Vernag

Vernag (also spelled Verinag or Varnag) is a water garden built for the Mughal emperor Jahangir, situated approximately 78 kilometeres south-east from Srinagar, in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The garden was built around a natural spring of pre-Islamic religious significance. The water is collected in a pool surrounded by arched recesses, and then flows down a 300-yard canal to the Bihat river. Jahangir wished to be buried at Vernag gardens, but his wife, Nur Jahan, disobeyed his wishes. Today nothing remains of the pavilions which once decorated the area. According to a legend goddess Vitasta(Jhelum) wanted to take rise from this place, but it happened that when she came, Shiva was staying here, whereupon she had to go back and then she took her rise from Veravurthur, a spring about a mile to the north-west of this place. Virah in Sanskrit means to 'go back' and 'nag' means a water spring and, as Vitasta had to go back from this place, it came to be called Virahnag or "Vernag".

History

The spring at Vernag was originally an irregular and shapeless pond, and water, oozing out from different places in it and spread about and formed a little marsh.The emperor Jahangir, whose artistic taste for polishing the beauty of nature is well known, saw this and at once determined to improve it. He built the octagonal tank of sculptured stones round it, so that all water was collected therein. The construction of water garden and the octagonal tank around the spring at Vernag was completed in the year 1620 A.D. or 1029 Hijra during the 15th year of the Jahangir's reign. Seven years later, Jahangir's son Shah Jahan, who was no less a lover of natural beauty, constructed cascades and aqueducts in straight lines through and around the fine garden which he, in order to enhance further the beauty of the place laid out in front of the spring. He also built hot and cold baths to the east of this garden, just outside of it, of which little trace is now left. The spring is the main source of the mighty river Jhelum. The water contained in an octagonal spring has crystal blue water in which a variety of big fishes live. History and the carvings on stones in Persian on the walls surrounding the spring tell about how this great source of underwater spring is contained without revealing its architecture.

The spring is at the exact centre almost 50 feet (as the locals tell about the depth) under water from where the water continuously comes up and flows into the gardens facing the spring. It is also a sacred place for Hindus as there is a Lord Shiva shivling in one of the arcs (the very first on the left of the entry of the spring). The historical garden also has an old temple with some ancient idols of Hindu goddesses.

Some 2 km away is Veravurthur, supposed to be the source of the Jhelum. The waters of the many nearby springs, called collectively, Sapta Rishi, have their confluence at Sangam, where people bathe on festival days. The birth of the river is celebrated annually with a fair.

Stone slabs

Stone slab on southern wall

There are two stone slabs built into the western and southern walls of the spring, on which prose in Persian language, in praise of the spring, and the dates of construction of the tank and aqueduct, are inscribed. The translation of prose in Persian language written on stone slab built into the southern wall of spring is as follows:-

The king of seven kingdoms, the administrator
of justice, the father of victory, Nur-ud-din, Jahangir
son of Akbar, the martyr king, halted at this spring
of God's grace in the 15th year of his reign. This
construction was made by order of His Majesty.
By Jahangir, son of King Akbar,
This construction was raised to the skies.
The architect of intelligence got its date---
'May the mansion last for ever together with
the spring Vernag!' (1029 Hijra)

Stone slab on western wall

The translation of prose in Persian language written on stone slab built into the western wall of spring is as follows:-

   Haidar, by order of Shah Jahan, the paramount
lord of his age----
   God be praised---made the cascade and aqueduct
flow.
   This aqueduct reminds one of the aqueduct of
paradise.
   By this cascade Kashmir attained glory
   The unseen Angel declared the date of
aqueduct:-
'The aqueduct has issued from the heavenly
spring' (1037 Hijra.)

Gallery

• 
  Verinag Water Spring
• 
  Water canal
• 
  Verinag Mughal Garden
• 
  Verinag Water Spring
• 
  Verinag Garden in Autumn
• 
  Inside one of the arcades around the spring
• 
  Canal between the Chinars
• 
  Verinag Spring
• 
  Stone slab on southern wall
• 
  Stone slab on western wall
• Verinag Spring in 1860
  Verinag Spring in 1860

External links

• The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum