Recreating Mughal Garden in a Contemporary Park: Case study Sundar Nursery, New Delhi

Abstract

The research on Islamic gardens spans across a huge panorama of examples starting from the inception to the climax of designed gardens such as the famous gardens of the Alhambara in Spain and the Taj Mahal at Agra. Where most volumes of research address the architecture and the ‘paradise symbolism’. Addressing gardens of the Islamic world as ‘paradise gardens’ is a complete misnomer rather a narrow way of looking at them. These gardens were an outcome of highly meaningful spaces, expressing culture and regional potential, the endeavours of mankind that arose from the need to produce crop for survival, to tend, to channelize water for irrigation and plant anew after the harvest. The garden needs to be placed in its broader context of landscape, agriculture and water management scheme. The relevance of a culture and its presence is established through the progress it makes within its art, literature and patronage to architecture. The geographical region where the religion of Islam facilitated garden building. Gardens which began with the idea to organise the surrounding space of human civilisation, to tame and as well as nurture nature. Where man learnt to exercise his abilities to distribute natural resources to his advantage and also respect the ecology. The paper will present how the powerful form of the Islamic gardens and their elements can transcend into contemporary public landscapes and readdress landscape ecology and landscape conservation through contemporary design with symbolism rooted in history. The study will substantiate its findings through the case example of Sundar Nursery, a heritage urban park next to Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi.