Hidden Secrets of Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad-The secret of the Bird engraved on the Grave Door

Hidden Secrets of Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad-The secret of the Bird engraved on the Grave Door

A beautiful specimen of art is the copper-plated gate at the grave of Rabiya Daurani. An attractive bird is carved artistically sitting on a creeper of the vine with seed in its mouth.[1] Unfortunately, some orthodox person has hammered the stomach of the bird in an effort to destroy it.

 

The secret of Lover’s Faces at the Bibi Ka Maqbara Aurangabad

Hazy faces of a loving couple can be observed on the marble plank fixed on the south side of the tomb. Nobody knows about this secret which was accidentally discovered by the author during his research in 1980 AD. It is surprising how this human facial formation was left unseen by the eyes of Aurangzeb. Even during the past 350 years, nobody has ever observed these faces. Thus the author takes pride in being the first to have made this observation. At first look it appears to be the natural texture of marble rock, but if keenly observed one cannot ignore this mysterious beauty.

 

The Author, Dr Shaikh Ramzan, presenting the Lovers’ Faces

 

Three hundred large-sized marble slabs (9 x 5 x 5 feet) were brought to Aurangabad for the construction of the Maqbara. Each slab was so large that for the smallest slab 20 bullocks were needed to pull it. Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Even today we can observe marble stone has naturally formed varying textures on its surface.

 Now considering the location of this stone which is easily in the range of vision, is proof in itself that the skilled marble craftsman, Hanspatrai, had luckily found this special piece of marble after polishing it with this miraculous figure of a young couple about to kiss each other. In those days Prince Aurangzeb and his wife Dilras Bano Begum were very young and had a deep love for each other. Hanspatrai then cut the marble to size keeping this figure in the centre and set it at a very precise location without disclosing the details of this miracle to anyone. The skilled craftsman Hanspatrai was very well aware of the orthodox nature of Prince Aurangzeb therefore he kept this secret in his heart until his death.

 The secret of the Two Appearances of the Bibi Ka Maqbara Aurangabad

The affinity, semblance and the clear gender distinction between the two constructions of the Maqbara and the Taj Mahal called for a significant effect to be added into the Maqbara. There is a point approximately 300 meters away from the main entrance gate from where the Bibi-Ka-Maqbara looks exactly like the world-famous Taj Mahal. It was not possible for Prince Aurangzeb and Dilras Bano Begum to construct the Maqbara as a mirror replica of the Taj Mahal but at the time of construction in the plan and design of the Maqbara, an elevation was created to give a second appearance to the Maqbara which makes it appear exactly like the Taj Mahal.

 

After the completion of the Taj Mahal in 1648 AD, the work of Maqbara was started from the year 1653 AD after a short gap of 4 years. There were hundreds of expert engineers available at Agra and some of them had been engaged in the construction of the Bibi-ka-Maqbara.

The Maqbara appears similar to the Taj Mahal of Agra

This elevation view of Taj from approximately 300 meters outside the main entrance gate was accidentally discovered by me during my research project in the year 1980 AD. After my deep survey and study, I finally reached the conclusion that this unique view and elevation of the Maqbara that makes it appear like the Taj Mahal was specially designed by the exalted Aaqa Abdul Qasim to Beg the superintendent, Ataullah the architect and Hanspatrai the engineer.

The main entrance gate of Maqbara is purposefully designed like the main building of the Taj Mahal. When the Maqbara is seen from approximately 300 meters outside the main entrance gate from a viewpoint that lies in a straight line with the main tomb and the main entrance gate, the Gumbad appears to be placed over the main gate creating an illusion of the Taj Mahal.

 

The Maqbara appears similar to the Taj Mahal of Agra

The secret of Mosque built near the Tomb

There is a second mosque constructed during his reign 1803-1829 AD by the Nizam Sikandar Jah,[2] the 3^rd Nizam of Hyderabad on the western side of the tomb on the platform of the Maqbara.

