Cultural Study Trip !ndia Info Route Photos Credits Agra -

photo © peter stoeckl

Since the decline of the Mughal Empire, Taj Mahal's gardens seem to have a hard time. When the British took over management of the Taj Mahal in the early 19th century, garden design was changed to resemble the lawns of London. Islamic texts of the Mughal period are describing Paradise as an ideal garden. Early historical sources describe Taj Mahal's gardens as a paradise on earth, filled with a profusion of vegetation, and water in abundance. A linear reflecting pool on the North-South axis was designed to reflect the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, that pool was empty for some repair work on the day of our visit. Katalin Tóth and Elena Gueorguieva don't seem to be worried about that.