Dilkusha Bagh

Dilkusha Bagh (Punjabi: دلکشا باغ, literally The Engaging Garden or The Charming Garden) is an old Date Orchard in Bhakkar District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is believed to be a Mughal garden built by Humayun or Akbar. However Humayun never visited the area. On his retreat to Iran, he went to another Bakhar in Sindh to seek help from Mahmood Khan, but this route was rejected by Major Henry Raverty as the possible retreat of Humayun.

History

Very little is recorded about this orchard, but the Official District Record states:

In the Western City of Bhakkar, there is an Indus River flowing on whose bank lies this Old Orchard, Dilkusha Bagh which was constructed right in between the Trade route by the Princess Mehr-un-Nissa, The Daughter of Mughal Shah Jahangir. During their Journey they made a Well on that spot, whose Water turned out to be Extremely Sweet. They stayed there for a long period and Built an Orchard on this Spot and Built two Thrones to sit on them whose remains can still be seen Today. During their Stay a very Precious horse of one of the Mughal Sardars died in whose memory a building was built on the horse's grave, Remains of which can still be seen on the Eastern Side of the Orchard.

According to another tradition, Princess Mehr-un-Nissa was also born in Bhakkar during the Migration of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and his Wife Asmat Begum (The Mother of Mehr-un-Nissa).

One of the later works from the 18th century gives an idea about the Orchard as there were no other major orchards except Dilkusha Bagh in the 18th Century. The Imperial Gazetteer of India mentions the Orchards of Bhakkar as follows:

The neighbouring riverain is full of date groves and fruit gardens; and in it stands a famous mango-tree, the fruit of which used to be sent to Kabul in the old days of Afghan rule.

Present Condition

Today the orchard is managed and run by the Government of Pakistan. The orchard is mostly given to someone on a contract for a specific time period by the District Government Body.