Our first proper view of the Taj Mahal was from the Mehtab Bagh, across the Yamuna River. the Mehtab Bagh is a garden, and was the last of 11 gardens built along the river by the Emperor Babur, the first mughal ruler and a direct descendant of both Genghis Khan and Timur (also known as Tamerlane). He was #1 in the mughal line, then came Humayun, then Akbar, then Jehangir and then Shah Jahan, who was the one who built the Taj Mahal.
So the garden Mehtab Bagh was in existence long before the Taj Mahal was built. Shah Jahan chose the site for the Taj Mahal so that it fit the exact size and shape of the square garden on the other side of the river, the Muslim Mughals being very into symmetry in their building designs.
While we are at the whole family dynasty thing, Shah Jahan's son was the last of the mughal emperors, who fought his brothers, had his father imprisoned (then buried in the Taj Mahal), overextended himself in empire building and caused the decline and fall of the entire empire.
But back to the garden. It fell into disrepair and was just a big sand pit, which threatened the Taj Mahal's marble, so the garden was reinstated and is now a wonderful place from which to view the mausoleum.
This was built by the edge of the river so that materials could be barged in, and water could be hauled up. It also makes the place looks as if it is floating. We stayed to watch the light of a perfect sunset move over the Taj Mahal, along with kites soaring above its dome, a few other travellers, a cow herd in red and a lone cow. It was a magical first experience of this beauty.
So the garden Mehtab Bagh was in existence long before the Taj Mahal was built. Shah Jahan chose the site for the Taj Mahal so that it fit the exact size and shape of the square garden on the other side of the river, the Muslim Mughals being very into symmetry in their building designs.
While we are at the whole family dynasty thing, Shah Jahan's son was the last of the mughal emperors, who fought his brothers, had his father imprisoned (then buried in the Taj Mahal), overextended himself in empire building and caused the decline and fall of the entire empire.
But back to the garden. It fell into disrepair and was just a big sand pit, which threatened the Taj Mahal's marble, so the garden was reinstated and is now a wonderful place from which to view the mausoleum.
This was built by the edge of the river so that materials could be barged in, and water could be hauled up. It also makes the place looks as if it is floating. We stayed to watch the light of a perfect sunset move over the Taj Mahal, along with kites soaring above its dome, a few other travellers, a cow herd in red and a lone cow. It was a magical first experience of this beauty.
Hello Jenny and Martin. Angus here, and I'm really enjoying your adventures and accompanying photos. Your visit to the Taj Mahal prompts me to write and tell you that my Dad was born at No. 90 Taj Road on St. Patricks Day, 1928 just up the way from the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. My Grandpa Hamish wrote that on the day on Dad's birth, G'pa had his ears boxed by their neighbour for tossing in the air and pretending to let fall a large doll the neighbour thought was the baby. The neighbour got him back later with a prank of her own, but that's another story. No. 90 was a deeply thatched old Mutiny bungalow, wide verandah'd and cooled in the hot weather by means of grass screens kept wet from chatties. Love the blog. Safe travels. Angus
ReplyDelete