The tomb garden for Shah Jahan’s
wife, Mumtaz Mahal, was begun in
1632 and completed in 1648. It is an
enormous char bagh, unique in that
the tomb is located at the far end of
the garden, above the Yamuna river,
rather than at the intersection of
the water canals. Legend has it that
Shah Jahan had one day hoped to
build his tomb garden (out of black
marble) as a mirror image on the
opposite side of the river. Thus the
river itself would form the cross-axis,
and both tombs would occupy the
center.15
As it is, a raised tank of water
marks the center of the garden at
the Taj Mahal, refl ecting the white
marble dome and its minarets.
Tree-lined canals divide the garden
into the typical four-square pattern.
Trees and fl owers once graced each
parterre.
The tomb stands isolated on a
terrace paved with black-and-white
wave patterns. Minarets stand
at the corners of the elevated
terrace, countering the bulk of
the architecture and creating a
restful void space. The mosque and
assembly hall at either side of the
tomb are made from red sandstone,
as is the entry gatehouse
and the two small pavilions at the
end of the cross-axis. The entire
20-acre garden is walled. The
round dome over the tomb rests on
a squarish octagon; the octagon
is symbolic of the union of heaven
(the circle) and earth (the square).
The number 8 is also signifi cant
in Islamic cosmology, representing
the levels of paradise and the
number of angels supporting the
throne of God.