The Taj Mahal is a spiritual journey, not just a monument to love, says historian Rana Safvi at the Hyderabad exhibition
Historian Rana Safvi will view the ‘Mute Eloquence of the Taj Mahal’ exhibition at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
The Taj Mahal is much more than just a symbol of love. It is an architectural expression of Islamic theology, spirituality and the journey of the soul from the early world to eternity, historian and author Rana Safvi said at the inauguration of the Taj Mahal’s Silent Eloquence exhibition at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad on Sunday. The exhibition will last three months from July 6 to October 4.
The exhibition, prepared by Ms. Safvi in ​​collaboration with DAG, seeks to present the 17th century monument through its architecture, inscriptions, symbolism and philosophy, not just a white marble mausoleum. It is the second major exhibition that the museum has organized this year.
Speaking at the inaugural event, Ms Safvi said her own understanding of the Taj Mahal had changed over the years. Although she initially saw it as evidence of Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz Mahal and the power of the Mughal Empire, a deeper study of Islamic architecture, Sufi philosophy and Persian poetry led her to recognize it as “an architectural meditation on mortality, resurrection and divine harmony”.
She said that Shah Jahan, a follower of the Chishti Sufi order, consciously designed the monument according to the Islamic concepts of duniya (temporal world) and akhirah (afterlife). 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 Gate, where verses from the Koran invite visitors to enter Paradise. But she noted that many visitors today overlook the signs when they stop for photos and selfies of the memorial. She said the original Mughal garden represents the Quranic vision of paradise, complete with waterways symbolizing the rivers of heaven. During the colonial period, it was rebuilt as an English-style lawn to suit European tastes and change the experience its creators envisioned.
Salar Jung Museum Curator Joyoti Roy said the exhibition is part of the museum’s efforts to showcase its cosmopolitan character by bringing major traveling exhibitions from across India and the world to Hyderabad. She said that the Taj Mahal occupies a unique place not only in history and architecture, but also in learning, poetry and collective memory, and that the exhibition seeks to communicate these deeper meanings to visitors.
Published – 05 Jul 2026 20:20 IST