Mehtab Bagh

The moonlight garden was laid out on the far bank of the Yamuna directly opposite the Taj Mahal, its axis lining up precisely with the mausoleum, planted with night-scented flowers and built around a large pool in which the white marble was reflected. It silted up and was lost for centuries under sand until excavation and replanting from the 1990s restored the layout. It is now the standard place to photograph the Taj from behind, particularly at sunset when the dome takes colour and the river flats lie between. The story that a black marble twin was planned here is not supported by evidence.

History

Mehtab Bagh was the last of eleven Mughal gardens built along the Yamuna opposite the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, and Shah Jahan is said to have picked this floodplain as the ideal place to view the Taj. Floods and villagers taking building material nearly destroyed it, and by the 1990s it was little more than a great mound of sand; in 1994 the Archaeological Survey of India dug out some 90,000 cubic metres of earth, uncovering a large octagonal tank with 25 fountains (Wikipedia, Mehtab Bagh).

Highlights

• The aligned view - the Taj Mahal framed exactly on the garden axis.
• The restored charbagh - excavated paths, pool and planting.
• The sunset colour - the marble taking warm tones from across the river.
• The river flats - the Yamuna bed between garden and mausoleum.

When to go

October to March for clear air; the winter fog that settles over Agra can hide the Taj entirely for hours. Sunset is the classic time and the garden closes soon after.

What to expect

Haze and fog frequently obscure the view. The garden itself is modest, and most people come only for the vantage point. Touts and unofficial guides work the approach road.

Nearby

Itimad-ud-Daulah's tomb lies north; the Taj Mahal is across the water.

Key facts