‘Bibi Ka Maqbara’ or “Tomb of the Lady” is a tomb located in Sambhaji Nagar or Old Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. also called ‘Taj of the Deccan’, it was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum also known as Rabia-ud-Daurani, and is considered to be a symbol of Aurangzeb’s ‘conjugal fidelity’. It bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb’s mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not much interested in architecture though he had commissioned the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. Bibi Ka Maqbara is the second largest structure that Aurangzeb has built, the largest being the Badshahi Mosque. The striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal has often obscured its very own considerable charm, so it is also called the Dakkhani Taj or ‘Taj of the Deccan’. Bibi Ka Maqbara is the “principal monument” of historic city of Aurangabad now Sambhaji Nagar. Aurangzeb’s son, Muhammad Azam Shah was in later years put in charge of overseeing the repair-work of the mausoleum.
Who was Dilras Banu Begum
Dilras Banu Begum was born a princess of the prominent Safavid dynasty of Iran and was the daughter of Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi who was the viceroy of Gujarat.[15] She married Prince Muhi-ud-din, who later came to be known as Aurangzeb upon his accession to the throne on 8 May 1637 in Agra. Dilras was his first wife as well as his favorite. She had five children, namely Zeb-un-Nissa, Zinat-un-Nissa, Zubdat-un-Nissa, Muhammad Azam Shah, and Sultan Muhammad Akbar. After giving birth to her fifth child, she possibly suffered from complications caused by the delivery and died a month after the birth of her son on 8 October 1657. Upon her death, both Aurangzeb and his eldest son, Azam Shah couldn’t bear the loss and the father-son duo was grief-stricken for months, and it took great efforts for them to come out of grief. It became Dilras’ eldest daughter, Princess Zeb-un-Nissa’s responsibility to take charge of her newborn brother. Zeb-un-Nissa doted on her brother and Aurangzeb greatly indulged his motherless son and the prince soon became his best-loved son.
While in 1660, Aurangzeb commissioned a mausoleum at Aurangabad as Dilras’ final resting place, known as Bibi Ka Maqbara (“Tomb of the Lady”); where, Dilras was buried under the posthumous title of ‘Rabia-ud-Daurani’ (“Rabia of the Age”). It was then in 1668 that Azam Shah ordered the mausoleum to be built on the lines of Taj Mahal, which was the resting place of Banu’s mother-in-law and Aurangzeb’s mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that Aurangzeb and bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Dilras’ mother-in-law, Empress Mumtaz Mahal, who also died in childbirth. Aurangzeb, is buried a few kilometers away from her mausoleum in Khuldabad.
Construction of Bibi Ka Maqbara
Bibi Ka Maqbara was built between 1668 and 1669 C.E. The cost of construction of the mausoleum at that time was Rs. 668,203 and 7 annas. An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. Ata-ullah was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.
The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur. According to Tavernier, the French traveler and writer who was present in India at that time around three hundred carts laden with marble, were seen by him during his journey from Surat to Golconda. The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but the decline in architecture and proportions of the structure due to the severe budgetary constraints imposed by Aurangzeb had resulted in a small copy of the latter.
The mausoleum is laid out in a charbagh formal garden. It stands at the centre of a huge enclosure measuring about 458 m. X 275 m. Baradaris or pillared pavilions are located at the centre of north, east and western part of the enclosure wall. The high enclosure wall is crenellated with pointed arched recesses and bastions at regular intervals. The recesses are divided by pilasters, crowned with small minarets. The mausoleum is built on a high square platform with four minarets at its corners, which is approached by a flight of steps from the three sides. A mosque built on the western entrance, a later addition by the Nizam of Hyderabad, resulted in closure of the entrance.
Entry to the mausoleum is through a main entrance gate on its south, which has foliage designs on brass plate on wood covering from the exterior. After passing through the entrance a small tank is provided and a low-profile screen wall leads to the main structure. The screened pathway has a series of fountains at its centre. The mausoleum is encased with marble up to the dado level. Above the dado level, it is constructed of basaltic trap up to the base of the dome, which is built of marble. A fine plaster covers the basaltic trap and given a fine polished finish and adorned with fine stucco decorations.
The mortal remains of Rabia Daurani are placed below the ground level surrounded by an octagonal jali pierced marble screen with exquisite designs, which can be approached by a descending flight of steps. The roof of this chamber that corresponds to the ground level of the mausoleum is pierced by an octagonal opening and given a low barricaded marble screen. This makes the tomb viewable from the ground level through this octagonal opening. The mausoleum is crowned by a dome pierced with trellis works and accompanying panels decorated with flower designs. The structure is in the form of a hexagon, its angles ornamented with minarets.
How to Reach Bibi ka Maqbara
A protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, ‘Bibi Ka Maqbara is located just 3 kms away from the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The city is connected by road, rail, and air with all major cities of India and is just 333 kms away from Mumbai the capital city. Bibi Ka Maqbara is open on all days of the week between 8 am in the morning till 8 pm in the evening. The monument can be reached by bus, taxi or auto. A city is also known for its industries, there are numerous hotels and resorts that provide luxurious, mid-range and budget accommodation for tourists. The entry ticket is priced at Rs 25 for Indian tourists and Rs 300 for foreign tourists. Tourists from SAARC and BIMSTEC also can buy tickets by paying Rs 25 as the Bibi Ka Maqbara entry fee. Tourists can either purchase tickets at the ticket counter of the mausoleum or pre-book it online. It takes around an hour to explore the entire site.
Other Places to See in Aurangabad
Aurangabad is a tourist hub and is dotted with places of historical importance exhibiting architectural excellence including caves, forts, gates, lakes, and temples. Aurangabad is full of tourist attractions including Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, Tomb of Aurangzeb. Some other must-see places are Aurangabad Caves (1.3 km), Panchakki (2.1 km), and Jama Masjid (2.4 km).
