• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIBI KA MAQBARA

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer 1 Comment

Aurangabad, Maharashtra

The Bibi Ka Maqbara is arguably India’s second greatest mausoleum. However, being in the shadow of the world famous Taj Mahal, the Bibi Ka Maqbara is virtually forgotten in wider India, and almost unknown around the world. Built by the son of Shah Jahan for his first wife, the Bibi Ka Maqbara bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, to which it is often compared. In fact, it is often referred to as the Taj of the Deccan Plateau. Because it is lesser known and in a lesser accessible location, the Bibi Ka Maqbara remains one of India’s much less visited and much more rewarding sacred sites.

History

Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India. He replaced his father, Shah Jahan, after a rebellion/civil war that resulted in his ascendency over his father and brothers. His mother was Mumtaz Mahal, the Mughal empress for whom the Taj Mahal was built. Under Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire in India reached its greatest extent, and it is believed that he was the wealthiest monarch in the world at the time.

It was under Aurangzeb that the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his mother, was completed. Like his father, Aurungzeb also had a great love of is life: Dilras Banu Begum. Dilras was considered one of the most beautiful women in the empire, and she became Aurungzeb’s first wife. She had five children with him, and she died shortly after giving birth to her fifth child.

After her death, the emperor was stricken with grief. Although there were other wives, Dilras was never replaced as empress. In imitation of his father, he endeavored to construct for her a tomb of such magnificence that it would stand for all time. The result was the Bibi Ka Maqbara, the Tomb of the Lady. He had it built in the city of Aurangabad, which served briefly as the capital of his realm.

Although originally intended to rival the Taj Mahal, the budget-conscious Aurangzeb ultimately made this tribute to his wife somewhat smaller than its more famous predecessor, if not less grand. Nevertheless it was the largest project undertaken during his reign, which represented the height of the Mughal Empire in India.

Visiting

While the Bibi Ka Maqbara is often considered to be little more than a smaller imitation of the Taj Mahal, it is without question a spectacular edifice in its own right. Constructed in white marble, the huge complex features a massive central mausoleum flanked by four towering minarets. Long approaches to the mausoleum are graced by narrow reflecting pools. A large marble-faced mosque stands just next to the mausoleum within the complex.

The interior of the mausoleum is done almost completely in marble, with virtually no traces of any other color except for white, from the interior of the dome right down to every individual alcove. Almost the only color in the place is the drapery over the tomb of Dilras.

The Bibi Ka Maqbara is located close to the city center of Aurangabad, approximately 180 miles east of Mumbai. As of this writing no visitor information was available. Web: http://asi.nic.in (official website).

Other Sites

For whatever reason, Aurungzeb was not buried in his namesake city with his wife. Instead, the Tomb of Aurungzeb is located a few miles away in Khuldabad.

Filed Under: Muslim Tagged With: India (South)/Sri Lanka

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. G .KUMAR says

    September 13, 2017 at 6:11 am

    Excellent

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.