How many of us know there exists a mirror replica of the Taj Mahal? Infamously known as the ‘ poor man’s Taj Mahal’ or the Deccani Taj. The man who build it, was too head over heels in love with his beloved wife.
It’s a case of ‘like father, like son’. Bibi-Ka- Maqbara or the Queen ‘s tomb was built by Emperor Aurangzeb for his deceased wife Dilras Banu Begaum aka Rabia -ud-Durani. He was the son of the Great Mughal Ruler Shahjahan, who is lionized and feted for the making of mind blogging marvel ‘Taj Mahal’.
The striking similarity between the two is well evident…
Father -son duo architecture
‘Great minds , think alike’. And these guys proved it. Taj Mahal was a brain child of the architect Ustad Ahmad Lahouri. And his very own son Ata- Ullah was the chief architect of the edifice of ornamental art Bibi- Ka-Maqbara.
In loving memory of…
True lover’s knot, both these monumental structures were landscaped after the death of their lady love. It’s an open secret that Shahjahan adored Mumtaz more than any of his wives. Moreover, so was the case with Aurangzeb, their son. Dilras Banu Begum was his first and most wife. She was bestowed with the stature of the chief empress and thus ruled over the imperial harem.
The Rajasthani Connection
Unlike Taj, Bibi- Ka -Maqbara is not solely composed of marble and precious stone but of basalt trap and marble on the account of draining treasury. The three dome and few other parts of the mausoleum are built of marble brought from mines near Jaipur. Whereas in the instance Taj Mahal, marble was brought from Makrana in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
Mughal Architecture
Humayun’s tomb had set up a prime example of the glorious Mughal architecture and both Taj and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, drew inspiration from it. Herewith, Indian subcontinent finally saw the genesis of the first garden tomb. Furthermore , the central big dome is feature that has been adopted in their respective architecture.
Breathe one’s last …. during childbirth
Mumtaz died while giving birth to her fourteenth child. In the same vein Dilras Banu Begam died after giving birth to her fifth son.
For many Bibi-Ka-Maqbara may be a poor imitation of breathtaking Taj. But its beyond that it has its own peculiar charm. A little-known treasure waiting for you to discover !
- Aurangzeb has fought many conquests in Deccan. And he is the one who extended the Mughal frontiers in south. After a series of successful expeditions, he grew on to become the Viceroy of Deccan and later named his capital Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
- History knows him as Zinda Fakir or pious man. Few even addressed him as a ‘religious fanatic’. A simple man who had abstained from living in the lap of luxury. The mausoleum is the largest structure commissioned by him .This talks volume about his fondness for his wife,
- Notably, it stands tall as the only example of the Mughal architecture of its kind in deccan plateau. After Aurangzeb’s period the downfall of the eminent Mughal empire started.
Owning to lack of resources and failing economy of empire, a few constructions were made aftermath. But they did lacked the splendor of the early Mughal structures.
Daycation 