The Taj Mahal at Agra, India, built by Emperor 
Shah Jehan in 1630, is happily blended with spa- 
cious and dignified gardens. Divided into 16 sec- 
tions, each one is devoted to one related group of 
plants. There is a rose-garden, a palm section, one 
devoted to fragrant climbers, another with tropical 
bulbs, then another all conifers. Biota Orienta 
does well here. One section is entirely planted with 
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annuals: Torenias, Vinca Major, Zinnias. In the cen- 
ter of it all is the sacred pool of Lotus. The gardens 
are effectively irrigated by flooding of the beds. 
The Moghul Gardens of the President of India in 
New Delhi are formal and dignified. The stone bor- 
ders are of red sandstone, the walks are mosaic, and 
the fountains shaped like lotus. Dwarf Citrus mingle 
with fragrant Roses, and the golden yellow flowers 
of Bignonias grow from the red sandstone walls. 
At least once in his life, every Hindu plans to wor- 
ship in one of the 1,500 temples at Benares, and 
bathes in the Holy River Ganges to wash away all 
evil. Here along the river front grow many vener- 
ated Peepul trees, the sacred Ficus Religiosa. 
Airlayering or "'mossing'' for the purpose of propa- 
gating Ficus trees as practiced by the native care- 
takers of the gardens of the Taj Mahal. 
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