The Other Taj Mahal

Unlike the 17th century grief-stricken emperor who built the world-famous mausoleum in the memory of his wife,his namesake built a palace,where she lived and ruled from. The begum gave it a prosaic name,Raj Bhavan,which she later changed to Taj Mahal,on the suggestion of the British.

While lakhs of tourists troop to Agra to marvel at the symbol of eternal love,the bored visage of the lone guard in Bhopal tells you that he has not seen a visitor in a long time. It’s only when you enter Taj Mahal and walk around its numerous courtyards,large halls,long passages and open spaces that you realise how magnificent an edifice it must have been. But you can only witness this grandness if you bother to find the stairs,which are covered with vegetation.

With crumbling walls,faded colours and the plaster long gone,the facade is so unimpressive that you are likely to miss it unless you are looking specifically for Taj Mahal,which was one of the biggest palaces of that time and much admired for its beauty.

Commissioned in 1871,its construction spanned over 13 years. It looked so beautiful that the begum celebrated its foundation for three years with what was called “Jashn-e-Taj Mahal.’’ The palace included 120 rooms,a sheesh mahal and an elaborate fountain structure called “savan bhadon” that simulated the effect of rain.

Architect Savita Raje says,“It’s a unique palace,and not just for its design.” Taj Mahal was built as part of a complex of monuments such as the Benazir Palace (the begum’s summer residence) and the Taj-ul-Masjid (one of the largest mosques in Asia),along with three surrounding lakes. The wind blowing from the lakes kept the palace cool while the three lakes themselves were a fine example of surface-water harvesting. One can feel the difference in temperature even in the ruins. It’s a typical Indo-Saracenic building,with few closed spaces,and cool temperatures,says Raje,who includes the monument in the heritage walks she conducts for architecture students.

After Partition,several refugees were allowed to live in the palace. The last of the refugees moved out in the 1980s,taking with them slices of history and damaging the structure.

Taj Mahal has been neglected for quite some time except the brief period when the state archaeology department ­carried out restoration in parts after taking it over in 2005. The government denotified it in 2011,hoping that it would be converted into a heritage hotel once the property was transferred to the tourism department. The move was opposed by some,saying that those running a hotel would tamper with the original structure.

Since then,the passage of time has ensured that the restored parts have come undone. The archaeology department says it has no funds for restoration and is unlikely to generate them in the future.

“There is nothing wrong in converting it into a heritage hotel or an activity centre that is viable,’’ says commissioner (archaeology) Pankaj Rag citing the example of Gohar Mahal,a smaller monument that regularly hosts exhibitions.

Till such time,the palace,and the bored guard,seem resigned to its neglect.