+91 9799050299 
Mehtab Bagh Garden was the last of eleven Mughal-built gardens along the Yamuna River; the first being Ram Bagh. The emperor Shah Jahan noted this crescent-shaped flood plain covered with grass around the Yamuna River and found it a great location to view the Taj Mahal from some distance. He then conceptualized it as a pleasure garden filled with moonlight and name it Mehtab Bagh during 1631 to 1635.
Mehtab Bagh is a 25 acre garden, square in shape, measures about 300 x 300 m and is perfectly aligned with the Taj Mahal on the opposite bank. During the rainy season, the ground becomes partially flooded. The garden has fountains and pools along with several pavilions. Few of the gardens proportions were similar to that of the Taj Mahal. Mehtab Bagh came later in the possession of King of Amber, Raja Man Singh Kacchawa.
Mehtab Bagh also joins two other gardens to the west. Originally, four sandstone towers marked the corners of Mehtab Bagh of which only one at the south east edge remains. The gardens also contain a large pond on its outer edges which reflects the image of the Taj. Apart from water channels that enhance the beauty of the park, there is also a small tank in the center of the garden.
The garden was ruined by frequent floods. Most of the damaged part was taken by villagers to use as building materials. The structures that remained within the garden are not maintained properly. ASI started some restoration in the 1990s. Recent excavations conducted by ASI revealed a huge octagonal tank equipped with 25 fountains on the southern periphery, a small central tank and a pavilion on the east. It is also known as the Moonlight garden as one can enjoy a spectacular night view of Taj Mahal on full moon day from here.
History & Background
Mehtab Bagh, or the Moonlight Garden, is one of the best places to view the great locations in and around the Taj Mahal. It is the eleventh and the last garden built by Mughal Emperors opposite to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort along the Yamuna River. This garden is believed to be built by Mughal Emperor Babur. It was built as an integral and necessary part of the Taj Mahal complex. The frequent floods and encroachments by the nearby villagers for building materials nearly spoilt the place. Remaining structures in the garden were also declining with time. By 1990s, the Bagh almost lost its existence and had became nothing more than a massive heap of sand providing growth to wild vegetation. However, now the garden has been restored and turned into a beautiful place full of heart-engaging greenery and plants providing different flowers and fruits.
Architecture
Mehtab Bagh proves to be one of the best sites to view the Taj Mahal. Inscriptions on the Mehtab Bagh site reveal that it is one of the four adjoining gardens that are known as Chahar Bagh Padshahi. The garden was surrounded by a compound wall made of red sandstone cladding. The river wall, around 289 meters in length is partially intact even today. The domed towers were believed to be built on platforms. These were made of red sandstone and were arranged in an octagonal shape. Out of these four sandstone towers standing at the four corners of the Garden currently only the one standing in the southeast corner remains till date. The garden also consists of a large octagonal pond that beautifully reflects the mausoleum’s image. Water channels run throughout the Bagh enhancing the landscape beauty.
Charming Elements of the place
Mehtab Bagh is known for providing one of the best locations to view the Taj Mahal. This garden is full of beautiful plants full of diverse flowers and fruits. These plants impart an amazing beauty to the garden. The place is full of fragrances providing the soothing experience to the visitors. The garden is amazingly beautiful when visited during full moon nights. The water tank in the garden reflects the moonlight falling on it filling the entire garden with a silver glaze.
