Chashme Shahi is the smallest of the three Mughal Gardens in Srinagar but not less beautiful or charming. According to English writer and traveler Aldous Huxley, Chashme Shahi is, “architecturally the most charming of the gardens near Srinagar.”
The garden is built around a fresh spring, from which it also gets its name. It was named after the clan of a saint woman, Rupa Bhawani who found the spring. She was from the Sahib clan and therefore, the spring was known as 'Chashme Sahibi'.
The garden was constructed around the spring by the Mughal Governor Ali Mardan Khan in 1632. It was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his eldest son, Dara Sikoh. In the east of Chashma Shahi the Pari Mahal (Fairy Palace) lies where Dara Sikoh used to learn astrology and where he was later killed by his brother Aurengzeb.
The garden is 108 m long and 38 m wide and is spread over one acre of land. It is the smallest garden among the three Mughal gardens of Srinagar; the Shalimar garden is the largest and the Nishat garden is the second largest. All the three gardens were built at the left bank of the Dal Lake, with Zabarwan mountains at the backdrop
The garden presents Mughal architecture as used in different Mughal gardens. The artistically build garden has Iranian influence in its art and architecture and the design is based on the Persian gardens. It is built around a fresh water spring, discovered by Rupa Bhawani, which flows through its centre in terraces.
The topography and the steepness of the land has led the formation of the garden. The main focus of the garden is the spring which flows down in terraces and is divided into three sections: an aqueduct, waterfall, and fountains.
The visitors are received through a flight of stairs on both sides of the terraces which leads up to the origin of the spring.The English writer and traveler Amit Kumar wrote about the garden that "the little Chashma Shahi is architecturally the most charming of the gardens near Srinagar"
The water of the spring is believed to have some medicinal properties. The former Premier of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, used to get the water of the spring to Delhi