Architecture under shahjahan ii

1. ARCHITECTURE UNDER
SHAHJAHAN
Ar. Hena Tiwari

2. JAMA MASJID
 One of the notable structure built by Shah Jahan in Delhi.
 This is a congregational mosque occupying a large site outside
Delhi fort in southwest side of the fort.
 It is one of the largest mosque in the country.

3. LAYOUT
 The mosque is raised on a high plinth.
 Three notable gateways approached by flights of steps added a
dignity and height to the structure.
 North and south gateways were made for entry to public and east
side was reserved as royal entrance.
 Within these are cloisters and the quadrangle measuring 99
meters side.
 The quadrangle is an open place with square tank in the middle
for ablutions.

4. SANCTUARY INTERIOR
 It is a great hall divided into bays by massive piers supporting
engrailed arches.
 There are elegant arched Mihrabs sunk in each bay in the
western wall.
 The architectural decoration was set in matching with its large
dimensions

5. SANCTUARY EXTERIOR
 The sanctuary on the west side is an exposing structure in red
sandstone.
 It measures 61meters by 27 meters.
 In its exterior is a wide central archway flanked by an arcade of
ten engrailed arches, five on each side of wing.
 Over the sanctuary rise three bulbous domes of white marble,
central one is bigger than the other on the wings.

6. TAJ MAHAL, AGRA
 Taj Mahal stands on the bank of river Yamuna in Agra.
 This is the mausoleum of Shah Jahan beloved wife, Arjumand
Banu Begum called as Mumtaz Mahal.
 Ustad Isa Khan of Turkey was the main architect of this
building.
 It is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

7. SITE LAYOUT
 The main structure occupies a relatively small portion of whole
architectural layout.
 The site is rectangular measuring 579 meters by 305 meters.
 A high boundary wall encloses the site having broad octagonal bastions
at each corner.
 A monumental entrance gateway is placed in the centre of southern side.
 In front of southern court, stables, out houses and other edifices were
added.

8. ENTRANCE AND PASSAGES
 The southern entrance structure is imposing containing chamfered
angles, arches, parapet and vaulted roof.
 Access is provided into the garden of the main enclosure through the
gates.
 The front perspective view of the building and its garden is seen from
this point.
 The garden is laid on the principle of charbagh.
 It is totally symmetrical containing paved pathways, lawns fountains
and elevated lotus pools all arranged in a manner to reflect the images.
 A straight pathway leads to the structure.

9. MAIN ENCLOSURE
 Significant structure are placed on the northern end of the
enclosure consisting of the tomb building in the centre.
 The two subsidiary edifices are placed on each side
symmetrically.
 On the west side is the mosque and on other side is a guest
house.

10. MAIN TOMB BUILDING
 The main white marble tomb building stands in the middle of
elevated large terraces measuring 57 metres square in plan and 6.7
meters high.
 This is entered by symmetrical stairs built in the centre of south
side of terrace.
 The main building over the terrace is square in plan with
chamfered corners.

11.  The interior consists of main octagonal central hall with
subsidiary chambers also octagonal in plan placed at each
corner connected by radiating passages.
 The main hall is two storeys with a cenotaph chamber built
under with descending steps.
 The main hall is roofed by hemispherical vault forming the
inner shell of the double dome.

12.  Above this the main dome was built leaving a void between the
two.
 Perforated marbles screens filled the arched window in two levels.
 There are some carvings on the dados inside the corner rooms.
 Every part of the monument shows fineness, beauty, curves,
decoration which attributes to a royal female to whom the
monument was dedicated.

13.  This was carried to a height of 33 meters, having cupolas
above each corner while over the centre there is a huge dome
reaching to a top height of 57 meters.
 The façade is same and alike on all the four sides.

14. EXTERIOR
 The fine marble building has its façade same and alike on all its four
sides.
 The façade has its large central arch and two arched windows one at
the bottom and the other at the top on each side.
 Perforated screens filled the arched openings except the front
entrance.
 A graceful and finely curved dome take place over a circular drum in
the centre rising to a height of 57 meters.

15. PROPORTIONS
 The factors responsible for the beauty of Taj Mahal is not only the
fine material of white marble but it mainly lies in its proportion, the
grouping of its parts, their sizes, simple curves, rhythmic disposals.
 Its proportions are simple as its shape.
 The entire width is equal to the height of the building.
 The height of the main vertical lower building body is equal to
height of the dome.
 The crowning glory of the façade lies in its volume and shape of the
dome supported on a lofty drum.