Traditional and Contemporary

Landscapes

Assignment 1 | Vishnupriya M |LA - 2018802019

• Preservation and restoration of Mughal
gardens and other historical gardens in India
• Works of Mohammed Shaheer
• Humayun’s tomb
• Bagh-i-wafa
• Baramullah restoration
The rule of Mughals in India

• The introduction of Persian or Mughal gardens

• The Islamic architecture of the gardens, especially the 'Charbagh'
structure is found in many of these beautiful gardens in India.
• Fountains, pools and canals are some of the unique features of Mughal
gardens.
• 'Charbagh' was the garden planning started by Mughal emperor, Babur
which was followed in almost all the Mughal gardens.
• The mention of these beautiful gardens are also found in the memoirs of
the Babur, Humayun, Akbar & Shah Jahan.
Mughal Gardens – Famous sites
1. Humayun’s Tomb - the first tomb garden on the Indian subcontinent.
2. The Taj Mahal Complex – pathways to divide each of the four quarters of
the garden.
3. The Pinjore Gardens – Also known as Yadavindra Gardens, built by
Patiala Dynasty Rulers.
4. Mehtab bagh – the garden complex is perfectly aligned with the Taj
Mahal on the opposite bank.
5. Nishat bagh - The terraced Mughal garden is located on the eastern side
of the Dal Lake is the second largest Mughal garden in the Valley
of Kashmir.
6. Rashtrapathi Bhavan - The presidential gardens feature a vast variety of
flowers.
7. The Brindavan Gardens –most beautiful garden & visited by 2 million
tourists per year.
8. Shalimer Bagh - considered the high point of Mughal horticulture.
9. Verinag - the first tourist spot of Kashmir Valley, lies at the entry point to
the Valley
10. Khusro Bagh – The large walled garden surrounds the tombs of Khusrau
Mirza, the public park in Allahabad.
Mughal Gardens – Famous sites

2
1 3

4 5 6 10

7 8 9
Professor Mohammad Shaheer
• Delhi based landscape architect with a practice that started in 1976
• Education :
– School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (Architecture 1970,
– Urban Design 1972)
– the University of Sheffield (Landscape Architecture, Ford Foundation Fellow 1972-74).
• Work :
– two years in Northern Ireland,
– the next 26 years teaching landscape architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
Practice:
– His practice concentrated primarily on large-scale public projects and conservation work and he was one of
the most respected landscape architects in the country.

• During the latter half of his academic career he was head of the Department of Landscape
Architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture.
• Projects :
– Sanskriti Kendra, Delhi,
– the restoration of the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi (2001)
– the restoration of the Baghe-Babur in Kabul (2006)
– Sunder Nursery in Delhi. (final) He was a member in the committee of Delhi Urban Arts Commission. He was
also the initiator and co-editor of a popular textbook Landscape Architecture in India: A Reader, published in
2013.
Dr.Shaheer – Remarkable works

Sunder Nursery Rehabilitation, Delhi Humayuns Tomb Garden Rehabilitation

Bagh-e Babur Restoration Qutb Shahi Heritage Park

Sunder Nursery …a 16th century heritage park complex adjacent to
the Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage
Rehabilitation, site in Delhi. Originally known as Azim Bagh and
built by the Mughals in the 16th century
Delhi, India
Background

• 14th century - the Nizamuddin area has seen a profusion of building activity.
Serai’s, Tombs, Baoli’s, mosques, lofty gateways, garden pavilions have been built
along the River Yamuna.
• 16th century - the Grand Trunk road was built through enclosed garden tombs,
including that of Emperor Humayun.
• 19th century - the first Mughal city of Delhi was taken over for agriculture
• Early 20th century - Sunder Nursery was established to the north of Humayun’s
Tomb – to propagate saplings for New Delhi’s avenues and experiment with plants
brought from other parts of the British empire.
• Following a 2007 MoU with the Central Public Works Department, Archaeological
Survey of India, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
commenced conservation and landscape works at Sunder Nursery to create a 90
acre city park with distinct heritage, ecological and nursery zones and required
facilities.
Site before Conservation

Sunder Burj Interior Mughal Pavilion

16th century Azimganj Serai Sunder Burj

landscape

• Dr.Shaheer, designed this new city park along a central

axial spine around which gardens and landscapes are
central axis development
arranged.
• Water features, ponds and lakes are part of the master-
plan, which includes nursery beds, a flower showcase,
arboretum, rose garden and orchards.
• The grand central vista, over 500 m long, follows the path
of the 16th century Grand Trunk Road and connects the artificial lake creation
entrance zone of the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site
with the 16th century Azimganj Serai in the north.
• The gardens along the central vista, inspired by Mughal
traditions, employ monolithic marble fountains and
flowing water set in he middle of geometric flower beds
and raised sandstone pathways. Landscaping and planing in
front of Lakkarwala Burj
• a large maidan is available for winter picnics. The lake at
the northern edge of the central vista engage Delhi’s
citizens with walks, seating and pavilions along the edges.

