The Bibi Ka Maqbara or (“Tomb of the Lady”) is a tomb built by prince Azam shah, son of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, in the memory of his loving mother Dilras Banu Begum.
Also called as Mini Taj Mahal of Deccan as it resembles to a Taj Mahal of Agra. Shahajahan built taj mahal for his beloved wife Mumtaj, inspired from this grand son of shahajahan built this monument in the memory of his mother.
It is said to have constructed between 1668 and 1669 C.E
Some of its admirable features includes Mughal architecture, jali work on the mosque, arches inside the dome, close up of the dome, designs on the interior of the dome, floral designs on the marble.
It is said that the cost of construction of this tomb at that time was 7 lakh rupees while that of tajmahal was 3.5cr approx. also tajmahal is made up of pure white marble, whereas maqbara is made up of marbles. This is why Bibi Ka Maqbara is also known as Tomb of the poor.
How to reach :
By Air: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport is located at Chikalthana, around 10 Km east of the town and has flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Nagpur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Jaipur, Indore.
By Train: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has railway connectivity with Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad. Nearest railway station is Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar which is approx. 6 Kms away.
By Bus: Bibi ka Maqbara is 4 km from Chh. Sambhajinagar bus station and can be visited by State Transport Bus or private cab.
Best time to visit: Best time to visit sambhajinagar is during winter (November to march), as the temperatures can soar above 40°C during Summer
Nearby Attractions- Aurangabad Caves, Soneri Mahal, Panchakki
Other places to visit- Ajanta Ellora caves (UNESCO site)