Bibi ka Makbara: Taj Mahal of the Deccan and how it broke my heart
The first time I saw a picture of Bibi ka Maqbara, I, like many others, confused it with Taj Mahal. Since then, I was very curious to visit the monument, also known as the Taj of the Deccan (Dekkhani Taj, as the locals call it).
So this weekend, I finally made a trip to Aurangabad, and on day 2 of the trip, I made an early morning visit. (Quick Tip: Reach the gates by 7:45 am if you want to click pictures without any crowd in the background).
Bibi ka Makbara, which literally translates to ‘Wife’s tomb’ or ‘Tomb of the Lady’, was built in 1679 AD. And incidentally, it was built for the very same reason as the Taj mahal. It was commissioned by the great Mughal emperor, Aurangazeb in memory of his first wife, Dilras Banu. However, it was completed by Aurangazeb’s eldest son, Azam Shah.
Aurangazeb was very fond of Dilras (known as Rabia-ud- Duarani after her death) and was devastated when she died during child birth. And just like his father did, he created a mausoleum in memory of his beloved wife, and figured there was no better way to do so than recreating his father’s declaration of eternal love.
But the consequent monument is often considered to be a poor imitation of the glorious Taj, mainly because it was built on a tight budget of 7 lakh rupees, which was not even a quarter of what was spent by Aurangazeb’s father, Shah Jahan to build the Taj. That’s because, unlike his father, Aurangazeb believed that the taxes paid by the people were to be strictly used for their welfare and any personal expenses would come from his own pocket.
Now, at first glance, Bibi ka Maqbara looks exactly like Taj Mahal, even in person. The same white marble dome, the famous Persian charbaugh architecture. The intricate pillars flanking the main structure, even the placement of the fountains and the gardens.
However, the more you look at it, the more you feel something is off, like a perfectly beautiful girl showing the first hint of anorexia. The closer I got to the monument, the better I could see the resemblance, but also the jarring differences.
Unlike, the former, Bibi ka Maqbara is not made completely of marble; most of the lower structure is made of plaster and is devoid of saphires, jades, turquoise, and the Arabian carnelian. Sure, the monument lacks the grandeur of the Taj caliber, but in itself too, there was something off putting about the whole place, and I could not simply put my finger to it. But I soon found out what was bothering me.
When I entered the mausoleum, it just broke my heart. There lay Queen Dilras in her tiny tomb, the favorite queen of the greatest and longest reining Mughal emperor of India, and she was covered with heaps of loose change that people had thrown at her tomb, what’s worse was the plastic bottles, ticket stubs, and other random things screaming of carelessness and apathy of the thousands that visit her daily. It felt as though a queen who was treated with utmost respect and love, both by her family and her kingdom, was reduced to a nameless pauper (unlike Mumtaz Mahal, most people do not know Dilras, they just address her as Aurangazeb’s wife).
This Mausoleum lacked the grace and dignity that was bestowed on Mumtaz. A monument that was built as a dedication for love is now the very place where the Great Emperor Aurangazeb’s wife is disrespected on a daily basis.
Bibi ka Maqbara may be the pride for people is Aurangabad, but I was quite underwhelmed by the whole experience.
All I could see was: Two women, both bestowed with the greatest love possible, yet while one is still considered as the epitome of grace and elegance, the other is just a nameless grave in an expensive mausoleum that is not even an original idea. Where the former is still treated as a queen, the latter is crushed under the thoughtlessness of ignorant people.
If you want to visit Bibi ka Maqbara, do visit it for what it is, because the minute you’d compare it with Taj Mahal, it will fall short, not just in it’s aesthetics but on many different counts.
