PROVINCIAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE- MALWA

EXPLANANTION OF PROVICIAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE.
TOPIC COVERED ARE:
1 KAMAL MAULA MASJID
2 JAMI MASJID
3 HOSHANG SHAH’S TOMB
4 HINDOLA MAHAL
5 JAHAZ MAHAL

1. PROVINCIAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE (MALWA) SUBMITTED BY: ASIF ANWAR FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND EKISTICS JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

2. INTRODUCTION MAIN EXAMPLES OF THE STYLE ARE FOUND IN CITIES OF DHAR AND MANDU. MALWA WAS INFLUENCE MORE BY THE EARLY TUGHLAQ STYLE FROM DELHI. THIS WAS DUE TO THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LOCAL TRADITION IN MALWA, AND HOSTILE WITH THE NEIGHBOURING GUJARAT. MALWA PROVINCE EXPERIENCED THE INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD WITH THE INVASION OF THE MUSLIM INVADERS. THIS PROVINCE EXPERIENCED A LARGE NO. OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE DURING MUSLIM DYNASTY. GRADUALLY THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN STYLE IN BUILDING ART OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.

3. SALIENT FEATURE BATTERED WALLS POINTED ARCHES WITH SPEAR HEAD FRINGE COMBINATION OF ARCH, LINTEL AND BRACKET. BOAT KEEL AND DOMES. MOST ARTISTIC COMBINATION OF ARCHES WITH PILLAR AND BEAM BUILDING ARE RISED ON HIGH PLINTHS, ACCESSED BY LONG AND STATELY FLIGHT OF STEPS. PROMINENT USE OF COLOR IN DECORATION. USE OF DIFFERENT COLORED MARBEL, SEMI PRECIOUS STONES AND GLAZED TILES, THE ARTESIANS IN MALWA POSSESSED A SECRET FORMULA FOR CREATING TURQUOISE BLUE COLOR.

4. Receding slope of a wall , structure , or earth work. Initially sloped inwards. Most artistic combination of arches with pillar and beams. It had pointed arches with spear head on the top of the arch. The buildings of Malwa had lintel arches and brackets.

5. IMPORTANT BUILDINGS THE CITIES OF DHAR AND MANDU OF THE MALWA PROVINCEPROVIDE EXAMPLES OF DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT IN THE FORM OF POLYCHROMATIC ORNAMENTATION OF BUILDINGS WHICH WAS OBTAINED BY THE USE OF COLORED STONES AND MARBELS. THE EARLIEST BUILDING OF THIS PERIOD KAMAL MAULA MOSQUE (1400) AND THE LAT MOSQUE (1405) AT DHAR AND THE DILAWAR KHAN MOSQUE (1405) AND THE MALIK MUGHIS MOSQUE(1452) AT MANDU. THE ARCHITECTURAL ACTIVITY TOOK A NEW TURN WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CAPITAL AT MANDU ESPECIALLY UNDER THE RULE OF HOSHANG SHAH (1405-1435). IMPORTANT BUILDING IN MANDU ARE THE JAHAZ MAHAL (a 120 meter long ship palace built by sultan ghiyasuddin khilji between two artificial munj talao and kapur talao ), TAVELI MAHAL WITH TWO WALLS CALLED UZALI AND ANDHERI BAOLI, HINDOLA MAHAL,HOSHANG SHAH’S TOMB, ASHRAFI MAHAL AND THE JAMI MASJID BUILT BY MAHMUD SHAH KHILJI. THE CITY ALSO HAS SEVERAL GATEWAYS LIKE DELHI DARWAZA, THE ALAMGIR AND BHANGI DARWAZA , RAMPOL DARWAZA, JAHANGIR GATE AND TAARAPUR GATE .

