Hidden Secrets of Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad-Superb in Beauty
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The dome of the Maqbara (left), the Mosque built by H.H. Nizam Sikander Jah (seen at the bottom of the minaret) and the mosque of Dilras Bano Begum (seen at a distance)
The Maqbara of Rabiya Daurani marks a supreme achievement in the development of Mughal art. It is a perfect specimen of fine architecture with perfectly constructed portions combined in its perfectly artistic entirety. Four minarets with a large dome in the centre is a perfect combination of architectural beauty.
The
mausoleum of Humayun at Delhi, though large in size, looks desolate due to the
lack of minarets around it.[2]
The attractive minarets at the mausoleum of Akbar, at Sikandara (Agra), do not
appeal to the heart of any person as they lack the dome in the centre.[3]
The Taj at Agra is the first building of its kind designed in proportion with
its minarets and so also the Maqbara in the Deccan.
Only
an intelligent architect having a high aesthetic sense can beautify buildings
as was done in the making of the Taj Mahal and also in the making of the Maqbara
of Rabiya Daurani.
The
beauty of the Taj Mahal lies in its structural proportions but the proportions
of the Bibi-ka-Maqbara give an even more beautiful effect. It is said that the
Mughal art and architecture had reached their highest peaks upon the construction
of the Taj Mahal which is not completely true. The project of the Bibi-ka-Maqbara
was undertaken after four years of the completion of the Taj Mahal.[4] It
was not at all difficult for the architects to make an exact copy of the Taj in
its beauty and proportion. After the construction of the Taj, the real sense of
beauty and proportion was developed by engineers and architects. Differences
between the two monuments, the Taj Mahal and the Maqbara, were intentionally maintained to make the building of the Maqbara more beautiful and
to add to its perfection. The architects have not left any defects whatsoever in
the building of the Taj Mahal and every precaution was also taken while
constructing the Maqbara at Aurangabad.
No
doubt, the four minarets around the main figure of the mausoleums of Agra and
Aurangabad add to their beauty, but with respect to perfection in proportion,
shape and size of the minarets in relation to the main body of the building, they
have been brought about more skilfully in the construction of the Bibi-ka-Maqbara.
The
people who have been continuously seeing the building of the Taj Mahal have
developed a proportional image of the Taj Mahal in their minds and measure
other buildings in comparison to it. The proportions of the Maqbara were
incorrectly assessed by such visitors and writers.[5]
When
the Taj Mahal was being built the architects did not have a scale or an image in
their minds to help them determine the proportions to be implemented in its construction
with respect to its minarets and main body. However, the architects kept the
Taj Mahal in mind while constructing the Maqbara at Aurangabad and they also
incorporated some enhancements. The four minarets of the Taj are round in
shape. On the other hand, the minarets of the Maqbara were designed in an octagonal
shape. The main body of the Taj seems sizable in relation to its minarets, but
the body of the Maqbara is constructed in fine proportions.
No
doubt, there was much criticism at the time of building the Maqbara at
Aurangabad and the enhancements incorporated in its minarets in relation with
those at the Taj Mahal at Agra, but the brilliant architects of the
Bibi-ka-Maqbara still pursued those deliberate changes. The shape and
proportion of the main body of the Maqbara is completely different from that of
the Taj Mahal and the master builders have exhibited their intelligence by
constructing the main entrance gate in such a way that from one perspective it
appears to be exactly the same as the Taj Mahal in spite of the differences.[6]
The
Bibi-ka-Maqbara is a mausoleum built for a woman and the architecture is
accordingly customized to denote this fact, whereas the Taj Mahal at Agra has
no such characteristics.
Dr Shaikh Ramzan
M.A., M.Ed., PhD (History) Researcher
[1]Nath, op. cit., p.159
[2]Ibid.
[3]Ibid.
[4]Taj was completed in 1643 AD. Ketkar, op.cit., and the construction of Maqbara started in 1653. Inscription on main gate p. 41
[5]Satish Grover, “The Architecture of India Islamic” (Delhi, Vikas Publishing House, 1981), p. 218
[6]Picture of the main gate of Maqbara, Photo plate p. 12
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