Ram Bagh

According to legend, the Mughals thought of pleasure gardens as a way to conjure up images of heaven on earth. Ram Bagh is a beautiful example of Islamic landscape architecture and design, and it was once thought to have been called Araam Bagh (garden of rest). Built by Emperor Babar for his daughter Zahra is one of the first Mughal gardens. Babur is thought to have been temporarily interred here, some 5 km from the Taj Mahal, before being transported to his final resting site in Kabul, Afghanistan. The name is a corruption of the Persian phrase 'Garden of Rest,' Aaram Bagh. It is also known as Bagh-i Nur Afshan, the 'Light-Scattering Garden,' Aalsi Bagh, or the 'Lazy Garden' because, according to history, Emperor Akbar asked his third bride, a gardener there, to marry him by lying still for six days. Jahangir also waited in the garden in early March 1621 for the most astrologically auspicious hour to enter Agra after he took the fort of Kangra. His reign is represented by the architecture that has survived and shows how talented his wife Nur Jahan was at creating gardens. The garden design is based on Bagh Hasht-Behisht rather than the Mughal charbagh plan, which consists of four main parts connected by footpaths and streams. Three levels are kept up: one for plants, one for flowerbeds, and one for buildings, tanks, and terraces. It was made to utilize water from the Yamuna River very cleverly, dispersing it around the area using cascades and keeping cooler temperatures even during the hottest summer days. It has various Persian influences. Pavilions and fountains flank the main water channel, and the entire park is surrounded by walls with corner towers crowned by pillared pavilions. Ram Bagh is accessible from dawn until dusk. A set of three cascades constructed over three terraces deliver water to the park from the river. Water has always been a crucial component of Islam; thus, it also provided the garden with its lifeblood. Along with these features, the park also has two pavilions on either side of the water channels and stairs, along with fountains, making Ram Bagh the ideal retreat for all travelers. Every traveler looking for a memorable family experience in the city should pay a visit to this fascinating heritage site in Agra.