Gardens of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. The whole monument is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Gardens of the Taj Mahal

The complex is a Charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four-quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. Halfway between the tomb and gateway in the centre of the garden is a raised marble water tank with a reflecting pool.The elevated marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar in reference to the "Tank of Abundance".
The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by Babur, the first Mughal emperor. It symbolises the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise). In Islamic texts of the Mughal period, Paradise is described as an ideal garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and east.
Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the centre. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation of the ASI is that the Yamuna river itself was incorporated into the garden's design and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise. Similarities in layout and architectural features with the Shalimar Gardens suggests both gardens may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan.
The garden is laid out with avenues of trees labelled according to scientific names with thier common names. Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including abundant roses, daffodils, and fruit trees. As the Mughal Empire declined, the Taj Mahal and its gardens also declined. By the 19th century, the British Empire controlled more than three-fifths of India, and assumed management of the Taj Mahal. They changed the landscaping to their liking which more closely resembled the Formal lawns of London.

Typical Mughal Garden of the Taj Mahal Showing a centeral elevated water tank and channels flowing to four sides

Plants of the Taj Mahal

Some of the notable plant species of Taj Mahal as recorded in during March 2024 is listed here.

1. Morinda pubescens





Name:

Morinda pubescens

Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coordinates:

27.171903N,78.041425E

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Taj Mahal

Common name:

Aal, Noni

Family:

Rubiaceae

Habit:

Deciduous tree

Other details:

Deciduous trees, to 12 m high, bark pale brown, thick, vertically fissured and irregularly cracked. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate. Flowers bisexual, white, in terminal, globose heads. Fruit a syncarp, 15-18 mm across, globose, pyrenes 4, oblong; seeds not winged.



2. Schleichera oleosa





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

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3. Swietenia mahagoni





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

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4. Pterospermum acerifolium





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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5. Santalum album





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

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6. Crateva religiosa





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

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7. Ceiba speciosa sp.





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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8. Cupressus sempervirens





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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9. Kigelia africana





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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10. Casuarina equisetifolia





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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11. Mimusops elengi





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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12. Thespesia populnea





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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13. Plumeria rubra





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

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14. Azadirachta indica





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

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Habit:

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15. Ficus microcarpa





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Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

Family:

Habit:

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16. Ficus benghalensis





Name:

Date of photography:

10-03-2024

Coorinates:

Altitude:

169 m

Locality:

Mughal Garden, Tajmahal

Common name:

Family:

Habit:

Other details:

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First published on 13-03-2024
Last updated on 15-03-2024

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