Mughal Garden Wah is a cultural heritage site and tourist place near Taxila. Emperor Jahangir on his way to Kabul stayed at this place on April 29, 1607, and enjoyed fishing in the pond. According to his autobiography, he constructed a structure of 12 doors (Baradari) around the pond.

Similarly, Emperor Shah Jahan soon after his coronation stayed at the same place in 1639.

He was so awed by the place that he called his engineers and ordered them to reconstruct the buildings. Ahmed Maamar Lahoree, who was a famous architect of the time, drew the maps of the gardens, palaces and inns.

Constructions were carried out under his supervision which continued for two years. Wah Garden has been built on the same pattern as adopted in all Mughal constructions. It spreads over 157 kanals.

He also built a 12-door structure, canals and waterfalls besides constructing public bathrooms having both cold and hot water.

The walls of the small rooms in the structures have been decorated with flowers and petals.

Architecturally, Wah Garden is a compact unit just like Shalimar Garden and other gardens located in various mausoleums of the Mughals. In spite of human vandalism and ravages of time, it still retains some of the typical features of a Mughal Garden.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2014