India Mehtab Bagh

Mehtab Bagh (Hindi: मेहताब बाग़, Urdu: مہتاب باغ‎, translation: Moonlight Garden) is a charbagh complex in Agra, North India. It lies north of the Taj Mahal complex and the Agra Fort on the opposite side of the Yamuna River, in the flood plains. The garden complex, square in shape, measures about 300 by 300 meters (980 ft × 980 ft) and is perfectly aligned with the Taj Mahal on the opposite bank. During the rainy season, the ground becomes partially flooded.

After creating the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife, Shah Jahan planned to build an equivalent mausoleum for himself in these gardens but it was to be made of black stone. However, being aware of the costs involved and realizing that if the plan went ahead, he would inherit no wealth and therefore no power, his son had him arrested and imprisoned in the Red Fort.

There is relatively little to see here but the hedges provide leading lines to the Taj Mahal across the river. No tripod is allowed here. You might prefer to, instead, take the path to the right of the entrance. There is a small admission fee to the path that runs between the Mehtab Bagh and the river.