Raised nursery beds

World Heritage
• Conservation of the 15 monuments upon the 90-acre Sunder
Nursery
• 12-acres Batashewala Complex from made free from
encroachments.
• In 2016, UNESCO extended World Heritage designation to
twelve structures conserved by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
including six standing within the Sunder Nursery – Lakkar Wala
Burj, Sunder Burj, Sunderwala Mahal, Mirza Muzzafar
Hussain’s Tomb, Chotta Batashewala and the Unknown
Mughal’s tomb.

Plant Nursery
• plant nursery for 100 years now.
• 20-acres of Sunder Nursery remain in active for the use of the
Central Public Works Department, the largest such facility in
central Delhi.
• Nursery facilities such as mist chambers are now being
provided. A ‘garden house’ to showcase tropical and desert flora
is also planned.
• the display of Sunder Nursery’s rich bonsai collection of over
400 plants.
• As with the rest of 70-acres, the nursery beds have an irrigation
system and electricity network.
Humayuns Tomb Garden
Rehabilitation

…the first garden-tomb on the Indian

subcontinent. The first structure to use
red sandstone at such a scale.
Background

Humayun's tomb is known as the first

example of the monumental scale that would
characterize subsequent Mughal imperial
architecture. Commissioned, it is believed, by
Humayun's senior widow, Haji Begam, or by her
son Akbar, the tomb is the first to mark the grave
of a Mughal emperor; Humayun's father Babur,
who founded the dynasty, had requested out of
piety that he be buried in a garden. Humayun's
Tomb is now one of the best-preserved Mughal
monuments in Delhi.
 Revitalisation

The objective of the project was to revitalise

the gardens, pathways, fountains and water channels of
the chahar-bagh, or four-part paradise garden Aerial view over central, axial,
surrounding Humayun's tomb in Delhi, according to the fountain and gardens after
original plans of the builders. Site works encompassed restoration
a variety of disciplines, including archaeology,
conservation science and hydraulic engineering.

Exterior view showing weighty

plinthExterior view showing weighty
plinth
Sandstone chadar restored

Jaali / marble lattice Pathway in the garden Pathway along main axis
screen showing a after restoration connecting the entrance
mihrab, from inside gate to the Tomb
The rehabilitation project undertaken by the Aga Khan
Trust for Culture included the following main elements:

• Reinstating the walkways and conserving the edging

stones
• Repair, extension and reactivation of the irrigation
A chaddar leading to lotus pond
system
• Establishing water sources for the water channels and
irrigation system, including a pump station for a water
recycling system
• Conserving, repairing and rebuilding, where necessary,
the water channel system
• Re-levelling the planted zones and revitalising them
with species and arrangements that conform to the
customs and patterns of Mughal sources
• Supporting research that informs the conservation and
restoration process, contributes to the development of
educational materials for use in schools of architecture,
conservation, and heritage management, as well as Restoration of the original
character of this plinth which acts
visitors to the Tomb. as an interface between the tomb
and the garden.
Revitalisation

• The removal of 3000 truckloads of earth (12,000 cubic

meters)
• the planting of 12 hectares of lawn, the re-setting and
alignment of over 3,000 km of path edging, the
preparation by some 60 stonecutters of 2,000 meters
of hand-dressed red sandstone slabs (to edge the Water flows down a restored,
channels) sandstone chadar

• the creation of 128 ground water recharge pits, the

creation of a site exhibition, and the planning and
installation of a new water circulation system for the
walkway channels.
• To ensure that water flows naturally through the Water channel and pool after
channels and pools on the 12-hectare (30 acre) site restoration
without the aid of hydraulic systems, the water
channels had to be re-laid to an exacting grade of one
centimetre every 40 metres (1:4000 scale).
• Over 2500 trees and plants, including mango, lemon,
neem, hibiscus and jasmine cuttings, were planted in
the gardens. Long-dormant fountains have come to life.
Bagh-e Wafa /
Bagh-e Babur

… The Garden of Babur (locally

called Bagh-e Babur, a historic
park in Kabul, Afghanistan, and
also the last resting-place of the
first Mughal emperor Babur.
Background

Laid out in the early sixteenth

century by the Mughal emperor Babur,
the site now known as Bagh-e Babur
was rehabilitated between 2002 and
2008. The natural landscape was
central to the life of Babur’s court, and
he was buried in the garden in around
1540. Among his successors, both
Jahangir and Shah Jahan commissioned
works on this site, in honour of Babur.

