Another one ? Surely not ? The Taj of the Deccan, a hexagonal structure set on a square platform, situated in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, is at first sight, a faithful copy of the famous Taj Mahal of Agra and there are other similarities..... It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century, about 30 years after the earlier Taj, as a mausoleum in memory of his first wife Rabia, who was the daughter of the beloved Mumtaz Mahal, for whom Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra, early in the 17th c.
Furthermore the architect of the later Taj, Ata-ullah, was the son of the Afghani architect who designed the famous Taj Mahal. So the links between the two were firmly established. It was meant to rival the earlier structure, but Aurangzeb did not have the financial resources of Shah Jahan, nor was he particularly interested in architecture and so much less money was spent on materials. Marble brought from Jaipur by ox wagon, was used only up to dado level and again for the dome itself, but the area in between was simply plastered and polished to give it a fine sheen.
The exquisite proportions of the famous Taj Mahal in Agra and the fabulous use of marble, take it to a sublime level, which is reminiscent of a painting by Raphael - perfection, to which nothing can be added or taken away, it establishes a dialogue and conveys a sense of poignancy, which the viewer simply feels and understands.
The Taj of the Deccan - Aurangabad, Maharashtra - 1760s
Furthermore the architect of the later Taj, Ata-ullah, was the son of the Afghani architect who designed the famous Taj Mahal. So the links between the two were firmly established. It was meant to rival the earlier structure, but Aurangzeb did not have the financial resources of Shah Jahan, nor was he particularly interested in architecture and so much less money was spent on materials. Marble brought from Jaipur by ox wagon, was used only up to dado level and again for the dome itself, but the area in between was simply plastered and polished to give it a fine sheen.
The exquisite proportions of the famous Taj Mahal in Agra and the fabulous use of marble, take it to a sublime level, which is reminiscent of a painting by Raphael - perfection, to which nothing can be added or taken away, it establishes a dialogue and conveys a sense of poignancy, which the viewer simply feels and understands.
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