Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders in the world and has a distant brother in the Deccan region of the nation, called by the name ‘Bibi Ka Maqbara’.
This tomb was made by the son of Shah Jahan, emperor Aurangzeb for his first wife as well. The tomb is known by a lot of names like: ‘poor man’s taj mahal’, ‘mini taj mahal’, Dakkhani Taj (taj mahal of the deccan region).
Let us note a few differences between the distantly related Taj’s.
THE CLASH OF FATHER AND SON
It will not be wrong if someone says that Aurangzeb made this monument in a clash with his father, in trying to make such a monument he did not succeed. This tale is not just a clash between the emperor father and son but also the greatest architect of Taj Mahal and his son who constructed the Bibi Ka Maqbara on the orders of the Emperor of Mughal dynasty Aurangzeb.
NOTE: it is also said that the monument was not made by the son of Begum Mumtaz Mahal Aurangzeb but by the son of Aurangzeb in memory of his mother. This has been a disputed topic as people are not clear about the fact that who made the monument in the DECCAN.
MARBLE- GAMBLE
The seventh wonder of the world the greatest Taj Mahal was made with white marbles imported from the countries like Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, and India of course and the Bibi ka maqbara was made up of the marble, which was brought from the mine near Jaipur and was not that rich and amazing. On the other hand, the marble of Taj Mahal is called SANGEMARMARA, which is a rare marble in itself and has its beauty intact till date.
BEAUTY OR JUST A DUTY
The Great Taj Mahal is a beauty which is not just words but is been proven by becoming one of the seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO world heritage site, but such is not the case with the Deccan Taj or the profound name Bibi Ka Maqbara. In comparison to the great Taj, the Bibi Ka Maqbara looks like a duty performed just for the sake of it.
Both the monuments are made in love for their spouses but Shah Jahan‘s wife and Aurangzeb’s mom’s tomb undoubtedly has an upper hand and not the tomb of the beautiful and beloved wife of Emperor Aurangzeb, Dilras Bano Begum.
RICH AND GLITCH
The taj mahal is a beautiful structure and is a very- very rich monument made up of things and materials, which cost like a diamond solitaire but on the other hand, the Bibi ka maqbara is a cheap and very less costly monument from the times of Mughal era. The Taj Mahal has calligraphies, sculpting, engravings, deep-seated designing of the tomb and the garden both but such is not the case with its Deccan replica, and it is a simple and small epitome of the legendary richness and royalty. The seventh wonder of the world and its look-alike has nothing in common except of the fact that these are both from Mughal era and both are made for the wives and by the same family of the architects as well.
Just the sheer beauty of the Taj Mahal kills a traveler and people visit the Bibi ka maqbara for a session of comparison.
Whenever you plan a visit to Mumbai, do drive your way to Aurangabad, the capital city of Aurangzeb at the time of his rule. You can drive from Mumbai or can take an overnight train and reach safely to the city of a Mughal Emperor.
