holiday plan: Bibi Ka Maqbara is another one famous spot in aurangabad

The Bibi Ka Maqbara (English:"Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was commissioned by the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1660, in the memory of his first wife and chief consort, Dilras Banu Begum.

striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal:-

It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's mother, Mumtaz Mahal. It is notable that Aurangzeb never raised monumental edifices during his half-a-century reign, but made just one exception, that is, to build the mausoleum of his wife.

He was not very interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that Aurangzeb had to his credit.

Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan):-

The comparison to the Taj Mahal has often obscured its very own considerable charm. Due to the strong resemblance, it is also called the Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan). The Bibi Ka Maqbara is the principal monument of Aurangabad and its historic city.

An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. Ata-ullah was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.

History:-

Bibi ka Maqbara is believed to have been built between 1651 and 1661 C.E. According to the "Tarikh Namah" of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction of the mausoleum was Rs. 6,68,203-7 (rupees six lakh, sixty-eight thousand, two hundred three and seven annas) – Aurangzeb allocated only Rs. 7,00,000 for its construction.

An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur.

According to Ta-vernier, around three hundred carts laden with marble, drawn by at least 12 oxen, were seen by him during his journey from Surat to Golconda. The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but the decline in architecture and proportions of the structure (both due to the severe budgetary constraints imposed by Aurangzeb) had resulted in a poor copy of the latter.

Maqbara pics :-