Taj Mahal Mausoleum

The eye-catching pure white marble platform is constructed in square and enriched by four marble faced three-storey minarets with the pillared domes of octagonal chhatris toppings. The vaulted tunnel stairs reach to the platform from the riverfront terrace in the centre of the southern side. The centre of the rest three sides opens via two doors to a long room lit by jalis (cage window) in hexagonal patterns. The doors are the entrance of the small square rooms which give access to the long room as connecting rooms. The rooms once used for the imperial family’s resting place are now functioning for storage.

The façades of the platform is ornamented continuously with the blind arches and round shaped figures followed by rectangular frames above.

The Mausoleum (rauza-i manauwara, rauza-i mutahhara, rauza-i maqqadas)

The mausoleum –known with the names of “holy tomb” (rauza-i maqqadas), “illuminated tomb” (rauza-i munauwara) and “pure tomb” (rauza-i mutahhara) unquestionably deserves all these expressions with its perfect order, harmony, purity and symmetry.

“Hasht Bihisht”, the architectural plan preferred by the Moguls for tombs and garden pavilions is used in the mausoleum skillfully in cross-axial symmetry. The plan is set on “Baghdadi Octagon” with four long and four short sides in corners. The basic cross pattern(+) intersects with the second (x) pattern linking the central hall to the four corner rooms. The ground plan is alike with the upper floor.

Exterior

The influence of naturalism is commonly felt through the detailed decorations of the plinth’s carvings. The pishtaq halls above the plinth are ornamented with the carvings of flower patterns growing up from the ground namely tulip, narcissus with smaller flowers and framed by leaf motifs “pietra dura”. Geometrically designed, yellow and black coloured rectangular frames with eight-side stars on the corners embellish the over-plinth decoration facing the garden.

The pishtaqs are framed by the passages of Qur’an emphasizing the divine forgiveness, the Last Judgment and reward for the faithful believers. The top of rectangular frames dominate the inner walls of the pishtaq halls. The arched doors of the pishtaqs are covered with jalis, the cages designed in honeycomb pattern. The door on the ground floor is larger than the one above. The sub-pishtaqs are rather smaller and smaller and simple without pattern. The blind arches surround the halls of the sub-pishtaqs. The caged door is located in the center.

The Tomb Chamber

As the perfect reflection of Mumtaz Mahal’s paradise-like eternal house, the mausoleum below the domed hall is the core of the complex with its unique decoration, harmony and the echo. The octagonal hall contains eight niches on each of the two storey which are equal in size but differ in their elevation. The details of the ground floor resemble the outside pishtaqs. All eight niches are ornamented with flower patterns followed by multi-cusped blind arches. The niches are topped by inlaid flowers within the frames of the inscriptions while the niches on the second floor have only the blind arches and rectangular frameworks. The two floors are bordered with a large line of inscription from the Qur’an. Some of the niches on both floors are covered only with jalis. The floor is patterned geometrically with the border of lobed cartouches in black and white marbles. The naturalistic flower vases are the perfect decoration for the symbolism of the paradise.

Upper Cenotaphs

The cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan together with the screen create unique decoration made of flower and plant patterns, ornamented with semi-precious stones.

The octagonal screen surrounding the tombs are divided into three frames on each side filled with jalis having attractive plant elements which is unlikely to the geometric jalis patterns of the entire Taj Mahal. Each corner of the octagon is topped with kalasha, a globe-like shape topped with a pointed-shape.

The actual burials are located in the lower chamber room according to the Mogul traditions. The cenotaphs in the lower room are similar in design.

The tomb of Mumtaz Mahal is in the center of the hall and the larger cenotaph of Shah Jahan is situated on the western side of the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal which is according to some “ a later planned” burial. The heads of the tombs are on the north, towards Mecca. The tomb of Shah Jahan is topped by a pen case in order to emphasize its being a male tomb.

The east side of the upper cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal starts with inscriptions from sura 83 of the Qur’an and continues with verse of 30 of sura 41 on the other sides aiming to comfort her soul. The epitaph at the foot end of the tomb on the south reads “The illuminated grave of Arjumand Banu Begam, entitled Mumtaz Mahal, who died in the year 1040” ( ad. 1631).

The upper cenotaph of Shah Jahan is without any inscription from Qur’an but only an epitaph on the foot which reads “This is the sacred grave of His Most Exalted Majesty, Dweller in Paradise, Second Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction, Shah Jahan, Padshah; may it ever be fragrant! The year 1076” (ad. 1666).

The usage of the red flowers both on the screen and the cenotaphs is the reflection of the death and blood as in Persian and Turkish poetry. “Poppies” are used in the poems of Turkish poet Ahi which might also be the influence of the identifiable usage of poppies on the surface of the tomb of Shah Jahan.

Screen

The screen is ornamented with different patterns of flowers namely, columbines, honeysuckles and poppies. The cresting part on the upper level of the screen is decorated with lilies inside a vase. Most of the flower patterns are topped by one blossom and two symmetrical blossom groups below.