Scents of India in Hamilton

The latest theme garden at the Hamilton Gardens is the Indian Char Bagh Garden, which opens to the public on Friday.

The Mughals brought these enclosed, Persian-inspired gardens to India, and they have roots in three of the world's great religions - Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

They were secret pleasure gardens, with sensuous floral perfumes and water tinkling in fountains and pools. The Hamilton Gardens Char Bagh is a riverside garden, and was inspired by the Lal Mahal, a small hunting palace near Agra, home of the Taj Mahal.

Contact: (07) 856 3200