Pari Mahal or Peer Mahal, also known as The Palace of Fairies, is a seven-terraced Mughal garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range, overlooking the city of Srinagar and the south-west of Dal Lake in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, featuring arched doorways, terraced gardens, and intricate water channels.
History
The Pari Mahal (Peer Mahal), or Palace of Fairies,[1] was built for Haano and Maano and residence for Haano’s prince Maano in the mid 1600s by Dara Shikoh.[2] Dara Shikoh was said to have lived in this area in the years 1640, 1645, and 1654. It was also used as an observatory, and for teaching astrology and astronomy.[3] The gardens have since become the property of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.[4]
The Pari Mahal has also been used as a top-secret interrogation centre and as a base for high-level bureaucrats.[1] In recent times, the location has been used to film several movies including film Lamhaa.[5]
