Shalimar Cabinet

Description

The Shalimar Cabinet is named for the beautiful garden of the same name made by the emperor Jahangir. While the recent history and development of the Mughal type garden is attributed to the emperor Jahangir, the ancient history of such gardens can be traced back to the 2nd century and the reign of Pravarsena II. He founded the city of Srinagar and ruled Kashmir from 79 AD to 139 AD. He had built a cottage at the northeastern corner of Dal Lake and had named it Shalimar. The word Shalimar in Sanskrit means abode of love. The king, on his frequent visits to a local saint, Sukarma Swami of Harwan, used to stay at this cottage. So, the emperor Jahangir aptly chose this spot to build his celebrated Shalimar Garden, an ambitious project to please his queen Noor Jahan.

A contemporary chronicler described it as, “a subtle air of leisure and repose, a romantic indefinable spell, pervades the royal Shalimar – this leafy garden of dim vistas, shallow terraces, smooth sheets of falling water, and wide canals, with calm reflections, broken only by the stepping stones across the streams.”

Shah Gilani, ISFD, designed the Shalimar Cabinet as a tribute to the beauty of this garden. Entirely hand-made of fine rosewood, this cabinet is the epitome of pierced carving in the Mughal style. Polished bronze glides are provided which also serve as levelers – a useful feature to have when the floor is uneven. This colossal cabinet ships in four parts which can be assembled with ease. It is offered in a variety of hand-applied multilayer finishes. Custom sizing is available.