Ram Bagh (Aram Bagh)

Ram Bagh, also known as Aram Bagh, is a Mughal garden on the east bank of the Yamuna in the Balkeshwar area of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on the Agra-Delhi Road about eight kilometres from the Taj Mahal. It is often described as the oldest surviving Mughal garden in India, laid out around 1526 to 1530 by Babur, who is said to have rested here, and it follows the charbagh plan of four quadrants divided by water channels. Later Mughal rulers, including Jahangir and Nur Jahan, used it as a pleasure garden and it was refined over time. The layout features three terraces stepping down toward the river, with red sandstone pavilions, a central water channel, fountains, a bathing area and flowering trees. Visitors can walk the paths between rose beds and shaded lawns, climb to the upper terrace for a view of the river and see the remains of the ornate pavilions and a pool. A visit takes about 45 minutes, and the site is quiet most of the day. The best vantage point is the riverside terrace looking back along the water channel, and the garden is photogenic in the soft light of early morning, when birds are active and the air is cool. Spring brings the best bloom. Because the site is off the main tourist trail, crowds are small, and it is a good stop for visitors who want to see Mughal landscape design without the queues. Facilities are limited, so water should be carried. Ram Bagh sits close to Chini Ka Rauza and Itimad-ud-Daulah, so a hired auto-rickshaw can link all three in a half-day circuit along the east bank.