WATER-CHUTES 99 



Humayun's garden, apparently level, in reality 

 slopes to the south, where the slight difference in 

 the ground has been cunningly made use of to 

 introduce tiny carved chutes down which the 

 water ripples. At one or two places in the side 

 walls there are longer water-chutes, where the 

 water, which has been lifted up from great wells 

 outside, rushes foaming down the carved stones 

 into the garden. These marble or stone chutes 

 were carved in various patterns, cut ingeniously 

 at an angle so that the water running over 

 them was thrown up and broken into ripples 

 and splashes. Shell and wave designs were the 

 favourites, and their name was as prettily 

 fashioned as their carving they were called 

 chadars, meaning white " shawls " of water. 

 These water -chutes are a very characteristic 

 feature of the Mughal gardens, and were used 

 with much effect where the ground allowed of 

 the garden being laid out in a series of high 

 terraces. But in small gardens, or in the 

 plains, even the slightest slope was made use 

 of; only a foot or two of difference sufficed to 

 create one of these charming little waterfalls, 

 whose inspiration was directly drawn from 

 memories of the dancing spray and white foam 



