Ram Bagh (Aram Bagh)

Ram Bagh, also known as Aram Bagh or the garden of relaxation, lies on the east bank of the Yamuna River in Balkeshwar, Agra, in Uttar Pradesh. It is traditionally attributed to Babur, the first Mughal emperor, who defeated the Lodi sultan at Panipat in 1526 and made Agra his base. The garden dates to about 1526-1530 and is generally considered the oldest surviving Mughal garden in India. Babur's memoirs describe his efforts to lay out formal Persian-style gardens in a land he found lacking them, and Ram Bagh is the surviving example of that enterprise.

The garden follows a charbagh plan, a quartered layout organised by water channels, pavilions and terraces. It is built on three terraces stepping down to the river, with stone water channels, fountains and a small pavilion at its heart. Sandstone edging, carved water chutes and raised walkways remain, though the planting has changed through the centuries. According to tradition, Babur's body was temporarily buried here before being moved to Kabul. The garden later passed through Mughal hands, including Nur Jahan, who is said to have refined it, and it acquired its current name in later centuries.

The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the garden, and its conservation has included repair of the water channels and the red sandstone structures, as well as replanting. Today it is a quiet green space with lawns, trees and flowering plants. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Foreign nationals pay INR 300, and Indian nationals pay INR 25. The garden lies along the Agra-Delhi road, near Chini Ka Rauza and Itimad-ud-Daulah, and is often visited along with them. The visit is best in the cooler months, when the gardens are in bloom.