78 THE GARDENS OF THE TAJ 



of the western sun, while below, reflected in the 

 slow -flowing tranquil Jumna, shone another 

 Taj — the second Taj of Shah Jahan's unrealised 

 ideal. 



Coming in under the deep shadow of the high 

 river walls, their bold panels, filled with vases of 

 flowers cut in the hard red sandstone, surprise 

 one with ever fresh delight, so striking is the 

 wonderful finish yet perfect subordination of all 

 parts to the whole design, — even each battlement 

 of the garden wall has its star of white marble 

 inlay,^ — and walking back up the broad landing- 

 ghat paved with brick-work in various patterns, 

 one sees the Taj as no doubt Bernier and Taver- 

 nier first saw it when they sailed down stream, 

 leaving the Court of Aurungzeb in the fort to visit 

 this famous tomb. 



As one stands on the river terrace at evening, 

 Babar's disgust with the country round Agra 

 hardly seems justified. But then what Babar 

 looked for was a hillside spring around which he 

 could construct a great terraced garden like those 

 of Samarkand, and such as he built himself at 

 Kabul ; and, at first, in his search for a good site 

 he evidently overlooked the advantages offered 

 by the width and steep bank of the Jumna, a 



