The kids squealed. As they threw dough balls into the spring waters, the carp sprang up to snap it up. The spring waters were a Maldivian turquoise and clear as crystal.
Our visit to Verinag Springs in Kashmir in November 2011 was quite a thrill. It was a great place for the kids to witness how a river originates.
The origin of the Jhelum river, these ever-flowing springs were built by the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1620 A.D. The Mughal Arcade and gardens around the spring were built later by his son, Shah Jahan.
Today the springs and the Mughal Arcade around it are recognized as a Monument of National Importance. The name of the springs, Verinag, arose because the nearby town was known as Vér. Nag is the local name for a spring.
Before Emperor Jahangir decided to build a spring here, it was just a pond of water that formed a marsh. Always eager to improve on the beauty of Nature, the Emperor built the octagonal tank of sculpted stones using carvers from Iran, and – because that’s what Mughal emperors do – created a garden around it.
The Mughal gardens were built as an adaptation of the traditional Persian Charbagh (four gardens), which takes its inspiration from the Quranic description of heaven as having four rivers, of wine, honey, milk, and water.
From the entrances, a walkway takes the visitor towards the octagonal pool, which is approached through a colonnade.
This colonnade, composed of 24 arches, surrounds the pool, whose water comes from the spring deep below. The water exits from the pool into the 300-yard main axial water canal, which then flows down to the Bihat river.
Vernag is located on a steep hillside, with its water source at the top. The traditional Charbagh design had to be altered to fit the site’s topography, as the source of water shifted from the traditional centre of the square garden to the highest point of the garden.
His son Shah Jahan, constructed the cascades and aqueducts laid in straight lines through the garden. Little trace remains of the hot and cold baths he built to the east of the garden, or of the pavilions that once decorated the area.
On the stone slabs built into the walls surrounding the spring are carvings in Persian that describe how the source of the underwater spring is contained without revealing its architecture. The construction date is also inscribed on a stone slab built into the southern wall of the spring.
The structure is also a sacred place for Hindus as there is a shivling, built in honour of Lord Shiva, in one of the arches.
How to get to Verinag Springs
There are two ways to get to the springs:
- You can take a bus from Srinagar to Anantnag and then by taxi to Verinag.
- You can come the way we came, by car from Srinagar to Verinag via Kokernag, Achhabal Mughal garden and the Martand Sun Temple.
If you’re not pressed for time, the second route is preferable as it has much more to see along the way. Check out the video of our visit to Verinag springs below.
Also read:
- How My Kashmir Trip Went from Disastrous to Delightful
- Kokernag Botanical Gardens, Kashmir: Straight Out Of A Monet Painting
- Kashmir’s Martand Sun Temple: Intriguing Ruins Of A Lost Dynasty
- Pahalgam: Kashmir’s Picture-Perfect Paradise Town
All images are © Priya Florence Shah unless otherwise mentioned.
This is really interesting! Sometimes we come and snap a few pictures at a place, then move on. I appreciate the history and background behind the springs. Of course emperors build gardens! 🙂
Mughal Emperors especially built these ornate and beautiful gardens that they could roam in with their many wives. 🙂
I really want to visit Kashmir one day; it always looks so beautiful. This place is clearly no exception – lovely!
Definitely worth a visit, Lucy.
Maldivian is right Priya. Eye popping my friend. I had no idea such colored water existed in Kashmir. Or that far away from tropical paradises. Talk about clean and pristine, eh? Good to see the carp are eating well too 🙂
Ryan
Kashmir is quite a paradise, Ryan. A troubled paradise, sadly. But tourism is still thriving despite all the problems there.
Enjoyed reading all the history behind those Mugul gardens. Surely, this garden looks very pretty.
Glad you liked it, Binny.
Wow! Such a great recap and I love the historical details you provided as well, great insight!
Glad you enjoyed the read, Nancy.
Very interesting post! I really want to visit Kashmir one day – maybe one sunny day I’ll manage it! Thanks for all the tips, they were very useful 🙂
Glad you found it useful.
Oh Kashmir, my love. I wish to visit one more time. There is so much to see. Thanks for sharing this.
Where did you stay when you went, Anshul?
Wow, such an interesting spot. I was not aware of this place in Kashmir. Such an important site it seems now. Great pictures. Thanks for the share. Enjoyed reading it plus the video work was great.
Thank you, Shreya.
I didn’t know that the verinag springs are the origin of Jhelum River. It is interesting to read the history behind it and seems like a great place to visit with family, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Medha. Yes, it was a very interesting place to visit and the kids had fun feeding the carp. Put it on your itinerary if you visit Kashmir.
It wonders to know about this amazing thing about Kashmir, The blue crystal water and the structure of the Mughal garden is the great attraction for all the traveler. You capture some wonderful views of this place. I love to visit historical places, this is one of the best historical places. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.
So glad it inspired you, Alonso.
Thanks for exploring verinag.i really feel proud for being a citizen of verinag.next t Allah gave me the opportunity for constructing the main channel flowing through the garden .
How wonderful to know that, Abdul. I am honoured to meet you.