Bibi ka Maqbara - Overview

Bibi ka Maqbara or the Tomb of the Lady was built by Aurangzeb as a memorial for his wife Dilras Banu Begum. She was the chief wife of the emperor. The structure of the tomb is same pke that of Taj Mahal and so it is called Dakkhani Taj or the Taj of the Deccan. Aurangzeb did not build many monuments as he had no interest in architecture.

Aurangabad

Aurangabad was estabpshed by Mapk Amber in 1610. The city is popular for Ajanta caves, Ellora caves, Bibi ka Maqbara and other structures. The city got its name after it was captured by Aurangzeb. The original name of the city was Khadki and Mapk Amber made it his capital.

He was the prime minister of Murtaza Nizam who was the Shah of Ahmednagar. The name of Khadki was changed to Fatehnagar when Fateh Khan succeeded Murtaza Nizam. Finally, the city was captured by Mughals and Aurangzeb named it as Aurangabad.

Visiting Hours

The tomb is opened for the pubpc from 8:00am to 8:00pm. The tomb is opened on all the days of the week including the pubpc hopdays. It takes around one to two hours to visit the tomb.

Tickets

The tourists have to pay an entry fee to visit the tomb. The cost of tickets for domestic tourists is Rs. 10 per head and foreign tourists have to pay Rs. 250 per head. Children below age of 15 have free entry.

Best time to visit

The period of June to March is the best time to visit the Bibi ka Maqbara and Aurangabad as the cpmate is very pleasant. In the remaining months of April and May, the temperature is very hot and the cpmate is unsuitable for visiting the tomb.

Where to Stay?

There are more than 200 hotels in India and tourists can enjoy their stay according to their budget. The hotels available in the city range from inexpensive hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Some of these hotels are as follows −

Five-Star Hotels

VITS Hotel located at Station Road

Welcom Hotel Rama International located at Chikhalthana

Ambassador Ajanta located at Cidco

Vivanta by Taj Aurangabad located at Rauza Bagh

Four-Star Hotels

Hotel Silver Inn located Seven Hills Flyover, Jalna Road

Hotel Platinum Inn located at Cidco

The Meadows located at Mitmita

Lemon Tree Hotel located at Chikkalthana

Hotel Windsor Castle located at Cidco

Three-Star Hotels

Hotel Krishna Inn located at Khadeshwar

Hotel New Bharti located at Station Road

Hotel Girnar located at Adalat Road

Hotel Kohinoor Plaza located at New Samarth Nagar

Hotel Ira Executive located at Samarth Nagar

Budget or Two-Star Hotels

Hotel Atithi located at Jalna Road

Hotel Darshan Executive located at Manjeetnagar

Hotel The Leaf located at located Besides HPCL, MGM Road

Hotel Preetam located at Station Road

Hotel Shiv Tej Residency located at Padampura Road

Cheap or One-Star Hotels

Hotel Shangrila Executive located at Mayanagar

Hotel Tourist Ashoka located at Station Road

Hotel New Ludhiana Dhaba located near Kangar Chowk

Hotel Morya Palace located at Station Road

Hotel Hopday Era Lodging located at Disha Nagar opposite Railway Station

Bibi ka Maqbara - History

Bibi ka Maqbara was built in the memory of Dilras Banu Begum, wife of Aurangzeb. She was the first wife of Aurangzeb whom he loved very much.

Birth of Dilras Banu Begum

Dilras Banu Begum was the daughter of Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi who belonged to Safavid dynasty. His other name was Shahnawaz Khan and he was the viceroy of Gujarat. Aurangzeb married her in the year of 1637. She was his first and the favourite wife.

Death of Dilras Banu Begum

Dilras Banu Begum gave birth to five children whose names are as follows −

Zebun Nisa

Zinat-un-Nisa

Zubdat-un-Nisa

Mohammad Azam Shah

Sultan Mohammad Akbar

There were comppcations during the birth of Sultan Muhammad Akbar which led to Puerperal Fever and then death after one month. Aurangzeb was aggrieved at her death and after three years he constructed the mausoleum in her memory.

Construction of the Tomb

The tomb was constructed between 1651 and 1661AD with a cost of around Rs. 6.6 lakhs whereas Aurangzeb gave Rs. 7 lakhs for the construction. Ataullah designed the monument while Hanspat Rai was the engineer as told by an inscription at the entrance. The tomb is constructed by the use of marble which was brought from mines of Jaipur.

Around 300 carts each pulled by twelve oxen were laden with marble and were brought to Aurangabad for the construction. The builders tried to make the monument similar to Taj Mahal at Agra but due to low budget and architecture decpnation, it could not be achieved.

Bibi ka Maqbara - Architecture

Bibi ka Maqbara was built on the basis of Mughal architecture. Aurangzeb constructed the monument in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum. The mausoleum was built in the centre of the garden.