Inside the tomb, believed to be Babur's, in the garden

Initializing Revitalisation process

Accounts of nineteenth-
century travellers suggest that the
garden subsequently fell into disrepair,
and its perimeter walls were reportedly
damaged in an earthquake in 1842.
Repairs were carried out at the turn of
the century, during the reign of Amir
Abdur Rahman Khan, who constructed
a complex for use by his family within
the garden. Further transformations
took place during the twentieth
century, when European-style elements
were introduced into the landscape and
a swimming pool and greenhouse were
built on an upper terrace. By the time
fighting broke out in Kabul in 1993–94,
the character of Bagh-e Babur was Representation of Bagh-e Babur's restoration project within
much altered and the site was in a poor Kabul
state of repair.
Revitalisation

In 2002 an agreement for

the rehabilitation of the eleven-
hectare garden was signed between
the Aga Khan Development Network
(AKDN) and the Transitional Afghan
Administration. In parallel with
clearance of remaining unexploded Workers in the garden
ordnance, work began in 2003 on
conservation of Babur’s grave
View of lower bath complex, prior to restoration
enclosure, which had been
significantly altered over time.
Works done

• Based on marble fragments found in the grave area, it Workers repairing masonry wall in
was then possible to erect a replica of the marble the lower bath complex
enclosure around Babur’s grave.
• The war-damaged marble mosque dedicated by Shah
Jahan in 1675 was re-roofed with lime mortar and
cracked marble elements were replaced, while the
mihrab wall was refaced with marble in 2004.
• Among other historic buildings subsequently restored
were the nineteenth-century Garden Pavilion and the
Queen’s Palace, both now in use for public functions.
Community works; construction of
• Excavations in the western end of the garden in 2003 garbage collection point
revealed stone foundations of a seventeenth-century
gateway, around which was constructed a Caravanserai
complex, using traditional forms and techniques, which
now houses an interpretation centre and other facilities.

Community works; drainage in

neighborhood
• Archaeological excavations in 2004–05 revealed sections of a
marble-lined water channel and a series of water tanks
along the central axis, which provided the basis for the
design and reconstruction of a system that again allows
water to flow the length of the centre of the garden, as it did
in Babur’s time. Restored Babur's Grave, Shah jahan
• The landscaping aims to restore the character of the original Mosque and the perimeter wall
garden, through the reintroduction of flowing water and the
grading of adjoining terraces that have been replanted as
distinct orchards.
• Stone pathways and stairs have been laid on either side of
the central axis, which is flanked by an avenue of plane
trees, interspersed with pomegranates, apricots, apples,
cherries and peaches.
• Outside this zone, the terraces have been planted with
Along the central axis, water descends
mulberry, apricot, fig and almond trees, with copses of through a series of channels and pools
walnut along the reconstructed perimeter walls.
The landscaping aims
Water channel and
to restore the
view up to the
character of the
Garden Pavilion
original garden

View down the

central axis water
channel Newly laid stone pathway
 After Restoration
garden in spring during restoration

Spring blooms eternal; main entry plaza to

the garden
Baramullah
… a city and
a municipality in
the Baramulla district in
the state of Jammu and
Kashmir (India), on the
bank of the Jhelum River
downstream from Srinagar,
the state capital. The city
was earlier known
as Varahamula which
is Sanskrit for "boar's
molar"
Baramullah
• The city of Baramulla was founded by Raja Bhimsina in 2306
B.C.
• Gateway of the Kashmir Valley, Baramulla was a way station
during their visits to the valley.
• From the beginning, Baramulla has had religious
importance. Hindu Teertha and Buddhist Vihars (monasteries)
made the city sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
• During the 15th century, it became important to Muslims as
well.
• Syed Janbaz Wali, who visited the valley with his companions in
1421, chose Baramulla as the center of his mission and was
later buried there. His shrine attracts pilgrims from throughout
the valley.
• In 1620, the sixth Sikh Guru, Shri Hargobind, visited the city. In
Baramulla Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Sikhs lived in
harmony and contributed to its culture.
• Baramulla was the oldest and most-important town in
northern Kashmir and Jammu and "Gateway to the Kashmir
Valley" until 27 October 1947. It was ceded to India when
the Maharajah signed the instrument of accession on 26
October 1947. The city is the headquarters of the Baramulla
district
Recent years
• The road network has been improved in Baramulla since 1947
• Bridges on the Jhelum River have been built to connect the old town on the north bank of
the river with the new town on the south bank.

In 2014 the bridge, located near

fish market and commonly
known as SRTC bridge, was
declared unsafe after it was
damaged in the floods thereby
disconnecting nearly forty
thousand people of old town
Baramulla from the rest of the
district.
Before flood

But It has been more than 2 years since the devastating floods washed away (2017) a major
portion of the old wooden bridge of Baramulla town but the lack of funds has delayed the
construction work thereby forcing people to risk their lives by boarding overcrowded fishing
boats.
Thank you..