The mausoleum of Bibi Ka Maqbara is located in Aurangâbâd, India.
Did you know thatIndia has not one but two Taj Mahals? In fact, there is a monument identical to the Taj that stands in the town of Aurangâbâd in the Maharashtra region. It’s a mausoleum called Bibi Ka Maqbara (« Lady’s Tomb ») built by Prince Azam Shah, son of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, between 1651 and 1661, in memory of his mother, Dilras Banu Begum.
Bibi Ka Maqbara draws its inspiration from Āgrā’s famous Taj Mahal, built by none other than Prince Azam Shah’s grandfather, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal (« the light of the palace »). Azam Shah intended to build a monument to rival the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, he lacked the treasury to which his grandfather had access, as well as the skilled labor that this treasury was able to purchase, resulting in a pale copy of the latter. Despite this, the Bibi Ka Maqbara is an architectural marvel with intricate designs, beautiful carvings, an imposing structure and a magnificent Mughal-style landscaped garden. Because of its strong resemblance to the Taj Mahal, it is affectionately known as the « Taj of the Deccan ».
The mausoleum lies at the center of a vast enclosure measuring approximately 458 meters by 275 meters, with axial basins, fountains and irrigation channels, many of which are bordered by stone screens and wide paths. The garden is enclosed by high crenellated walls decorated with arches. These are separated by pilasters crowned with small minarets, and pavilions open on three sides are placed at regular intervals. The mausoleum itself is built on a high square platform with four minarets at its corners, exactly like the Taj Mahal, which is reached by a staircase on three sides. The main bulbous dome of the Maqbara is, however, smaller than the dome of the Taj Mahal, and its minarets are smaller.
The Bibi Ka Maqbara is a fine piece of architecture, well worth seeing, but it pales in comparison to its famous ancestor. Whereas the Agra monument is made entirely of pure white marble, the Aurangabad mausoleum is wrapped in marble only as far as the panelling. Beyond that, it is covered with a thin layer of polished plaster, giving it a marbled appearance. The walls of the Bibi Ka Maqbara are also a little darker in contrast, giving the mausoleum a duller appearance than the Taj. According to records, the Bibi Ka Maqbara cost Alam Shah 700,000 rupees (9150€) to build. By way of comparison, the Taj Mahal was built at a cost of around 32 million rupees (€418,530) at the time (values are period values). This is probably another reason why the Bibi Ka Maqbara is often referred to as the « poor man’s Taj ».
That said, the monument remains superb.
The Bibi Ka Maqbara’s low status stems from Aurangzeb’s (ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1658 to 1707) lack of architectural interest. From the outset, Aurangzeb was not in favor of building a monument as sumptuous as the Taj, and he prevented its construction by blocking the movement of marble from Rajasthan and other parts of the Mughal Empire. But his son Shah Alam was determined to have a monument to his mother that could rival the Taj. Somehow, Alam Shah got the better of his father, who eventually gave in.
Legend has it that, in 1803, Nizam Sikander Jahan was so captivated by the Maqbara that when the city of Aurangabad and the Marathwada region were annexed to his kingdom, he planned to move the Maqbara to his capital, Hyderabad. He even ordered the structure to be dismantled, slab by slab. But, somehow, he had had a premonition that misfortune might befall him. He stopped work and had a mosque built as a penance, which still stands to the west of the main structure.
Did you know about the Taj Mahal’s twin building?
Photo sources: Wikipedia, Amusing Planet