J&K's 6 Mughal gardens to be included in the UNESCO heritage list

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday announced that they had been working towards getting the six Mughal Gardens in the Kashmir Valley listed under the UNESCO mandated world heritage sites. LG Manoj Sinha issued orders on the up-gradation of restoration work of the six Mughal Gardens including Nishat, Shalimar, Cheshmashahi, Pari Mahal, Achabal and Veerinag.

Srinagar:Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration have started preparation of a dossier on the six Mughal Gardens in the Kashmir Valley for inclusion in the list of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) mandated world heritage sites, officials said on Monday.

The administration is keenly interested in the development of Mughal gardens. Recently, Lieutenant Governor Sinha also issued orders on the upgradation of restoration work of the six Mughal Gardens.

"J&K L-G is known as a development man and as such the administration is currently focused on the development of the Mughal era gardens in the Valley. He had recently ordered for the up-gradation and restoration of the six Mughal Gardens including Nishat, Shalimar, Cheshmashahi, Pari Mahal, Achabal and Veerinag," Jammu and Kashmir Department of Floriculture's Director Farooq Ahmad Rather said, adding, "Four of these gardens are in Srinagar city while the two are in Anantnag district."

Giving further details, he said, "The Department of Floriculture in consultation with known professionals reworked eight gardens of Jammu and Kashmir between 2005-2011. With the help of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) survey experts of UNESCO visited the Valley to see the heritage value of Mughal gardens. Later in 2011, six of these gardens were in the tentative list of Heritage sites presented by UNESCO."

"Presently, the administration is preparing a dossier in consultation with experts. The dossier will be presented to the UNESCO," he said.

The administration believes that once these gardens will be added to the list, the tourism in Jammu and Kashmir too will get a boost.

"Once these gardens are added to the UNESCO's heritage site list, it will attract a lot of tourists. Eventually, this will boost the tourism industry here," he added.