The new capital Shahjahanabad which took nine years to complete, was occupied by the royal family in 1648. The two princesses, Jahan Ara and Roshan Ara, laid out gardens, market squares and serais (rest houses) which were among the most beautiful creations inside the new walled city. It was Jahan Ara, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter on whom he had conferred the title of Begum Sahib, who laid out the Chandni Chowk, the main market square, and the garden known as Begum ka Bagh.
Enclosed within a high stone wall on all sides, the Bagh had pools and channels for running water. There were fountains and canopies (called chhatris) supported on twelve pillars of red stone (called bara dari). These provided coolresting places for the people who came to the garden. The water in the channels came from a special canal system and helped irrigate the trees and grass and plants inside. There were plenty of flowering trees and fruit trees. Some of them were set up with swings. It was the favourite resting place of the princesses and the ladies of the palace.
Many festivals were celebrated within Begum ka Bagh. The most important among them was Pankhon ka Mela. It was a fair meant exclusively for ladies and was celebrated for a whole week. There were stalls for lovely embroidered kurtas and dupattas; colourful bangles and other jewellery; toys and all kinds of goodies to eat; gleaming utensils and sparkling crockery; paintings and clay figures; and every kind of beautiful object that one could think of. There would be music, poetry readings and other festivities. And many games as well. Everyone had a wonderful time.
Mind you, only ladies and children were allowed to enter the place. Now there was a Persian poet in the court of Shah Jahan who was very curious about the place and wanted to see it. He was equally keen to catch a glimpse of the princess who had laid out this garden and the beautiful Chandni Chowk. The poet wore a burkha over his clothes and sneaked into the garden one day. He saw the royal ladies laughing and joking with each other. Some were on the swings.
The poet was dazzled by Jahan Ara's beauty and dignity. He composed a poem about her on the spot. He was just writing it down when Princess Jahan Ara caught sight of him. She walked up to the poet and asked him what he was doing. "Just writing a poem, your highness," replied the poet.
