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| Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad-dreamstime.com |
Mogul ruler Aurangzeb, through treacherous in nature, was a good warrior and had spent much of his reign in war expeditions, spending lots of money and adding more territories to his kingdom. Not interested in building big palaces and memorials, Aurangzeb had commissioned the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The other structure he commissioned in the later part of his life was Bibi-ka-Maqbara in memory of his first beloved wife near Aurangabad,
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| Aurangabad city, MH location mapmapsofindia.com |
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| Bibi ka Maqbara-The tomb in the 1880s Aurangabad, upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image: The mausoleum is at the centre of a huge enclosure measuring approximately 458 m. N-S X 275 m. E-W. Baradaris or pillared pavilions are at the centre of north, east and western part of the enclosure wall which is tall, crenellated with pointed recesses and bastiona at regular interval (as one would find in forts) . The Mughal Char-Bagh pattern and the symmetrical layout of the garden enhance the grandeur and beauty of the mausoleum which has limited embellishments................
Often called ''poor man's Taj'' or the double of Agra's Taj Mahal, it was commissioned in 1660 by Aurangzeb himself, but completed between 1668 and 1669 C.E near Kham river by his son Azam Shah in memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum ( wife of Aurangzeb). posthumously she was known as Rabia-ud-Daurani.
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| Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad, MH .flickr.com |
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| Bibi ka Maqbara mausoleum, Aurangabad, MH upload.wikimedia.org |
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| Bibi ka Maqbara marble dome, Aurangabad, upload.wikimedia.org/ |
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| interior of dome.Bibi k Maqbara marble dome,Alamy.com |
Above images: The tomb of Dilras Banu Begum, wife of Mogul king Aurangzeb, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Four minars, Chhatries and huge marble dome. Interior of the dome is richly ornate with amazing patterns on the ceiling and intricate carvings on the walls.The symmetrically placed minars (towers) at each corner are 72 ft high and each of them has a spiral stairway to reach the top. (the towers are not open to the public now). ................................
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| interior of dome.Bibi k Maqbara reckontalk.com |
In 1660 the work left behind by Aurangzeb, was completed by his son by prince Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb. Azam Shah was desirous of building a grand mausoleum that would rival his grandfather's Taj at Agra. Hardpressed for money, budgetary constraints and lack of workers with good expertise, he ended up building a humble structure, with miimu embellishments, a replica of Taj using quality white marbles transported from Rajasthan. Bibi Ka Maqbara, also known as ''Dakkhani Taj'' is a simple expression of love for his wife by Mogul ruler Aurangzeb in the twilight of his perfidious and deceitful life. The Mausoleum showcases elegance and majesty of the Taj without any pretensions but with mellowed pomp and pride of Mogul dynasty.
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| Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad stock.adobe.com |
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| Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad. stock.adobe.com |
Above images: Interior of Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Aurangabad: Interior with cusped arches made of marcle................
According to an inscription on the main entrance door of the mausoleum the structure was designed and built by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. Ata-ullah happened to be the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.
One of the popular destination for tourists, this tomb receives heavy footfalls of visitors from many places. According to the ASI decision had been taken in November 2022 , “The key mausoleum of Rabia-ud-Durrani, would sport a new look in the new year,” Among the few monuments that remain open till 10 pm every day efforts will be made to make the monument look Hence, to make it look dazzling particularly at night. resplendent at night. The ASI is keen to dec illuminate the structure and make it a memorable site in a newly improved ambiance.
