My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
Shahjahan built a monument for the love of his life – his
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The monument has come to symbolize love over the centuries.
His son, Aurangzeb considered his father’s love of luxury and opulence with
contempt, and chose an all too simple lifestyle dedicated to his religious
beliefs. It was probably inevitable, considering that years of decadence had
seriously depleted the royal coffers. None of the rulers after Aurangzeb
managed to make their mark on Indian history – neither with their conquests,
nor with construction. One of the prime examples of this is the Bibi Ka
Maqbara.
The Bibi Ka Maqbara was built by Azam Shah, the oldest son
of Aurangzeb. This was his attempt to rival the Taj Mahal built by his
grandfather, albeit in memory of his mother, Rabia Durrani, the first wife of
Aurangzeb. Unfortunately, he lacked the treasury his grandfather had access to,
as well as the skilled labour the treasury bought. Today, the Bibi Ka Maqbara
is simply a replica of the Taj, and is popularly known as the ‘Deccani Taj’ – the Taj of the Deccan.
Azam Shah’s only claim to fame is the Bibi Ka Maqbara. He
was the son of Aurangzeb, but he was Emperor of India for a very short time – a
period less than three months! He declared himself emperor after the death of
his father, but within three months, he was defeated and executed by his brother,
Shah Alam.
Seen by itself, the Bibi Ka Maqbara is a beautiful piece of
work, but it pales in comparison to its famous forbearer.
While I am neither an
architect nor an architectural expert, there is just something about the
proportion of the structure, at first sight, which makes it appear a poor
cousin of the Taj. Incidentally, the structure isn’t much younger than the Taj.
Construction of the Taj Mahal was completed in 1653, while the Bibi Ka Maqbara
was built sometime between 1651 and 1661. The difference lies not in age, but
in detail and opulence... especially the latter. It is said that while the Taj
Mahal was built at a cost of approximately 32 million rupees, the amount
allocated to Azam Shah for the Bibi Ka Maqbara was a paltry 7 lakhs!
Azam Shah must have been a young man at the time.... he had
to wait over half a century before claiming his right to the throne. I wonder –
would the result have been different if Azam Shah had access to the royal
treasury instead of the handout from his father, the emperor? Or would the
result have been the same?
As you said in its own right it is beautiful but compared to Taj Mahal many things will pale!
ReplyDeleteYes, Mridula, not many monuments manage to stand up to the Taj!
DeleteI didn't see Taj as well as Bibi ka Maqbara. So I don't know how to compare. Thanks for sharing the information and pictures of beautiful monument
ReplyDeleteVishal, i shall expect your comments after you visit both!
DeleteHave heard a lot about this monument. Got to visit.
ReplyDeletewww.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in