Parchin Kari: Art That Came With the Mughal Empire

When you step into the city of Agra, previously known by the name of Akbarabad, it brings various vibrant images of the glorious Taj Mahal. There's much more to the city than just the Taj Mahal, but the marble mausoleum looks so grand that no eyes can ignore its beauty. While the monument stands for immortal love, it also features the beautiful craft of Parchin Kari.

Parchin Kari: From the heart of Mughal Empire; Image Source: D’source

When discerning travellers enter the beautiful, airy compound of the Taj Mahal, they try to find a way to get to that perfect corner where they can click pictures and flaunt their enthusiasm. Some others find the monument pretty amusing, trying to find a seat from where they can simply admire it as the sun sets on the horizon.

For people worldwide, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of sophisticated art that sings an eternal love song. When the Mughals entered the Indian subcontinent, they built numerous monuments that screamed opulence and brilliant architecture. Even when their rule ended, Agra was still brimming with a wide range of art and craft. One of them was 'Parchin Kari' or 'Pachhikari''.

This art form originates in Persia, where marble inlay is famous. In Parchin Kari, the semi-precious stones are carefully studded inside the intricate designs carved on the marble. Though it came from Persia, the Mughals in India adopted this art and made it popular by adopting it in their monuments.

One of the most famous examples of Parchin Kari is the Taj Mahal, where you can see the shimmering stones studded inside the walls. It is said that this art form was first seen in ancient Rome. With the arrival of the fourth century, people began using this art to decorate churches and statues.

When a major revival period of Renaissance came into being in Italy in the fifteenth century, this form had taken yet another turnaround. It was now called pietra dura or paintings in stone. As time passed, pietra dura started traveling to faraway lands, and people soon recognized this as 'paintings in stone.'

India, too, became aware of this unique art form, and the Mughals, ruling over the subcontinent during those days, popularized it. They began using pietra dura to decorate their monument. Thus, we can say that during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the status of pietra dura increased to such a level that almost every Mughal monument and church we see today in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Agra are laced with this intricate artwork.

When the intricate walls scream of the unending beauty of Parchin Kari; Image Source: JD Institute Of Fashion Technology

Now a very important question arises: whom should we appreciate for bringing Parchin Kari to India? Though its abode was in Rome, when Shah Jahan came to know about the brilliance of this amazing marble art, he couldn't wait to bring some of its glory to the Taj Mahal.

He was flabbergasted to see Parchin Kari work that he hired artisans from Persia who were experts in the art of inlay carving and studding semi-precious stone in marble to enhance its beauty. The Agra Parchin Kari artisans are thought to be successors of the same artisans who created the Taj Mahal.

The exterior walls of the Taj Mahal feature intricate calligraphic inscriptions and carvings. The inner walls are carved with paradisiacal flowers, which is the attraction of the room where the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are kept. The ivory marble with which the entire monument is built has been specially procured from the Makrana region of Rajasthan.

One of the most attractive features of the Taj Mahal is the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal, which has been decorated with flowers on the upper part. The semi-precious stones studded on the walls of the Taj mahal have been imported from faraway countries like China, Afghanistan, and Turkey.

Even today, artists with cutting tools and marble carry on the history of Parchin Kari in the alleyways of Agra. Its beauty has garnered fans worldwide and throughout the years. A famous art and architecture historian, Ebba Koch, wrote some beautiful lines about the artistic beauty of the Taj Mahal based on the description given by a seventeenth-century Persian poet Abu Talib Kalim, in her book, The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism, and Urban Significance:

"On each stone, a hundred colors, paintings, and ornaments Have become apparent through the chisel's blade. The chisel has become the pen of Mani, Painting so many pictures upon the translucent marble... Pictures become manifest from every stone; In its mirror, behold the image of a flower garden. They have inlaid flowers of stone in the marble; What they lack in smell they make up with color. Those red and yellow flowers that dispel the heart's grief, Are completely out of carnelian and amber... When of such stones the surface of a tomb is made, The deceased will want to clasp the flower pictures to her heart."

The intricate carvings of Parchin Kari; Image Source: Obsidian Space

Now, let's get into the art of Parchin Kari and see how these fascinating art pieces were brought to reality. The parchinkars, or artisans who made Parchin Kari, were the only ones who knew this art form. They were experts in this exquisite field, from cutting the stones to engraving the marble. A white adhesive was used to stick the stones, but the final step was to hide it nicely so that it didn't interfere with the final look. At last, the surface and sides of the marble were scrubbed properly so that the sharp edges were smoothened and the artwork stayed intact for centuries.

From the courts of the Mughals, this art form spread to other regions like Rajasthan. Soon, the royal palaces and halls were also decorated with Parchin Kari. Instead of semi-precious stones, the walls of the monuments were now decorated with mirrors in ornate patterns. After the British conquered Agra, travelers from different countries traveled to India, where they saw this beautiful art form on the verge of extinction.

To acquire pieces that reminded them of the glorious history of India, they demanded souvenirs and memorabilia made by the parchinkars. Parchinkari originated in the complex and convoluted arches of Mughal architecture. It has now discovered its way into modern homes in the shape of coffee tables, placemats, chess boards, and wardrobes.