Indian Tajmahal : Exterior Decoration | A Marvel in Marble

The Plinth | The Marbel Platform | The Pishtaqs | The Dome | The Minarets | The Riverfront Terrace | The Roof Terrace | The Main ornamentation

The house of God establishes the shape that the Mihman Khana follows. it's supported a regular sort that the Mughals took over from the country design of urban center, specifically that of AN rectangular huge prayer hall shaped of rounded bays or rooms organized in an exceedingly row with a dominant central pishtaq and domes. The elevation of house of God and Mihman Khana takes its cue from the good gate, the third monumental subsidiary building of the ceremonial garden (their relationship is additionally declared on the general arrange, wherever they type the points of a integrative triangle).

THE PLINTH :

The sepulture sits on a pedestal, embellished with delicate relief carvings (munabbat kari) of plant parts. this sort of ornament, orthodox to the principles of esthetical attention to detail and selective naturalism, is reserved for very cheap zone of the building, wherever it may well be straight off appreciated by the viewer. realistic ornament additionally seems on top of the pedestal, within the spectacular flowering plants of the dados of the pishtaq halls.

THE MARBLE PLATFORM OF THE sepulture (TAKHTGAH) :

Monumental platforms housing the topographic point chamber, on top of the particular burial, had been a outstanding feature of Mughal mausoleums. The platform is sq. ANd its corners area unit accentuated by the four minarets that project as 5 sides of an polygon. it's depart from the horizontal surface of the terrace by paving with AN interlocking pattern of white marble octagons into that area unit set fourpointed arenaceous rock stars, encircled by a border with alternating long and short cartouches, a lobate variant of the angular pattern that frames the garden walkways. within the centre of the southern aspect of the platform, towards the garden, arc 2 flights of stairs, part coated by tunnel vaults, which give the sole access from the terrace up to the amount of the sepulture.

In the centre of the opposite 3 sides trilateral bait within the kind of AN open rectangular area flanked by 2 sq. cells, all coated with coved ceilings, is about into the platform. The central area has 3 arched openings akin to the trefoil-headed blind arches, stuffed with jalis within the polygonal shape pattern found everyplace within the complex; atiny low rectangular window is take away the central jali. These cell reached through doors area unit used for storage, these rooms most likely originally served visiting members of the imperial family as an area to retire and rest; or maybe the Qur'an reciters stayed here once they weren't on duty.

THE PISHTAQS OR MONUMENTAL PORCHES :

The pishtaqs embrace 2 storeys, and in their back walls area unit superimposed arched doors, larger below and smaller on top of. each doors area unit stuffed with an oblong framework containing jalis shaped of little polygonal shape parts in an exceedingly honeycomb pattern. The setting of the door on the bottom floor echoes that of the outer pishtaq arch: it's framed with AN inscription band, and its spandrels show an easier version of arabesques. The door of the higher floor is integrated into the transition zone of the half-vault, shaped of arches.

THE DOME : 

The marble dome that surmounts the topographic point is that the most spectacular feature is accentuated because it sits on a cylindrical "drum" that is roughly twenty three feet high. due to its form, the dome is usually known as AN dome. the highest is embellished with a lotus style, that additionally serves to intensify its height. the form of the dome is stressed by four smaller vaulted chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, that replicate the onion form of the most dome. Their columniform bases open through the roof of the topographic point and supply lightweight to the inside. Tall ornamental spires extend from edges of base walls, and supply visual stress to the peak of the dome. The lotus motif is continual on each the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris area unit screw-topped by a gilded ornamentation, that mixes ancient Persian and Hindu ornamental parts.

THE MINARETS (MINAR) :

Four minarets every quite one hundred thirty feet tall, show the designer's taste for symmetry is about at the corners of the platform of the sepulture and complete the study composition. They were designed as operating minarets, a standard component of mosques, utilized by the announcer to

call the Islamic devoted to prayer. every tower is effectively divided into 3 equal components by 2 operating balconies that ring the tower. At the highest of the tower could be a final balcony head by a chattri that mirrors the look of these on the topographic point. The chattris all share identical ornamental parts of a lotus style screw-topped by a gilded ornamentation. The way opens through rectangular doors onto the balconies, and windows providing lightweight and ventilation. though these area unit coated with grilles, the inside is choked with loony, that makes the ascent troublesome as a result of they react with hysteria to a human entrance. The minarets produce a special aura round the sepulture, and also the Mughals taken them as mediators to the higher sphere. For Lahauri they were 'like ladders to the foot of the sky' and to Kanbo they appeared as 'accepted prayers from the guts of a pure person that have up to heaven'. The minarets were made slightly outside of the pedestal in order that, within the event of collapse, (a typical prevalence with several tall constructions of the period) the fabric from the towers would tend to fall aloof from the topographic point.

THE RIVERFRONT TERRACE (CHABUTRA) :

The terrace of the mausoleum is that the most bold ever in-built a Mughal riverfront garden theme, new in size and decoration and one in every of the foremost spectacular platforms within the history of design. Its full splendour is displayed towards the stream, wherever it forms AN uninterrupted red arenaceous rock band twenty eight feet half dozen inches high from very cheap visible pedestal and 984 feet long, with elaborate decoration in relief and inlay work. The riverfront terrace was the primary a part of the mausoleum complicated to be designed. All the area unitas are differentiated by their paving in variable geometrical patterns of dark and light-weight arenaceous rock.

THE ROOF TERRACE :

Staircases coated by pointed barrel vaults lead from the bottom floor to roof level. On the higher floor they come into being from the corridors between the central hall and also the 2 southern corner rooms, and emerge at the perimeters of the east and west pishtaqs. As within the nice gate, there's a system of ventilation shafts. The terrace is dominated by the outer dome, that rises with its high drum like AN freelance tower within the centre. The transition zone between drum and dome is decorated with a moulding with a twisted rope style in inlay. At its high could be a crowning component

formed of lotus leaves, that had become a regular motif of Indian Islamic design. From this rises a ornamentation shaped of superimposed gilded bulbs screw-topped by a crescent.

The dome is encircled by four chhatris that, because the Mughal historians tell United States of America expressly, type the third floor of the polygonal shape corner chambers, within the form of polygonal shape columned vaulted structures. The roof terrace is encircled between the pishtaqs by a high parapet, and its corners area unit accentuated by the guldastas terminating the shafts on the corners of the sepulture.

THE MAIN ornamentation :

The main ornamentation was originally product of gold however was replaced by a duplicate product of gilded bronze within the early nineteenth century. This feature provides a transparent example of integration of ancient Persian and Hindu ornamental parts. The ornamentation is screw-topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns purpose heavenward. due to such placements on the most steeple, it creates a lance form, paying homage to ancient Hindu symbols of Shiva.

The penmanship on the good Gate reads "O Soul, M art at rest. come to the Lord gone with Him, and He gone with you."