 

The mosque was built by H.H. the 3^rd Nizam Sikandar Jah of Hyderabad

 

The platform of the mosque is 135 feet in length, 35 feet in width and 3 feet in height. The white shining mosque has got a minaret above each of its corners. The interiors are filled with pillars built in rows that are moulded and interconnected from the top of the pillars to form a number of cusped arches. The openings at the sides are closed with partition walls made in perforated brickwork.[3]

The complete setting is decorated beautifully, neatly and consists of arches, recesses, rosettes and other ornamentations including the cornices.[4]

 

A Row of Arches inside the Mosque

 The mosque is divided into two parts in which thirteen arches have been constructed in three rows. There are 406 praying carpets drawn on the floor.[5] The masonry work of the mosque is very rich. The white polish on the walls of the mosque is still witnessed to the skill of the artisans. The back wall of the mosque is supported by buttresses to resist the pressure exerted by the walls.

 

Ornamentation on the Arches

Inside View of the Mosque

Heinous Plan of H.H. Nizam Sikandar Jah to Shift the Maqbara to Hyderabad for his own Mausoleum

It is very clearly noted by Syed Hossain Bilgrami and C. Willmot in the book, Historical and Descriptive Sketch of His Highness the Nizam’s Dominion, “H.H. Nizam Sikandar Jah is said to have desired to pull the building down and convey the materials to Hyderabad to erect a mausoleum for himself, and was with difficulty dissuaded from doing so.”[1]

It would have been shocking, surprising and unbelievable for the lovers of the Maqbara of Aurangabad, that Sikandar Jah the Nizam of Hyderabad had a strong ambition to shift the Maqbara to Hyderabad to build his own mausoleum. Shifting the Maqbara is considered completely disgraceful by people of all levels. In spite of this, he started to remove the stones from the western side of the platform of the Maqbara.

No one could dare oppose the decision of the Nizam and try to stop the process of disassembling the stones which had begun and which was a disgraceful, shocking and shameful act. The removal of the stones had reached up to half of the platform and the work was stopped suddenly. The Late Mohammed Osman a Mujawar of the Maqbara told me the reason behind the stoppage of the work was that the pious lady Rabiya Daurani (Dilras Banu Begum) appeared in the dream of Sikandar Jah and ordered him to stop the work. Thereafter, Sikandar Jah himself felt guilty of his actions and he approached the Ulemas (Islamic Scholars) of Hyderabad for the recompense of his actions. The Ulemas suggested he build a masjid over the place from where the stones were extracted so that people will pray to God for his forgiveness. As such the masjid was built.

 

Buttresses constructed to support the Mosque built by H.H. Nizam Sikandar Jah

Details of Masjid built Over the Platform

Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah-I was the Subedar of Aurangabad during the days of the Mughal Empire. After the death of Aurangzeb, he rebelled and declared himself independent in the year 1720 AD. The coronation took place at NawkhandaPalace at Aurangabad. He became the founder of the Nizam Shahi dynasty. In the year 1762 Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan shifted the capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad, due to which the glory of Aurangabad gradually disappeared and on the other hand Hyderabad flourished very fast as the capital of the Asif Jahi regime of the Deccan.

 

Photographic evidence showing the originally built platform steps which are closed towards the top, on the western side of the Maqbara where the Mosque was built by H.H. Nizam Sikandar Jah

The third Nizam Nawab Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah Asaf Jah-III became Nawab of Hyderabad in the year 1803 AD and remained in power up to 1829 AD. Sikander Jah was very ambitious and wanted to enhance the glory of Hyderabad. By that time the city Aurangabad shrank into the fortified walls of Aurangabad.

The work of shifting of the Maqbara was assigned to some famous foreign companies who were experts in disassembling, shifting and reassembling buildings at other locations. The work of removing stones from the western side of the platform of the grave had started and numbers were marked on every stone. The cistern of the western side constructed on the platform of the Bibi-Ka-Maqbara was completely demolished as stated earlier.

The evidence of the attempt in shifting the Maqbara is hidden below the new Masjid. The photograph shows how the ladders to the platform were closed towards the upper side. The construction of buttresses is the second evidence, which was built to support and strengthen the new mosque. The third evidence is that the masjid does not have an independent foundation of its own and on the other hand it was constructed on the slab of the platform, that too, over the arches of the platform.

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[1] Syed Hossain Bilgrami and C. Willmot; “Historical and Descriptive Sketch of His Highness the Nizam’s Dominion” The Times of India Steam Press, Bombay, 1884, p. 327

 [1] Photo plate showing a beautiful bird design, p. 76

[2]Photo plate as above.

[3] Information is based on an actual field survey.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Field Survey Measurements