Indian Gardens 
THE ANGURI BAGH IN THE AGRA FORT* 
the idea of putting such representations in 
our churches. We should be equally shocked 
if Hindus were to use effigies of our Lord 
and our Christian symbols as meaningless 
decorative features in their houses. But 
we fail to understand that the real Indian 
artist, uncontaminated with European ideas, 
does not recognise one art for the church and 
another for the home. To him all art is one, 
and in all art there is a meaning beyond and 
above, but yet a part of, the decorative idea. 
Now let us continue the reconstruction of 
our garden. The clue to the planting of 
the square beds on either side of the main 
avenues is given in the native history of Shah 
Jahan’s reign already mentioned. The 
* It is supposed that the Anguri Bagh, or “ Grape 
Garden,” originally had a pierced stone-trellis, or railing, on 
the outer edges of "the four main plots into which it is divided. 
This trellis may have supported the vines which gave the 
garden its name. It will be noticed that the water-shoot, 
which conveys the overflow from the fountain in front of the 
main pavilion, has below it three rows of small arches. These 
were doubtless arranged for lamps to light up the cascade 
from behind, in the same way as we have already noticed in 
the Shahlimar Bagh at Srinagar. 
author alludes to the garden of the Taj as 
a “paradise-like orchard.” There is every 
probability that these square plots were 
really planted with fruit-trees. The Gardens 
of Paradise, to which the Taj gardens were 
continually compared, were always repre¬ 
sented as full of trees bearing all kinds of 
delicious fruits. The Moguls were keenly 
alive to the beauty of fruit-bearing trees. 
Babar writes with delight of the “pome¬ 
granates hanging red on the trees,” and is in 
raptures at the sight of an apple-tree in the 
autumn, when its branches showed a few 
scattered leaves of a beauty which “the 
painter with all his skill might attempt in 
vain to portray. ” 
There is another reason which makes it 
exceedingly probable that this part of the 
gardens was planted with fruit-trees. The 
Taj was a great charitable institution. It 
had an endowment of over two lakhs of 
rupees, of which a great deal was spent in 
pensions to deserving persons and in gifts 
186 
