|
Akbar started building his own
mausoleum, near Agra, that was to be a perfect blend of Hindu,
Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Jain designs and motifs, bespeaking
of his religious tolerance and secular views. However, he could not
complete it and died. Thus, his son Jehangir completed his tomb,
popularly known as Sikandra after Sikandra Lodi, who established the
community where Akbar's Tomb is located. However, Jehangir made
quite a number of alterations in the original plan, in keeping with
the development of Mughal art and architecture.
The tomb has three-storeyed red
sandstone minarets displaying wondrous inlay work of marble on the
four corners of the building. 'Langurs', black-faced monkeys have
found a safe haven in the beautiful gardens surrounding the
mausoleum and often stray to the walkways too.
One can see the Baradi palace in the gardens built by Sikander Lodhi.
The tomb building is shaped like a truncated pyramid and has five
storeys while the main tomb has a distinct square design. There are
spacious cloisters on the ground floor. An elaborately decorated
vestibule occupies the centre of the southern side, highlighted by
exquisite carvings, artistic paintings and inlay work in geometric
and floral designs enshrining the tombstone of Akbar. Other tombs on
this floor belong to Shakrul Nisha Begum and Aram Bano, the
daughters of Akbar.
The ornamental arch and square
pillar on the second storey looks unique. The third and fourth
storeys also have identical arrangement of arches supported on
pillars and chhatris adorning the façades. All the storeys are built
in red stone except the fifth one, which is entirely in white
marble. |
