Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)

Itimad-ud-Daulah, often called the Baby Taj, stands on the eastern bank of the Yamuna in the Belanganj area of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, roughly five kilometres north of the Taj Mahal. Empress Nur Jahan commissioned the tomb between 1622 and 1628 for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who served as chief minister to Emperor Jahangir. It is regarded as a transitional building between the red sandstone tombs of the early Mughal period and the all-marble monuments of Shah Jahan, and it was among the first Mughal structures to use extensive pietra dura inlay. Visitors enter a walled charbagh garden through a red sandstone gateway, with water channels and pavilions leading to the tomb on a low platform near the river. The small square tomb is faced in white marble and covered with geometric patterns, cypress trees, wine cups, vases and floral motifs in coloured stone. Four slender octagonal minarets rise at the corners, and pierced marble screens (jalis) filter soft light into the inner chamber, where the cenotaphs of Ghiyas Beg and his wife lie. Painted ceilings and traces of mural decoration survive inside. A visit normally takes 45 to 60 minutes, which is enough to walk around the platform, photograph the inlay and see the river terrace at the back. The riverside side offers the best views, with the Yamuna and, on clear days, glimpses across the water. Photography of the exterior is straightforward, while lighting inside is dim. Crowds are far smaller than at the Taj, though tour groups arrive in clusters late morning, so the first hour after opening or the last hour before closing gives the quietest experience. Because the site is compact, it combines easily with Chini Ka Rauza and Ram Bagh on a half-day auto-rickshaw circuit along the east bank.