The Buland Bagh garden situated on the left bank of
River Yamuna houses Battis Khambha (meaning Thirty-two Pillars). Buland
Khan Khwajasara, a noble of Jehangir, founded these gardens that still
sport four towers at the four corners, part of the brick masonry
embankment and seven wells known as Sat Kuan on the northern edge. The
three-storeyed octagonal tower was built between 1615-20 and has a
chhatri on its top. Bricks and mortar are the chief construction
materials used here. The small portals in the ground floor lead to the
central octagonal hall decorated with stalactite designs. The external
arches on each octagonal side on the first floor grabs one's attention
as they are actually composed of two slabs of red stone resting on two
horizontal stone slabs embedded on the top of brick masonry.
The pillared verandah around the central octagonal hall on the second
floor is interesting. This storey also has stone pillars with octagonal
shafts on each side and the brackets serve both the ornamental and
functional purposes. The brackets support the beams inside and 'chajjas'
(that have gradually vanished with time) outside. The pillars and
brackets of the chhatri support the chhajja projecting from the drum of
the dome. Though, it is in desolate condition now, it is believed that
originally it was plastered and its cupolas were decorated with glazed
tiles. To the south, a staircase used to join the ground floor with the
terrace but was badly damaged later. The remnants of the extension of
the tower on the south-eastern side can still be seen and suggests that
probably this building was part of a larger complex.
Battis Khambah is a lesser known monument of
Agra.