Bada Bagh, also known as Barabagh, is a garden complex in the Indian state of Rajasthan, about six kilometres north of Jaisalmer. A series of royal chhatri cenotaphs built by the Maharajas of Jaisalmer State in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries CE overlooks a mango orchard.
During his reign in the early 18th century, Jai Singh II (1688–1743), a descendant of Maharawal Jaisal Singh, the founder of Jaisalmer State, commissioned a dam to establish a water tank. It turned the desert in this area green.
Following the death of Jai Singh II on September 21, 1743, his son Lunkaran created a lovely garden by the lake and a monument chhatri cenotaph on a hill overlooking the lake. Many additional cenotaphs were also built here for Lunkaran and other Bhattis. The last chhatri, intended for Maharawal Jawahir Singh, came from the twentieth century and was incomplete after India’s independence.
Bada Bagh in Jaisalmer is essentially a group of cenotaphs situated in a garden. It is a relic of Rajasthan’s glorious past. The magnificent golden cenotaphs shimmer amid Jaisalmer’s deserts and neighbouring gardens. It is around 6 kilometres north of Jaisalmer on the road to Ramgarh. Bada Bagh, which translates as “Big Garden,” is a garden complex in Rajasthan located between Jaisalmer and Lodhruva. It is a notable place since it has the cenotaphs of Jaisalmer’s Maharajas and other important family members, all royal Rajput monarchs from six centuries!
Bada Bagh is built on a tiny hillside, with the entrance to the cenotaphs at the bottom of the hill. Bada Bagh’s environment is breathtakingly beautiful. The chhatris are the same colour as the surrounding terrain, a drab brown of sand, and hence seem like a mirage in the desert. The towering windmills in the distance only add to the splendour of this location. At Bada Bagh, the bases of the numerous chhatris are square or hexagonal. On the other hand, the domes come in various forms, ranging from a simple circular shape to a squarish shape to a little pyramid shape. These are devoid of any artwork and merely provide some facts about the
The cenotaphs of Bada Bagh
The cenotaphs are divided into two rows, each with its unique beauty. These structures are placed along a slope adds to their charm. When you reach the bottom of the hill, you begin approaching cenotaphs in the sequence newest to oldest, or, more truthful, oldest to ancient. The scale of the cenotaph corresponds to the greatness of the ruler for whom it was created. The cenotaph grows in size in proportion to the ruler’s stature.
The construction of Maharaja Jawahar Singh’s cenotaph was underway when the abrupt death of the new king raised concerns among the royal family. As a result, when they decided to end the custom of erecting cenotaphs for deceased kings, they did not wait until Maharaja Jawahar Singh was done; it remains incomplete. It is the cenotaph that welcomes visitors to Bada Bagh.
Each structure features magnificent architecture and beautiful embellishments. What’s remarkable is that none of the stones on any cenotaphs, not even the smallest carvings, have changed colour. They are all evenly coloured and contribute to the garden’s rhythm. The building of Maharaja Jawahar Singh has an image of him on a pedestal, over which hangs an earthen pot. It is an attempt to fill his parched spirit, to bring him serenity.
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At the entrance to each erection is an inscription of the ruler’s name, as well as texts inscribed in stone. The roofs mimic shrines, signifying the structure’s holiness and divinity. Even though a handful of these cenotaphs are collapsing, their magnificence remains undiminished.
The first few rows of cenotaphs contain a structure carved in marble of a guy on a horse sitting amid the monument, signifying the monarch. These were mostly for their dynasty’s more powerful and influential kings. There are smaller constructions interspersed among the bigger cenotaphs, which may have been created for the younger princes, princesses, and queens.
How to reach Bada Bagh
Bada Bagh is located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. Road, train, and air transport options are accessible from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Bangalore, Delhi, Jaipur, and Udaipur, among other cities Jaisalmer.
By Air: The nearest airport is “Jaisalmer Airport,” only 21.3 kilometres away from Bada Bagh (Jaisalmer). It is a domestic airport from which passengers may fly to major cities in India.
The closest train station is “Jaisalmer Railway Station,” about 8.9 kilometres away from Bada Bagh (Jaisalmer). Tourists may take trains to major Indian cities from here.
By Road: National Highways 68 and 11 links Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) to other important cities in India.
