kashmir trip 2011 part 7 Day visit to Mugal gardens and market

Day 8 5/11/11

Today we have kept for local sightseeing and market . first we started with Shankaracharya temple


The Shankaracharya temple is situated in the Srinagar district on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. It is housed at a height of 1100 ft. above surface level of the main city on the hill. It is believed that Raja Gopadatya got the temple constructed in 371 BC, giving it the name of Gopadri. The great philosopher Shankaracharya is supposed to have stayed here when he visited Kashmir to revive Sanatan Dharma. This incident, which took place ten centuries ago, led to the renaming of the temple as the Shankracharya temple.

The Shankracharya Mandir of Kashmir, India is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is thought to be the oldest shrine in the Kashmir valley. The temple, as it stands today, has undergone many repairs throughout its life. The first repair is supposed to have been done under the rule of Lalitaditya. The second repairs were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in an earthquake. These repairs were carried out during the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the passage to the shrine. The electrification of the Shankracharya temple was done in 1925.

The temple is of great importance, not only from the point of view of religion, but also from architectural viewpoint. A high octagonal platform supports the temple, approached by a flight of approximately hundred steps. The sidewalls of the steps once bore some valuable inscriptions. There is also a Persian inscription inside the temple, dating back to Emperor Shahjahan's rule. The main surviving shrine, consisting of a circular cell, provides a magnificent view of the valley below. The inner chamber of the Shankaracharya temple, after being repaired, is now covered with a modern ceiling.

Next destination was Parimahal and Chashmeshai .and then Nishant Garden .

Cheshmashahi is the first Mughal Garden you will pass after Nehru Park. Built at a height above the city , its views are as stupendous as its layout. The smallest of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Cheshmashahi has only three terraces in addition to a natural spring of water enclosed in a stone pavilion.

Pari Mahal, Initially a garden built by Dara Shikoh for his sufi teacher, Mulla Shah, and decorated with several springs that have dried up, the Pari Mahal gardens are now proudly maintained by the state government. Built around a small spring, they house exotic flowering plants laid out in terraces surmounted by the ruined arches of a once beautiful building. Pari Mahal is illuminated at night, and can be seen, located on the on the spur of a hill, most places in Srinagar.

Nishat, built by Empress Nur Jahan's brother Asaf Khan. The largest of the gardens, Nishat has seven terraces. These terraces rise dramatically off the maountains from the eastern part of the lake, and these together with the flower-beds, a riot of brilliant colors, present an unforgettable sight