About

Bibi Ka Maqbara is the tomb of Dilras Banu Begum, the first wife of Emperor Aurangzeb. It is built of white marble and is modelled on the Taj Mahal with its central dome and minarets, although it is of a much smaller scale. Bibi Ka Maqbara comes across as very intimate, pristine, and delicate.

There are only a few monuments credited to Aurangzeb - the small, but elegant, Moti Masjid in Red Fort, Delhi, the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, and Bibi Ka Maqbara being the best known ones.

Bibi Ka Maqbara is believed to have been built between 1651 and 1661 CE. The mausoleum stands in the middle of a large sprawling garden laid out in the lavish style of the best of Mughal Gardens, with paved walkways, fountains, and rotaries. The red-brick walkways have intricate white tiled patterns. The mausoleum is built on a high square platform of polished red poryphiritic stone provided with a railing in trellis work at its edge. It was originally approached by a flight of stairs from all sides. A mosque along the western side of the platform, which is a later-day addition attributed to the Nizam of Hyderabad, has now blocked the access from that side. Four tapering, octagonal, free-standing minarets with domed pavilions at the top stand at the corners of the platform. A number of rooms with arched domes in diamond cut design are made beneath the platform from all sides. The walls and roof of these rooms are decorated with floral designs.

The mausoleum has lofty pointed arches on all sides. The lower part of the mausoleum along with its dome are made with white marble, while the inside portion is of basaltic trap plasterd by a fine coat of lime, rendered with a marble finish and adorned with stucco work. The main entrance is on the south and it leads to an octagonal gallery with a low barricaded marble screen running around the interior enabling a top-down view of the grave at the lower level. The interior portion of the mausoleum is decorated with beautiful carvings. There are windows of marble at the corner angles.

A flight of steps descend into the basement of the mausoleum from the southern side which provides access to the grave, which is encloesd by a delicately carved octagonal screen.

Four smaller chhatris with corresponding minarets to each are also seen at the corners of the large dome on the roof.

The mosque, a latter day addition by the Nizam of Hyderabad, disturbs the symmetry of the structure, but even then it complements the beauty of the mausoleum with its fine arches and slender columns.

The eastern pavillion is located in the center of the eastern enclosure wall. The rectangular shaped pavillion is a double-storeyed structure. It is built on a raised platform provided with a red basalt lattice railing at the edge from three sides of the platform. It is entered through five arched doorways on the west. It has a flat roof and the interior is plastered with a fine coat of lime. The interior has rows of polygonal pillars with corner pilasters interconnected with each other by a seeries of cusped arches. The walls, pillars, and ceiling of the pavilion are decorated with geometrical designs and other floral patterns painted in multi-colours like gold, maroon, green, and yellow. The richly decorated southern pavilion serves as the entrance to the enclosure.

Architecture

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.

The mausoleum is built on a high square platform with four minarets at its corners. It is approached by a flight of steps from three sides. The mausoleum is crowned by a dome pierced with trellis works and accompanying panels decorated with floral designs.

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 center.

A mosque to the west of the main structure was later added by the Nizam of Hyderabad, resulting in the closure of the west entrance.

The mausoleum is laid out in a charbagh formal garden. Baradaris or pillared pavilions are located at the center of the north, east, and western parts of the enclosure wall. The high enclosure wall is crenelated with pointed arched recesses and bastions at regular intervals. The recesses are divided by pilasters, crowned with small minarets.

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. The dome is also built of marble. A fine plaster covers the basaltic trap. This plaster has been given a fine polished finish and is 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 marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur.

Trivia

Ata-ullah, the architect of Bibi Ka Maqbara, was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal. Mumtaz, who is buried in the Taj Mahal, was the mother-in-law of Dilras Banu, whose tomb the Bibi Ka Maqbara is.

According to the "Tarikh Namah" of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction of the mausoleum was Rs. 668,203-7 (rupees six lakh, sixty-eight thousand, two hundred three and seven annas) – Aurangzeb allocated only Rs. 700,000 for its construction.

Aurangzeb, himself is buried a few kilometers away from his wife's mausoleum, in Khultabad.

The mausoleum is tastefully lit up and makes for a mesmerizing sight after dark.