<P> The concept of the paradise garden ( charbagh ) was brought from Persia by the Mughals as a form of Timurid garden . They were the first architectural expression the new empire made in the Indian sub-continent , and fulfilled diverse functions with strong symbolic meanings . The symbolism of these gardens is derived from mystic Islamic texts describing paradise as a garden filled with abundant trees , flowers and plants , with water playing a key role : In Paradise four rivers source at a central spring or mountain . In their ideal form they were laid out as a square subdivided into four equal parts . These rivers are often represented in the charbagh as shallow canals which separate the garden by flowing towards the cardinal points . The canals represent the promise of water , milk , wine and honey . The centre of the garden , at the intersection of the divisions is highly symbolically charged and is where , in the ideal form , a pavilion , pool or tomb would be situated . The tombs of Humayun , Akbar and Jahangir , the previous Mughal emperors , follow this pattern . The cross axial garden also finds independent precedents within South Asia dating from the 5th century where the royal gardens of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka were laid out in a similar way . </P>
the taj mahal served as an example of aesthetic value for this kind of function
the paradise garden ( charbagh )