Taj Mahal is a spiritual journey, not merely a monument of love, says historian Rana Safvi at Hyderabad exhibition

The Taj Mahal is far more than a symbol of love. It is an architectural expression of Islamic theology, spirituality and the soul’s journey from the temporal world to eternity, historian and author Rana Safvi said while inaugurating The Mute Eloquence of the Taj Mahal exhibition at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad on Sunday. The exhibition will be on for three months from July 6 to October 4.

Curated by Ms. Safvi in collaboration with the DAG, the exhibition seeks to present the 17th century monument through its architecture, inscriptions, symbolism and philosophy, rather than merely a white marble mausoleum. It is the second major exhibition hosted by the museum this year.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Ms. Safvi said her own understanding of the Taj Mahal had transformed over the years. While she initially viewed it as a testament to Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz Mahal and the might of the Mughal Empire, deeper study of Islamic architecture, Sufi philosophy and Persian poetry led her to recognise it as “an architectural meditation on mortality, resurrection and divine harmony”.

She said Shah Jahan, a follower of the Chishti Sufi order, consciously designed the monument around Islamic concepts of duniya (the temporal world) and akhirah (the after-life). Every element, from the gardens and calligraphy to the proportions, light and spatial arrangement, was intended to guide visitors on a symbolic spiritual journey.

According to Ms. Safvi, the experience begins at the Great Gateway, where Quranic verses invite visitors to enter paradise. However, she noted that many visitors today overlook these inscriptions while stopping for photographs and selfies of the monument. She said the original Mughal garden represented the Quranic vision of paradise, complete with waterways symbolising the rivers of heaven. During the colonial period it was remodelled into an English-style lawn to cater to European tastes, altering the experience envisioned by its creators.

Salar Jung Museum Curator Joyoti Roy said the exhibition was part of the museum’s efforts to showcase its cosmopolitan character by bringing significant travelling exhibitions from across India and the world to Hyderabad. She said the Taj Mahal occupies a unique place not only in history and architecture but also in scholarship, poetry and collective memory, and that the exhibition attempts to communicate these deeper meanings to visitors.