Even though the glorious Itimad-ud-Daulah was built first, it is nicknamed the Baby Taj because it resembles its more famous relation the Taj Mahal. But because the baby came first, it gets talked about first.
So here it is:
Everyone who knows much abut the Taj Mahal knows it was built as a mausoleum by the Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, known as Mumtaz. But few don't know (or at least I didn't know) that Mumtaz's grandfather was originally a Persian nobleman who became the Indian emperor's chief minister. His daughter married Jahingir, the fourth Mughal emperor. Shah Jahan was Jahingir's son.
Anywho, Jahingar's wife (Nur Jahan) was a devoted wife and daughter. She built a tomb for her husband in Pakistan, and then she built the Baby Taj for her father and mother 4 years before the Taj Mahal was even started. It was the first Mughal building like it in India, made completely of white marble carved with great delicacy, inlaid with semi-precious stones and painted with exquisite motifs.
The inlaid marble, known by craft as "pietra dura", used mostly geometric designs, and relied heavily on black onyx and golden jasper. Painted motifs are more botanical, with the flowers of paradise cropping up (rose, tulip, lily, narcissus, poppy.)
The Itimad-ud-Daulah was also the first tomb to be built along the banks of the Yamuna River, a river perhaps only second in importance to India as the Ganges, and almost as polluted right now as well. The marble structure is surrounded by red sandstone walls, gates, porticos and buildings on either side, one as a mosque and one only to provide symmetry.
Built in a series of gardens following a Persian geometric pattern, the tomb is fairy-like and delicate, the marble like woven icing. Symmetrical like the Taj Mahal, it holds other tombs as well, likely for family members but they are not identified.
The entire place is lovely and quiet, with only a few others strolling around, spending time in the gardens of paradise.
So here it is:
Everyone who knows much abut the Taj Mahal knows it was built as a mausoleum by the Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, known as Mumtaz. But few don't know (or at least I didn't know) that Mumtaz's grandfather was originally a Persian nobleman who became the Indian emperor's chief minister. His daughter married Jahingir, the fourth Mughal emperor. Shah Jahan was Jahingir's son.
Anywho, Jahingar's wife (Nur Jahan) was a devoted wife and daughter. She built a tomb for her husband in Pakistan, and then she built the Baby Taj for her father and mother 4 years before the Taj Mahal was even started. It was the first Mughal building like it in India, made completely of white marble carved with great delicacy, inlaid with semi-precious stones and painted with exquisite motifs.
The inlaid marble, known by craft as "pietra dura", used mostly geometric designs, and relied heavily on black onyx and golden jasper. Painted motifs are more botanical, with the flowers of paradise cropping up (rose, tulip, lily, narcissus, poppy.)
The Itimad-ud-Daulah was also the first tomb to be built along the banks of the Yamuna River, a river perhaps only second in importance to India as the Ganges, and almost as polluted right now as well. The marble structure is surrounded by red sandstone walls, gates, porticos and buildings on either side, one as a mosque and one only to provide symmetry.
Built in a series of gardens following a Persian geometric pattern, the tomb is fairy-like and delicate, the marble like woven icing. Symmetrical like the Taj Mahal, it holds other tombs as well, likely for family members but they are not identified.
The entire place is lovely and quiet, with only a few others strolling around, spending time in the gardens of paradise.
No comments:
Post a Comment