Raudat Tahera (Arabic: روضة طاهرة Rawḍat Ṭāhira) is the mausoleum of Syedna Taher Saifuddin and his son and successor Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 51st and 52nd Dāʿī al-Mutlaqs of the Dawoodi Bohra Ismaili Muslims. It is located in the Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai. Syedna Taher Saifuddin led the Dawoodi Bohra community from 27 January 1915 until he died on 12 November 1965. He was succeeded by his son, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, who led the community from 12 November 1965 until he died 17 January 2014.
Geography The white-marbled Fatemi shrine is located in the midst of Bhendi Bazaar, a crowded area in central Mumbai. It was constructed by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, and its architect was Yahya Merchant, who also designed the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi, Pakistan.
History Construction on Rawdat Tahera began on 10 December 1968, which coincided with the date of 21 Ramadan 1388 of the Fatimid Calendar, the death anniversary of Ali, and was inaugurated on 15 April 1975 by the president coinciding with the birthday celebrations of the 21st Fatimid Imam, aṭ-Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim ibn al-Manṣūr, on 4 Rabi' al-thani 1395.
Exterior features
The marble used in the mausoleum was quarried from the Chosira and Ulodi quarries of the Makrana quarries in Rajasthan, India, from where marble for Taj Mahal was quarried. The mausoleum rests on 92 piles. The number 92 is significant in that it represents the Arabic addad value of the name of Muhammad. The complete structure weighs 5000 tons. The mausoleum rises to a height of 108 feet (33 m), which is the Arabic isopsephical value of the word Ḥaqq (righteous). The dome is 52 feet (16 m) high as its crowning feature. A 12 feet (3.7 m) high gold finial stands sentinel over the dome. There are four smaller domes, one at each corner of the central dome, each with a gold finial to match its larger prototype, and perfect the setting against the azure sky. The dome and cornice are inspirations from the Juyushi Mosque, Cairo. The four walls of the mausoleum have a 4 feet (1.2 m) and 6 inches (15 cm) thick masonry wall, with 3 inches (7.6 cm) cladding on both sides, making its final thickness of 5 feet (1.5 m), which reflects the members of Ahl al-Bayt. The outer walls are decorated with the names of the Ahl al-Bayt and the Fatimid Imams as well as the Duʿāt Mutlaqīn in the Kufic script. The four entrance doors to the shrine have been specially designed to match the entrance gate of Aqmar Mosque in Cairo built by Imam-Caliph Manṣūr al-Āmir bi Aḥkām Allāh. The entrances are adorned with four silver doors of Fatimid style and lead to the sanctum sanctorum of the tomb. There are five arches above each of these four doors. The entrance facing west is called Raudat Tahera The entrance facing east is called Bab-e Hakimi, so named after his ancestor, Syedi Abdul Qadir Hakimuddin, whose mausoleum is in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. The entrance facing south is called Bab-e Zaini, so named after the 45th Da'i al-Mutlaq, Syedna Tayyab Zainuddin, his great-grandfather, whose tomb is in Surat. The entrance facing north is called Bab-e Fakhri, so named after his ancestor, Syedi Fakhruddin Shaheed, whose mausoleum is in Galiyakot, Rajasthan.
Interior features
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
