The idea of the Taj
The Taj Mahal, considered the greatest achievement in the world of Indo-Islamic architecture, was originally conceived as �a masterpiece for ages to come
Shashank Shekhar Sinha
January 1632. While the tomb complex and its garden were completed around 1647-48, the Darwaza-i-Rauza (the great gate) was completed around 1653-54.
The monument is, among other things, known for its beauty and grace; symmetry and uniformity of shapes; surface brilliance; selective use of naturalism; hierarchical grading of materials, forms and colours; symbolism; and attention to detail. Most accounts of the Taj emphasise its symmetry. It is true that the monument was built on the principle of strict bilateral symmetry with emphasis on the features of the central axisthe tomb and its four minarets flanked by a mosque to the west and an assembly hall (Mihman Khana) to the east. Radial symmetry is also observed in the ninefold plan of the tomb and the gate.
There are also several non-common frames for looking at the Taj Mahal, all of which enhance our understanding of this unique architectural marvel. For instance, few know that the monument was originally conceived as, in the words of Shah Jahans historian Qazwini, a masterpiece for ages to come. As the scholar Ebba Koch says, it was built with posterity in mind and viewers were a part of its concept. Such was the consciousness, such was the confidence. What also remains unnoticed is that the monument not only formed a heavenly tribute to Mumtaz Mahal, it reflected the power and glory of the Mughals, in particular Shah Jahan.
Tomb architecture and the idea of a forecourt, Jilau Khana square with streets, bazaars and residential buildings (first seen in Jahangirs tomb in Lahore). These architectural components are seen in their most classical and developed form at the Taj.
The buildings at the Taj are made of burnt bricks (lakhuri ) covered with red sandstone (sang-i-surkh) and marble (sang-i-marmar) slabs held together with iron clamps and dowels. The red sandstone and marble combination started much earlier in Indo-Islamic architecture with the tomb of Iltutmish in the Qutb complex in Delhi. Its interior has Quranic verses carved in red sandstone as also inscriptional mural decorations. This combination runs through numerous other Mughal buildings, with Humayuns tomb and the Jama Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri being excellent examples of this.
Red sandstone had significance in the Persian origins of the Mughal empire, where red was the exclusive colour of imperial tents. Koch points out that the hierarchical use of red sandstone and white marble can be traced to an eighth century Hindu religious text, Vishnudharmottara Purana, which recommended white stone buildings for Brahmins and red stone buildings for Kshatriyas. By using this colour combination, the Mughals were trying to identify themselves with the leading classes of Indian society and also articulate their imperial status.
Shah Jahans reign saw a further shift in this trend privileging of marble over red sandstone structures so characteristic of Akbars period. Several red sandstone buildings at the Agra and Lahore forts were dismantled and replaced with marble structures. The marble buildings erected inside the Agra fort included the Diwan-i-Am (1627), Diwan-i-Khas (1637), and the Moti Masjid (1654). Likewise, at the Lahore fort, the Diwan-i-Am,
Optical Illusion
Optical control forms an important element in the viewing of the Taj. If one looks at the mausoleum from the Darwaza-i-Rauza, it looks small and distant. As one gradually approaches the monument, it begins to expand and look bigger. Also, many architectural features start becoming noticeable. The spatial arrangement of the formal garden also creates an optical illusion. The tombs of Humayun, Akbar, Itmad-ud-Daulah and Jahangir subscribed to the classic pattern of the tomb being placed at the centre of the char bagh. The Taj made an important improvisation to this schemethe mausoleum, located on the riverfront, was placed at the end of the fourfold garden. This gave a sense of depth to the first view of the mausoleum from the gateway. Some scholars think this had an underlying political symbolism. The scholar Brandenburg argues that the placement of the char bagh at the head of the mausoleum was done to fit in a particular cosmological diagram where the Taj represented the Throne of God. The scholar Wayne Begley thinks that the mausoleum also reflected the perfection and authority of the Mughal leadership. To him the Garden of Paradise also formed the location of the Throne of God on the day of judgment.
The fourfold garden is further divided into four with a system of paved waterways, water channels and parterres and stone-bordered star-shaped buds. In the centre of the garden is a raised marble water tank called hawd al-kawthar (symbolising the tank of abundance promised to Muhammad) with a reflecting pool to reflect the image of the mausoleum.
One of the most unusual features of the Taj garden is the even distribution of water with equal pressure from the lotus-bud-shaped foundation. The scholar S.P. Verma points out that this was done by inserting copper pots in the water course between the underground water pipes and the fountains.
Pietra dura
The technique of inlaying marble with precious and semi-precious stones is called pietra dura. It was first developed in Florence (Italy) during the 16th century. An example of such an inlay, though with typically Islamic motifs, of flowers, cypresses, floral arabesques, vases and wine pots was first seen in the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah. Inlaying white marble with precious and semi-precious stones such as lapis, onyx, jasper, topaz, cornelian, and so on, is taken to its classic form in the surface decoration at the Taj Mahal. Koch and scholars such as Henry Hosten have suggested that the technique was introduced in the Mughal court by European lapidaries, primarily Austin or Augustin de Bordeaux, a French lapidary known during Jahangirs time. This has been opposed by several scholars who say that the Florentine pietra dura is principally figurative and its only instance in Mughal architecture can be seen in the alcove behind the emperors throne in the Diwan-i-Am at the Red Fort at New Delhi (constructed between 1643 and 1648). Some locate it within the larger indigenous tradition of parchinkari, in which inlay was done on metal (for example, artefacts from Bidri and Muradabad) and wood. In the case of the Mughals, the idea of the form and design is principally Islamic and the motifs were borrowed from Persian example.
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