6. KAMAL MAULA MASJID BUILT AT DHAR IN A.D. 1400. CONSTRUCTED BY DISMANTLING TEMPLES AND USING THEIR MATERIALS. CHIEF AMONG THIS NEW WORK IS THE PLAN OF INTERPOSING POINTED ARCHES BETWEEN THE PILLARS. THE ARCHES ARE TOO DELICATE TO SERVE ANY STRUCTURAL PURPOSE, BUT ARE OF A REFINED SHAPE, MADE MORE SO BY THE SPANDRELS BEING RELIEVED BY PERFORATED PATTERNS. SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF NEW WORK IS ADDED TO DISGUISE THE TEMPLE ORIGIN

7. Viewing the back of prayer room from northwest Kamal Masjid Domed chamber southwest corner in front of Mihrab Kamal Masjid Dome COURTYARD

8. JAMI MASJID STARTED BY HUSHANG SHAH AND FINISHED BY MAHMUD I IN A.D. 1440. THE JAMI MASJID NEAR THE CENTER OF THE MANDU PLATEAU. THE COURTYARD SURROUNDE D BY THREE SIDE BU COLUMNED CLOISTERS WITH THE GALLERIES OF MAJESTIC ARCHES.

9. PLANNING MOSQUE COVERS A SQUARE OF 288' SIDE, PROLONGED ON EASTERN FRONT BY ANOTHER 100' BY A PROJECTING DOMED ENTRANCE HALL AND A WIDE FLIGHT OF STEPS. THERE ARE ALSO TWO SUBSIDIARY ENTRANCES TO THE NORTH, ONE FOR THE PRIESTS AND THE OTHER A PRIVATE ENTRANCE FOR THE ZENANA . BEING RAISED ON A HIGH PLINTH, THIS ENABLES THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BASEMENT TO CONTAIN A SERIES OF ARCADED CHAMBERS TO BE USED AS A SERAI . THE ENTRANCE HALL BEARS TRACES OF EXQUISITELY COLOURED BORDERS AND PANELS IN GLAZED TILES. THE DOMED GATEHOUSE RESPONDS TO THE THREE SIMILAR DOMES OF THE SANCTUARY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE COURTYARD.

10. mehraab JAMI Masjid prayer room viewing from northwest Mehrab and mimbaru JAMI Masjid prayer room viewing from southeast

11. JAMI MASJID THE COURTYARD IS A SQUARE OF 162' SIDE, SURROUNDED BY ARCADED AISLES. ELEVEN OPENINGS ON EACH SIDE FORMING A FACADE FOR THE PILLARED HALLS BEYOND . THE PILLARED HALLS ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE 3 AISLES DEEP, THAT ON THE EAST IS 2 AISLES, WHILE THE WESTERN SANCTUARY IS 5 AISLES DEEP . IN ADDITION TO THE 3 LARGE DOMES ATOP THE SANCTUARY, THE ENTIRE ROOF IS COVERED WITH A SYMMETRICAL PATTERN OF CYLINDRICAL CUPOLAS, ONE OVER EACH BAY OF THE INTERIOR, THUS MAKING 158 IN ALL. SCULPTURED MIHRABS  ARE PRESENT AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN THE QIBLA WALL WITH AN ELEGANTLY DESIGNED MIMBAR IN THE CENTRAL BAY . THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE MOSQUE GIVES AN APPEARANCE OF QUIET SOLEMNITY, RELYING MAINLY UPON THE SIMPLE BROAD TREATMENT OF ITS CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS, ESCHEWING ORNAMENTATION APART FROM THE MIHRABS AND MIMBAR  AND SOME RESTRAINED COLOUR DECORATION.

12. HOSHANG SHAH’S TOMB STARTED BY HUSHANG UISITELY COLOURED BORDERS AND PANELS IN GLAZED TILES. THE DOMED GATEHOUSE RESPONDS TO THE THREE SIMILAR DOMES OF THE SANCTUARY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE COURTYARD . THE COURTYARD IS A SQUARE OF 162' SIDE, SURROUNDED BY ARCADED AISLES. ELEVEN OPENINGS ON EACH SIDE FORMING A FACADE FOR THE PILLARED HALLS BEYOND . THE PILLARED HALLS ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE 3 AISLES DEEP, THAT ON THE EAST IS 2 AISLES, WHILE THE WESTERN SANCTUARY IS 5 AISLES DEEP . IN ADDITION TO THE 3 LARGE DOMES ATOP THE SANCTUARY, THE ENTIRE ROOF IS COVERED WITH A SYMMETRICAL PATTERN OF CYLINDRICAL CUPOLAS, ONE OVER EACH BAY OF THE INTERIOR, THUS MAKING 158 IN ALL. SCULPTURED MIHRABS  ARE PRESENT AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN THE QIBLA WALL WITH AN ELEGANTLY DESIGNED MIMBAR IN THE CENTRAL BAY . THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE MOSQUE GIVES AN APPEARANCE OF QUIET SOLEMNITY, RELYING MAINLY UPON THE SIMPLE BROAD TREATMENT OF ITS CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS, ESCHEWING ORNAMENTATION APART FROM THE MIHRABS AND MIMBAR  AND SOME RESTRAINED COLOUR DECORATION.