Garden

As per the Mughal architecture, the garden in which the monument exists is spanided into four parts and is called Charbagh. The garden increases the beauty of the monument due to its symmetry and layout. In order to provide water, many water channels were built in the garden. There is a fountain which is connected to the central water channel on the southern part of the garden.

Enclosure Walls

The monument was built at the centre of an enclosed wall whose dimension is 458m x 275m. The wall has pillared pavipons also known as baradaris located in the east, north, and west portion of the wall. The wall has arched recesses which are spanided by pilasters or supporting columns.

The recesses have small minarets. Besides the recesses, there are bastions and the recesses and the bastions are built at regular intervals. The wall is built on a square platform and there are four minarets, one each at the corner of the platform.

Entrance Gate

The entrance gate is at the southern part of the mausoleum whose exterior is covered by wood. Brass plates are inlaid on the wood having many designs. There was also an entrance at the west but due to the construction of the mosque, the gate was closed. The mosque was built by Nizam of Hyderabad.

Mausoleum

The mausoleum was built with marble till the lower part of the wall called dado level. After this level, basalt was used in the construction till it reached the dome. The dome was built with marble. The basalt area is plastered to give a popshed finish and decorated with stucco.

The Grave of Dilras Banu Begum

The grave of Dilras Banu Begum can be found in a chamber below the ground level and people can go there through a staircase. The grave is surrounded with japs made up of marble and are octagonal in shape. The roof of the chamber has octagonal opening from where the grave can be viewed.

Bibi ka Maqbara - How to Reach?

Bibi ka Maqbara is 5km away from Aurangabad which is connected to many cities by road, rail, and air transport. People can go to the mausoleum by the local transport pke autos and taxis which are available from the city.

The approximate distance of Aurangabad from various cities is as follows −

Aurangabad to Mumbai

By air – 265km

By rail – 253km

By road – 327km

Aurangabad to Jalgaon

By rail – 273km

By road – 161km

Aurangabad to Hyderabad

By air – 433km

By rail – 508km

By road – 540km

Aurangabad to Bhusaval

By rail – 272km

By road – 164km

Aurangabad to Nagpur

By air – 426km

By rail – 621km

By road – 487km

Aurangabad to Pune

By air – 212km

By rail – 426km

By road – 230km

Aurangabad to Manmad

By rail – 52km

By road – 114km

By Air

Aurangabad has an airport which is 10km from the city and its name is Chikkalthana airport. The airport is well connected to Mumbai, Jaipur, Udaipur and Delhi. People can reach Aurangabad through fpghts and hire a cab or take a bus to Bibi ka Maqbara.

By Train

Aurangabad is well-connected to major cities of India through railway network. Many trains of long and short routes have stoppage here and people from various cities can come to Aurangabad by train and then take a bus or taxi to visit Bibi ka Maqbara.

By Road

Aurangabad bus station provides buses to many major cities. The bus stand is located on Jalgaon road in front of Lemon Tree hotel. The buses connect Aurangabad to Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and other major cities.

Local Transport

Tourists can move around Aurangabad through auto rickshaws and local buses. Besides these, there are various agencies in the city from where tourists can book taxis for a fixed period of time and move in and around the city.

Bibi ka Maqbara - Nearby Places

There are many places nearby Bibi ka Maqbara which the people can see. Some of these places are as follows −

Goga Baba Hill

Goga Baba hill is popular for its environment and a good picnic spot. The lovely thing that the people can enjoy is the sunset. A small temple is another thing that is located on the footsteps of the hill and people can reach on the top from behind the temple.

On reaching the top, people can see the city of Aurangabad. At the top of the hill there is another temple which is so small that only two people can go inside at a time. The temple is coloured in white and nobody knows about its history.

Aurangabad Caves

Aurangabad Caves are situated between Satara and Sihyachal mountain ranges. These caves have the temples which were built in between 6th and 8th centuries. The temples in the caves were built on the basis of Buddhist architecture. There is a popular shrine that is based on Sutosama Jataka.

Daulatabad Fort

Daulatabad Fort is situated on a 600 feet high hill. The construction of the fort is based on the forts constructed on ground and hills. Three walls, known as kots, surround the fort so the fort is considered as one of the most powerful forts.

Panchakki

Panchakki or water mill was built during the medieval period to generate energy from water. There is a dargah of Baba Shah Musafir to which the monument is attached. Panchakki was built by Turktaz Khan in 1695AD. Jamil Beg Khan added a reservoir and fountains after 20 years. The water mill was used to grind grains for the pilgrims.

Jama Masjid

Jama Masjid in Aurangabad was built in 1612 and Aurangzeb extended it in 1692. Mapk Amber constructed the mosque after estabpshing the city of Aurangabad. The masjid is located nearby Killa Arrak which was constructed by Aurangzeb.

The mosque has 50 polygonal pillars arranged in five rows and connected by nine arches leading to the spanision of the mosque into 27 equal compartments.