Chini Ka Rauza

Mulla Shukrullah Shirazi was the Prime Minister of Mughal emperor Shah Jehan and also a famous poet. He composed poetry under the pseudonym of 'Allami'. He took fancy to building his own mausoleum in 1639 with elaborate ornamentation. He chose glazed tiles as his medium to create the masterpiece that would enshrine his tomb forever. Every portion of this unique monument is profusely adorned with bright color schemes, known as 'Chini ka Rauza'. Here, we discuss the general plan and layout of the building and the ornamentation techniques used in the monument in detail.

The word rauza is derived through Persian meaning garden, but extended to tomb surrounded by garden as at Agra  Abdul Hamid Lahauri, the author of the Badshahnama the official history of Shah Jahan's reign, calls Taj Mahal rauza-i munawwara meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb in a garden.

The Chini Ka Rauza is situated just 1 kilometre north of  Itamad-ud-daulah’s Tomb, on the eastern bank of Yamuna River in Agra, and 2 kilometres away from the Taj Mahal.

The facade of the monument is known for its glazed tile work, called kashi or chini in Mughal era buildings.

Due to the inclement weather, the various types of enamel colours have worn away from the tiles. In the facades, the builders used earthenware pots to reduce the weight of the concrete filling which was followed in Rome and Egypt.