Tomb of Mariam uz Zamani, Agra Uttar Pradesh India.
Maryam Uz Zamani was the most beloved of all the wives to the Mughal emperor Akbar. After delivering a son she was titled as Mariam Uz Zamani at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar respected her feelings throughout in his life.
Mariam Uz Zamani was the daughter of Raja Bharmal Kachhwaha of Amer, Jaipur and was married to Akbar in 1562 AD. She gave birth to Prince Salim later became the Mughal emperor Jehangir in 1600 AD. She died in Agra in 1623 AD and her son Jehangir built this impressive Tomb between 1623-1627 AD.
This was originally built by Lodi rulers as an pen pavilion which was acquired by the Emperor Jehangir and changed into a tomb by making a grave chamber below the central compartment reconstructing the four facades of the building with carved red sandstone panels and a stone hanging with addition of intermediate floors at the corners and reconstructed the upper structure with magnificent Umbrellas and rectangular Palanquins.
This square tomb stands in the centre of a garden. The plan consists of two through corridors at regular interval East to West and North to Southe from one end to the other ie from every third archway intersecting each other at right angles, dividing the interior into nine sections: a large one in the centre, four small square ones at the corners and four rectangular ones in the middle of four sides massive pillars and walls have been used to support the broad arches and vaulted ceilings, construction is in brick and mortar, finished by fine plaster.
On each facade is an arch in the centre, set in a rectangular frame which projects forward. It is flanked, on either side, by a wing which consists of three arches and a set of double arches, one over the other, thus accommodating a mezzanine at each corner of the building, arches are pointed, wings are protected by hangouts.
The tomb building has three cenotaphs: one in the basement as flight’s of steps leading to the grave chamber, one cenotaph above it on the ground floor and one cenotaph on the terrace.
Its upper structure is composed of four massive octagonal umbrellas on the four corners of the building and four rectangular Palanquins in the middle of the four sides. Below the octagonal umbrellas at ground floor segmented archways and at the mezzanine pointed arches. Structure is built on a raised plinth, can be accessed by the stone steps through vaulted archways as central one is the grand one. Each octagonal umbrella built by red sandstone stands majestically on a square platform beautiful brackets have been used to support the internal lintels and external chhajja, five on each pillar, making a total of 40 brackets in one chhatri each chhaparkhat Or palanquin is rectangular and has eight pillars with a similar cluster of brackets these chhatris and chhaparkhats constitute the most important ornament of the whole composition they dominate as much on facade as on superstructure. Whole exterior is richly carved having flowers vases, fringes, and other ornamental motifs. Red sandstone and buffed color stones are used to distinguish the panels. As Jehangir was very much cautious about the color schemes and because of the harmonize colors on exterior made this monument much attractive.
Jahangir’s immense attraction towards architecture and art like his ancestors took this tomb to a new horizon in terms of architecture. Even without the dome, this building is marvelous and attractive. It’s a wonderful and magnificent monument and now serving to the couples as a lovers paradise. Umbrellas are having domes with inverted lotus at the peak and Palanquins are with hipped roof which are having ornamented octagonal and rectangular bases respectively.
It’s a major attraction among the art and architecture lovers. It’s a major attraction among the tourists, located about 1.5 Km from the Akbar’s Tomb Sikandara. Online ticket facility is available on all archaeological sights, after beginning of the pandemic everything is changing. It display the Rajasthani & Mughal architecture, appears to be a grand Royal Palace.
