Posted on: 15 November 2011

Battis Khambha. Octagonal tower on the east bank of the Jumna from the north-east, from the river, Agra - 1893

Photograph of the Battis Khambha at Agra, taken by Edmund William Smith in 1893-4, from the Archaeological Survey of India. The Battis Khambha, a pavilion with an octagonal cupola is composed of red sandstone and supported by 36 pillars, is located in the Ram Bagh gardens. This is a view of the octagonal tower, near the Ram Bagh, on the east bank of the Jumna from the north-east.

Smith wrote in Moghul Colour Decoration of Agra, 1901, "The Battis Khambha...is a tower rising from the sands of the Jumna five stories in height surrounded by arched galleries. On the fourth story of this building are twenty-four columns and crowning it and forming the fifth story is a cupola supported on eight slender shafts. Next to the Bhattis Khamba is the Ram Bagh, more properly called Aram Bagh, the "garden of rest;"...a large walled garden with a raised stone terrace on the riverside."

Source : British Library


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I believe this is the original 'Bagh-e Jannat Afshaan' whose construction was supervised by Emperor Zahiruddin Babur himself (~ 1530 A.D.). It was later called 'Bagh-e Nur Afshaan' by Jahangir to recognize the extensive work done here by Empress Nur Jahan, then 'Aram Bagh' and finally 'Ram Bagh' - as it is known today. After his death at an early age (in his 40's), Babur's body was kept here temporarily before being transported to Kabul. Now this building 'Battis (32) Khamba' is interesting as I have read nothing about it. It seems like a look-out point and may have been built at the same time. It certainly shows a late Lodi or early Mughal style of architecture.

Battis Khamba with 36 pillars. Shouldn't it be 32 pillars

some windows near the base seem to have been sealed off, photo was taken in 1893, what could be the reason for that?

Most probably to support the fragile structure.