Architecture of India    
The Mughal Empire
The Taj Mahal  – 2

Taj Mahal - Detail of corner of hasht behisht courtesy Harneet Bhatia

The hasht behisht – ‘eight paradises’ – is the name given to the eight chambers formed in a typical Islamic tomb type, four created by the crossing of the axes, and four by the diagonal chambers left over. In the Taj the hasht behisht is similar to the one in Humayun’s tomb, but with more emphasis on the axes. The tomb also has a double dome which consists of a lower inner shell and a much higher outer shell. This was done to keep the scale to a reasonable level in the interior. A rich dado of flowering plant motifs runs all around the building. Another remarkable feature of the tomb is of course the richly carved marble screens which ring the cenotaphs (raised marble platforms depicting burial places) of Shah Jahan and his queen.

Taj Mahal - Detail of Pietra-Dura Marble courtesy Harneet Bhatia

– Continued

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