When the badshah smokes a bidi

Woh kehete hain, Begum Rabi-ul Durani ki rooh yahan kabhi basti thi...abhi toh yahan bus maatam ka hi nazara hota hai They say, Begum Rabi-...

Woh kehete hain, Begum Rabi-ul Durani ki rooh yahan kabhi basti thi8230;abhi toh yahan bus maatam ka hi nazara hota hai They say, Begum Rabi-ul Durani8217;s soul used to rest here, now what you see is just a graveyard,8217;8217; says Imran Hashmi, a local youth who frequents Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, a son8217;s tribute to his mother.

The mini Taj 8212; a fine piece of Mughal architecture, and the only one of its kind on the Deccan plateau 8212; stands testimony to a State8217;s apathy, in a year when plans are afoot to celebrate 350 years of the Taj. This monument, constructed on the banks of River Kham by Emperor Aurangzeb8217;s son, Prince Azam Shah, and intended to rival the original Taj, is also more than three centuries old, but in dire need of restoration.

Tourist brochures speak of the Maqbara 8216;8216;standing spectacularly on the laws of landscaped lawns amidst ponds, fountains and water channels.8217;8217; But a visitor to the area can see nothing of the sort.

The path leading to the mausoleum is paved with broken tiles, the 8216;8216;lawn8217;8217; is virtually barren, oblong reservoirs in the complex hold dirty rainwater. 8216;8216;What to do sir? We fail to take care of plants in summer because there8217;s no water,8217;8217; says the lone gardener.

Lack of environmental concerns too has taken a toll on the structure built between 1651 and 1661. Thick exhaust from vehicles has left an indelible mark on the marble and clay.

We spot Sunil, an attendant, cleaning paan stains with some acidic liquid. 8216;8216;People spit freely here as there8217;s no watchman,8217;8217; he complains.

But there are persons employed by the Archaeological Survey of India ASI, informs Hashmi, pointing to a man sitting right under the signboard 8216;Smoking Strictly Prohibited8217;, enjoying a half-lit bidi.

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Hashmi guides us to the minarets 8212; now faded but still imposing 8212; at the four corners of the mausoleum8217;s terrace. They have braved an eternity but their exteriors have failed to withstand the outpourings of expressive lovers. Even the marble filigree enclosing the grave has not been spared of declarations of love inscribed by visitors.

What8217;s more, the grave is littered with umbrellas, plastic bottles, trash dropped by tourists.

Uttam Wankhede, a Buddhist scholar who studies ancient and medieval history, points out a rarity in Muslim architecture: a parrot pecking at a pomegranate engraved on a copper sheet on the main door of the Maqbara. It has almost worn off due to dust and neglect.

Wankhede laments the closure of an archaeological museum on the premises which holds Aurangzeb8217;s personal effects. A signboard says it has been closed for renovation. 8216;8216;The personal belongings of the king and queen including mattresses, utensils and furniture were very simple. It shows how an emperor can live a commoner8217;s life,8217;8217; he says.

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Dr S K Mitra, the Superintending Archaeologist in charge, whose office is a little distance away from the Maqbara, refuses to comment on the present condition of the monument. However, regional chief manager of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation MTDC, A S Rathod, says his department would definitely like to celebrate the mini Taj.

8216;8216;But we can do it only if ASI wants it,8217;8217; he says, adding, 8216;8216;I have learn that the development of the Maqbara will be undertaken under a special programme aided by Japan.8217;8217;