THE RAM BAGH 43 



to their final resting-place, his favourite Garden 

 of the New Year, near Kabul. All succeeding 

 rulers have kept up this garden of his at Agra, 

 and it is said to have obtained its name of Ram 

 Bagh from the Mahrattas in the eighteenth 

 century. 



Unfortunately, the original character of these 

 gardens is almost lost ; the raids and wars of old 

 times, and the mistaken zeal for English land- 

 scape-gardening have swept away the avenues 

 of alternating cypress trees and fruit trees. 

 Gone are the glowing parterres, carpets of colour 

 — " the roses and narcissus planted regularly 

 in beds corresponding to one another " — such as 

 were spread to delight the eyes of Babar or 

 Nur -Mahal. Winding drives and meaningless 

 paths now replace the charming old formality, 

 while the baradaris on the riverside terrace are 

 disfigured and modernised. There remain only 

 the terraces, fountains, and narrow watercourses, 

 with their tiny, carved water- chutes, and the old 

 well from which the garden was supplied with 

 water from the Junana. 



Between the Ram Bagh and the Chini-ka- 

 Rauza, the latter a ruined tomb, once entirely 

 covered with an exquisite mosaic of tile work. 



