Taj Mahal of Bhopal: “…myriads of life and colours of life”
BHOPAL: “Bhopal’s Taj Mahal palace became a chahar-bagh of somewhat smaller proportions,” claimed Manu Sobti, an Islamic architecture and urban historian who had studied Bhopal’s heritage for five years.
The palaces and residences were located along the three talabs ( lakes) around the palace was turned into Bhopal Boulevard complete with a cluster of temples which, locals claim, is at least two centuries old, he observed.
Chahar-bagh Boulevard is a historical boulevard in the city of Isfahan in Iran dating from the Saffavid era and also come to mean any rectangular or square garden of four symmetric sections as for the gardens of paradise at the Taj Mahal of Agra.
“The creation of Shahjahanabad suburb towards the north of Bhopal was the ambitious plan of Shahjehan Begum which began in the last quarter of 19th century,” said Rizwanuddin Ansari, author of ‘Ummul-Ansab’, a volume on genealogy.
“The master plan was complete with bazaars, galla mandis, store houses, serias, residential quarters and institutions,” wrote Sobti, who currently teaches urban design and architectural history at the School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA.
An Idgah was located on the highest point of the landscape and Shahjahanabad was enveloped by the city wall. Three terraced lakes were created in this area with water from one cascading into the next. These formed the central area of Shahjahanabad.
The upper most of these lakes was the Motia Talab spread across 230m x 230 m area. The intermediate level of the lake was the Noor Mahal Talab, spread in a 175m x 230m area. The lowest of these was the Munshi Husanni’s Talab, 115m x 230m in spread. The three lakes were dependent on the surface run-off water from seasonal rains.
To maintain the balance and the level of water in these lakes, an additional reservoir was constructed to the north of Shahjahanabad.
“An elaborate system brick lined vaulted drains existed to collect water and bring it into the lakes,” said Ansari.
These channels passed through the important buildings before delivering the water to the Talab. The channels were transformed into splashing fountains, gurgling cascades, silent chadars or passed through beautiful stone screens. Rose water or kewda was added to this water to cool and freshen air.
‘City with beautiful landscape’
Lady Curzon on her visit to Bhopal in 1889 in a letter described Bhopal and her stay in the Taj Mahal as: “A city with beautiful landscape. I met the Begum of Bhopal. The architecture of Shahjehanbad, especially of the Taj Mahal palace was beautiful.” Further describing the palace, Curzon wrote about its colourful interiors, beautiful garden and her reception granted to her at the palace. She concludes the visit as, “I felt as if I am walking through myriads of life and colours of life.”
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