The Roza or the main mausoleum Taj Mahal have been embellished with precious stones by inlay work or Parchinkari, these flowers and leaves are rare and sacred, this virtuous decoration cannot be described in words.
The Mughal rule was at its peak during the reign of Shah Jahan. This happened for almost 100 years of incomparable prosperity and peace. As a result, during this period the world got an opportunity to witness the unique development of the arts and culture of the Mughal rule. Shah Jahan is called the architect king. Shah Jahan is remembered for the Taj Mahal, which he built in white marble for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra.
Most of the tourists are surprised when they enter the main tomb and due to the crowd, the security personnel do not give an opportunity to understand the exquisite inlay work and the beautiful attractive colorful precious stone figures of flowers and leaves due to the crowd and it seems that tourists, don’t wish to understand the floral decoration. Even tourist guides also highlight little about the various flowers.
Plants and flowers iconography engraved in Taj Mahal’s main Mausoleum is a precious trove of architectural decoration, illustrating thriving, complex and exquisite samples of different kinds of plants and flowers, carved mainly in the marble of the main mausoleum. Unique Florentine technique pietra Dura is adopted to represent the special flowers by inlaying precious and semi precious stones, on the white marble.
The Main Mausoleum can be accessed through an archway in the main Iwan. Central octagonal chamber below the largest acoustic dome has the two cenotaphs, surrounded by eight marble’s decorated screened balustrades of life-size height. These are not the original graves as original graves are at the garden’s floor level, and they can be accessed via a decorated archway in line with the Southern entrance.
Various flowers and plants of various families are depicted on the Iwans, wall panels, surrounding balustrade rails, poles, frames all of white marble intricately. For these very special works, excellent skillful Pietra Dura makers and lapidarist were engaged and most of them were from Europe, Persia etc. As mostly floral representation belongs to the European countries and few from Indian native. Turkish, Iranian, Chinese and some species belong to the State. Of course strange, but Mughals were having good relations with Europeans, Turkish, Iranian, etc. Hence they were closely connected with flowers, fragrances, fruits etc.
Magnolia is a widely used ornamental tree or shrub, whose flowers are creamy pale pink, grown in gardens for decoration and are frequently depicted in the main tomb.
Orchid is depicted in the divine aspect in pietra dura placed on the top of tulip body and varying periodically with the river anemone having many roots and five petals. The glorious lily also known as Tiger Claws, which is not a local flower but very attractive, depicted in Pietra Dura and Carvings in the main Mausoleum. Iris, Siroi Lily, Turk’s cap Lily, Dzokou Lily, Sea Lily, Toad Lily, Ginger, Jasmin, Honeysuckle, Primrose, Rose, Pomegranate, Oriental Poppy, Chrysanthemum on railings or balustrades, Cornflower on the triangular portion of the secondary Iwans, Clematis also known as Virgin Bower it’s a Chinese flower having seven petals depicted in the main Mausoleum, Common fig, form of Bodhi tree on Iwan, etc.
Daffodil and Nargis or Narcissus are plants of the same family with mild-sweet aroma. About its origin there are many legends. The importance of Nargis, considered auspicious in art, literature, alive in various cultures, a symbol of spring, from death to good luck, is known all over the world. The invention of many fragrances would not have been possible without Nargis, it is still the national flower of Wales. It is mentioned in the Bible and was very much liked by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as a popular narration If you have a loaf of bread, sell half of it and buy Narcissus flowers; For the bread nourishes the body, but the flowers of Narcissus feed the soul.
The lotus is a very sacred and important flower in Hindu iconography. It is depicted on the top of the Iwan in the Taj Mahal.
Shah Jahan preferred precious and semi-precious stones for this ornamental work and also imported them from foreign countries. Like Jasper from Punjab, Jade from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli or Sapphire from Ceylon, White Diamonds from Panna India were used in whole ornamentation work.
Taj Mahal is a classical academy for the Botanists, Horticulturists, Naturists, Taxonomists, Artists and Tourists from all over the World, as depiction of many flowers and plants are not local to Subcontinent they are mostly from Europe, Persia, Turkey, US, China etc.
Pics of Floral ornamentation
