April 30, 2013
A few years back, I
read an article regarding the preservation of the Shalimar garden. It was of great
surprise for me of knowing about the presence of a Royal Bath and heating system inside this place.
The thing which amazed me more was that my home is situated within walking distance
from Shalimar garden, and I never know about this facility although passing in front of that site more than a thousand times in my life.
The Shalimar garden was constructed on the orders of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1641-42. layering Persian influences over medieval Islamic garden traditions. Shalimar garden face great destruction in the middle of the eighteenth century when Lahore was ruled by three Sikh Chieftans. However, in the early nineteenth century, it was again repaired and rehabilitated when Punjab was ruled under Raja Ranjeet Singh.
This place was
under construction for many years. Conservationists knew that there was a heating
system in what was known as the Royal Bath, but its exact location was not
known. During the conservation process, it was observed that the Hypocaust (the
heating system) is in the eastern chamber of the caldarium (A caldarium was a room with a hot plunge bath, used in a Roman bath complex) below the hot water
reservoir. The Hypocaust is a sunken heating chamber to warm a room; an
aqueduct is provided for the clean cold water from the northeastern side. The Bath
is unique and matchless among the other bath systems of the Mughals. The system
is on the eastern side of the main hamam and has hot air ducts leading to it from
west and south to make the floors of baths warm. Towards the east, the same
ducts serve as fuel for firing. For the water-supply arrangement to the hamam
there was a well on the eastern side which supplied water to it through a masonry
channel (aqueduct). The channel was also connected to the water tank
constructed on the southeast corner of the hamam. A water channel was also
arranged from Shah Nahar and connected to the tank. After feeding the hamam,
the masonry channel takes its course to the top of the peripheral wall and
reaches the lowest terrace. Terracotta screens are provided at inlet points.