13. COMBINED PLAN OF HOSHANG SHAH’S TOMB AND JAMI MASJID PLAN OF HOSHANG SHAH’S TOMB ‘A’ EXTERIOR ‘B’ INTERIOR THE TOMB STAND IN A SQUARE ENCLOSURE CONTIGUOUSWITH THE WESTERN WALL OF THE JAMI MASJID AT MANDU, APPROCHED BY A DOMED PORTICO ON THE NORTH WITH THE PILLARED CLOISTER ON THE WEST FOR DEVOTIONS AND ACCOMMODATION. THE TOMB ITSELF IS A SQUARE STRUCTURE OF 86’ SIDE , WIDTH 30’ HIGH WALL SURMOUNTED BY A LARGE CENTRAL DOME WITH A CUPOLA ON EACH CORNER STANDING ON A SQUARE PLINTH OF 100’ SIDE. THE WALL ARE FACED WITH WHITE MARBEL RELEIVED BY OCCASIONAL PATCHES OF COLOR . THERE ARE TRIPLE OPENINGS ON TWO OF IT’S SIDE WITH THE CENTRAL ARCHWAY ON THE SOUTH PROVIDING THE ENTRANCE, WHILE THE OTHER TWO SIDES ARE PLAIN, UNINTERRUPTED WALLS.

14. FRONT GATE NORTH GATE BACK SIDE GATE INTERIOR GALLERY

15. HINDOLA MAHAL BUILT BY HUSANG SHAH , PROBALLY AROUND (1425). THE WALLS ARE INORDINATELY THICK AND SLOPE LIKE THOSE OF A CASTLE. THE SLOPE OF OVER 44 DEGREE GIVES SWINGING APPEARANCE TO THE BUILDING, HENCE THE NAME . LATER THE STRUCTURE WAS PROBABLY SUPPOSE TO HAVE THE JANANA PLACE, AS ANOTHER STOREY ABOVE THE MAIN HALL.

16. MAIN HALL THE PLAN ‘T’ SHAPED , THE UPRIGHT STEM BEING THE MAIN HALL WHICH WAS BUILT FIRST AND THE CROSSBAR IS A TRANSVERSE PORTION ADDED. OBLONG BUILDING 110’X60’ AND 35’ HIGH. EACH OF THE LONG SIDE HAS 6 SUNKEN ARCHES, WITH A DOORWAY BELOW AND A WINDOW ABOVE. THE SHORT SIDE HAS 3 SIMILAR ARCHES. THE CENTRAL ONE IS THE ENTRANCE. THE INTERIOR HAS A LARGE HALL 440’X112’ AND 32 METER HEIGHT WITH 5 TRANVERSE POINTED ARCHES, SUPPORTING FOR THE FLAT ROOF. THE FLAT ROOF RESTED ON TIMBER BEAMS. PLAN OF HINDOLA MAHAL

17. JAHAAZ MAHAL BUILT BY MAHMUD EARLY IN THE LAST HALF OF 1400’S THE PALACE IS DOUBLED STOREY STRUCTURE 360’ LONG AND 50’ WIDE, EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGE OF KAPHUR LAKE AND MUNJA LAKE. THE SHAPE ,DIMENSION AND POSITION GIVES THE ILLUSION OF A SHIP. BUILDING HAS CONTINUOUSLY ARCADED FRONT SHADED BY A BOARD.

18. THE ROOF HAS A SERIES OF OPEN PAVILLION, KIOSKS AND OVER HANGING BALCONIES. THE INTERIOR CONSIST OF PILLARED COMPARTMENT, COOL CORRIDOR AND BATHING HALL THE MOST STRIKING THING ABOUT THIS MONUMENT IS ITS LOCATION BETWEEN TWO WATER BODIES. LAKE VIEW SHIP APPEARANCE