. But if you want to visit and explore complete Garden, aim for arriving early in the morning.

Weekdays

Weekends are not recommended due to heavy amount of people as this is their day off. Weekdays are best to avoid high foot traffic and an exhaustion free experience. But as it is a garden and open area, maybe you do not face exhaustion.

Conclusion

At the end, visiting Lahore Shalamar Bagh can be a best experience. It is full of beauty and history where you can find Shah Jahan pavilions and waterfall. Visiting the three terraces allows you to imagine the gradient between the statuses of people at that time.

 Chandni Raatein Tour creates a lively environment and brings history back to life for some moments. In easy words, if you want to discover history, Mughal royality and beauty at the same time, Shalamar Garden is the best choice for you. If you visitd Shalimar Garden, what did you like the most? Let us know in the comments!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)