Gardens of the Taj Mahal Agra, India. Photograph circa 1910.

The Mughals adopted the Garden of Heaven concept from Persia in the shape of Timurid Garden. They were the first architectural manifestation of the new empire established on the Indian subcontinent, serving a variety of roles with profound symbolic meanings.

The Taj Mahal's gardens are four in number because they form a perfect square that is divided into four by canals depicting the four rivers of Paradise, which are oriented towards the four cardinal points.

However, in the nineteenth century, the British acquired control of India. They removed a huge portion of the trees and made changes to make room for these immaculate lawns that remained