Shalimar Bagh served as summer retreat for British Resident in Delhi during colonial era

City’s Mughal-era Shalimar Bagh in its heydays was enclosed by a wall and had several elegant structures including a Sheesh Mahal, a hammam, water channels and pavilions, and during the colonial era, the site served as a “summer retreat” for the British Resident in Delhi.

A team of conservation experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) with support from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has revamped its surviving old heritage buildings and adjoining areas that once formed a pleasure garden built during Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday inaugurated the newly-conserved Sheesh Mahal and Baradari at Shalimar Bagh, as well as two other old structures in its campus which have been adaptively reused as cafes.

The ASI in a post on X after the inauguration shared some of the historic facets associated with the site.

Built in the first half of the 17th century, “the garden was once enclosed by a wall and featured several elegant structures including Sheesh Mahal (without glasswork), a hammam, water channels, tanks, and pavilions”, it said.

“During the British era, it served as a summer retreat for the Resident at Delhi,” the ASI said.

A British Resident during the colonial era was a representative of the East India Company.

The ASI, which falls within the purview of the Ministry of Culture, said the monumental site, located in west Delhi, is now open for public after the conservation project.

Shalimar Bagh is also said to be the site where the first coronation of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had taken place in 1658, according to historians.

The DDA said the responsibility of restoring the heritage site was entrusted to it under the technical supervision of the ASI.

The restoration work is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’, the urban body said.

“A special highlight of the conservation is the revival of the central fountain, which had remained non-functional for years. It now serves as a vibrant focal point that brings elegance back to the site. To mark the occasion, the dignitaries also planted tree saplings within the monument’s premises, reinforcing the commitment to both heritage and the environment,” the ASI said.

The restoration of Shalimar Bagh comes after successful conservation of heritage sites like the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and Anangpal Tomar Van (previously known as Sanjay Van) in south Delhi, the DDA said in a statement.

Shalimar Bagh, built in 1653, has seen many phases of history, from the Mughal period to British rule. It has witnessed many historical events and changing rulers over time, it said.

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As part of the project, the ASI restored the Sheesh Mahal’s heritage elements, while a Mughal-style ‘charbagh’ landscape design has been developed by the DDA to complement the monument, the urban body said.

An “almost decayed baradari” and three heritage cottages within the Shalimar Bagh have been carefully restored using traditional techniques and materials such as “lime concrete, lime surkhi, lakhauri bricks, and natural binders such as gud, belgiri, and urad to ensure authenticity and strength”, a senior official said.

After conservation, two of the cottages have been adaptively reused for community-focused purposes — one turned into ‘Readers Cafe Corner’, a book cafe aimed at fostering literary engagement, and the other housing ‘Cafe Shalimar’, a cafeteria for visitors.

A smaller third cottage has also been conserved and repurposed for contemporary use for official purposes, “while still preserving its unique architectural legacy,” the DDA said.