TAJ MAHAL
The
site extending to 300 metres from east to west and 560 metres
from north to south consists of three parts, the front yard, a 16
partite garden and the mausoleum. Using the theme of having a
great mausoleum located in a large garden of the Chahar Bagh
style, the predecessors in three generations, Humayun?AAkbar and
Jahangit placed the mausoleum at the centre. On the other hand,
this construction built by the 5th Emperor of the Mugharid Shah
Jahan has the 16 partite garden, considered to be Char Bah, with
a fountain at the center, in the front. The mausoleum is situated
at the innermost of the site. This can be viewed as a result of a
consideration given to Hindu style arrangement, which leads one
from the entrance to the innermost temple. The arrangement of the
gate leading to the mausoleum looks like an approach to the
temple, situated in a large garden. The mausoleum itself has a
symmetrical shape. However, the arrangement of the components
cleverly displays the front and back of each construction. The
mausoleum has a shape developed from the mausoleum of the
Humayun, except for the main body of the mausoleum having the
same construction (mosque and sarai jsymmetrically in right and
left. In front and behind to the right and left of the central
tomb chamber, there are iwans, and two-tiered octagonal rooms are
situated in the four corners. This style closely relates to the
palace and the mausoleum architecture of the Timur Dynasty. It
can be said that the style suggests the Persian taste of the
Mugharid Emperors.
In the four corners of the basement, which measures
95 metres on a side and 7 metres in height, there is a round
minaret of 42 metres in height. This minaret shows a style
following the one of the father Jahangir's mausoleum. However,
the minaret in this building has an effect of "the column
between holy and secular", which separates a sanctuary from
the rest. There is a crypt situated in the centre of the
basement, entombing remains. The upper part of this is a tomb
chamber where the cenotaphs of the Emperor Shah Jahan and his
daughter Mumtaz Mahal, who passed away in young age, are
situated. The tomb chamber has a bulbous dome of 58 metres in
height extending from the basement. In the four corner of the
dome on the roof, there are chahatris, unique to the Indian
architecture. This architecture, having well-hole style iwans in
the centre of each side opening to the outside, displays complete
symmetry. It represents Indian Islamic architecture, being based
on Persian architecture with unique Indian elements added in
various places. Not only the facade from the basement to the top
of the dome, but also the inside is covered completely by white
marble stone, where elaborate inlaid works are observed in
various places. This mausoleum, like a huge gem, marks the peak
of the Mugharid architecture.The Emperor Aurangzeb, the son of
Shah Jahan was a religious Muslim and he rejected constructing
his own mausoleum. His remains are entombed in the corner of the
dargah in Delhi. The mausoleum of his Empress Bibi ka Maqbara
constructed in Aurangabad can be seen as a replica of Taj Mahal.
However, the mausoleum does not surpassthe original, and it
obviously shows a lapse in architectural style. (Naoko Fukami)