The Khass Mahal, Agra Fort, Agra, with the Taj Mahal in the distance

The pleasure pavilion Khass Mahal, built under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1627–1658) and completed in 1637, is located above the Jumna River and fronted by a formal fourpart garden. The Jasmine Tower (Mussaman Burj), where Shah Jahan was imprisoned, is just to the left of this complex (and not seen in this photograph); a image of it is exhibited to the left. The prospect of the Taj Mahal from both the tower and this pleasure pavilion is striking, giving a sense of the way the grand tomb, built in memory of Shah Jahan's favorite wife, dominates the river view.

The elaborate white marble structure in the center sits on a wide terrace with an ornate fountain in front of it. The side pavilions, with their smaller curved roofs, were enclosed with marble partitions so women could participate in pageantry without being seen. In this picture the central terrace of the garden is covered by a bower in an English fashion. Today the garden is arranged more in the manner of its original design.