Verinag is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. It is about 26 kilometers away from Anantnag and approximately 78 kilometeres south-east from Srinagar which is the summer capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Verinag is also the first tourist spot of Kashmir Valley when travelling by road from Jammu, the winter capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir towards Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies at the entry point of Kashmir Valley right after crossing Jawahar Tunnel.
A major tourist attraction of this place is Verinag Spring, for which this place is named. There is an octagonal stone basin at Verinag Spring and an arcade surrounding it which were bulit by Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1620 A.D. Later, a beautiful garden next to this spring, was laid out by his son Shah Jahan. This spring is known to never dry up or overflow. Verinag Spring is also the major source of river Jhelum.
Verinag is situated at a distance of approximately 80 km from Srinagar. Reached through the link road, it is located at a height of 1,876 m. It is believed that the
Verinag spring in Kashmir is the chief source of the river Jhelum. There is an octagonal base at the spring, surrounded by a covered passage. The Mughal Emperor Jehangir started the construction work on both the base as well as the arcade. It was during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan that the work got completed. There are remains of Mughal pavilion and baths in Verinag , down the stream to the east.
The Verinag Spring, named after Nila Nag, the son of the famous Hindu sage Kashyap Rishi, to whom, goes the credit of establishing the territory of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the principle tourist attractions of a tour to Verinag . the spring, which was originally shaped in a circular form was given a change of shape during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1620, when he gave orders to renovate the spring in the Mughal traditional shape of an octagon. Today, picturesque in its settings and surrounded by tall Pine trees, the Verinag Spring is characterized by waters which are calm and sparklingly clear. Besides a glimpse of the Verinag Spring, a tour to Verinag is made even more special by the sight of several varieties of colorful flowers, gently swaying to the rhythm of the cool, mountain air.
Mughal Emperor Jahangir built an octagonal stone basin at the spring in 1612, later his son Shah Jahan laid out a beautiful garden and a pleasure house around it. The carvers for the construction of the spring were brought from Iran. The circumference of the spring is 80 m and is over 15 m deep.
Verinag is reputed never to dry up or overflow. Verinag Spring can be approached through the link road, which turns off, from the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Lower Munda.
Stone slabs
Stone slab on southern wall
There are two stone slabs built into the western and southern walls of Verinag spring, on which prose in Persian language, in praise of the spring, and the dates of construction of the tank and aqueduct, are inscribed. The translation of prose in Persian language written on stone slab built into the southern wall of spring is as follows:-
The king of seven kingdoms, the administrator
of justice, the father of victory, Nur-ud-din, Jahangir
son of Akbar, the martyr king, halted at this spring
of God’s grace in the 15th year of his reign. This
construction was made by order of His Majesty.
By Jahangir, son of King Akbar,
This construction was raised to the skies.
The architect of intelligence got its date—
‘May the mansion last for ever together with the spring Vernag!’ (1029 Hijri)
Stone slab on western wall
The translation of prose in Persian language written on stone slab built into the western wall of spring is as follows:-
Haidar, by order of Shah Jahan, the paramount
lord of his age—-
God be praised—made the cascade and aqueduct
flow.
This aqueduct reminds one of the aqueduct of
paradise.
By this cascade Kashmir attained glory
The unseen Angel declared the date of
aqueduct:-
‘The aqueduct has issued from the heavenly
spring’ (1037 Hijri.)