Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan

Burhanpur

Azaj Sheikh
Divya Gupta
Nandini Shah
Devang Patel
Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan

Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan aka Black Taj is located 2 kms

away from the banks of Utavali River at Teressa, Burhanpur in
Madhya Pradesh.

It was made of black stone hence might be called black Taj but
it hardly resembles with the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The mausoleum is a big domed structure typical of mughal

architecture with four pillars at each four corners of the main
structure.

Inside walls of the dome have beautiful paintings. A small

garden outside the monument added some charm to this place.
•The acoustics of Asian cultural heritage and worship spaces in particular, have
emerged on the basis of rites and rituals adopted in various cultures.

•The cultures have evolved owing to the dynamism of philosophies, traditional

knowledge systems, beliefs and religious concepts.

•The architectural elements of the worship spaces also have a significant role in the
acoustics apart from symbolism perceived and decoded by community.

•This research, with Burhanpur; India as a case, explores the potential of acoustics of
these worship spaces.

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The Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan

The Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan of historic Burhanpur; amongst various sixteenth-century Mughal
architectural heritage that served acoustical purposes; is unique, since it was used in the verse
recitations from the Holy Quran and Qawwalies (Sufi song) during the holy days andfestivals.

Its spatial configuration and sonic dimension associates the community emotionally, intellectually and
spiritually.

Due to neglect, inappropriate interventions and vandalism its acoustical features are defaced,
weakening communities’ association with theTomb.

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To assess the consequences of resent
restoration in the Tomb, this research was
carried out to predict the acoustical
performance of the structure based on the
assumption that

the contemporary repairs were performed

with materials that were compatible with
the original historical materials

and the virtual recreation or revival helps

analyze how the Tomb might have sounded
some 395 years ago.

Front View of the Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan,Burhanpur.

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 Schematic Plan, Elevation and Section of
the Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan, Burhanpur.
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Research Method

Overview of the Subjective and Objective Identification of the Acoustical Peculiarities of

the Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan, Burhanpur.

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Research Method

Modelled Surfaces of the Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan.

List of Modelled Surfaces and their Assumed Sound Absorption Properties in the Digital Simulation Model of the
Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan.

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Measured Versus Simulated Reverberation Time in the Tomb of Early Decay Time (EDT) Measured and Simulated for the Tomb
Shah Nawaz Khan in the Non-occupied Mode (for the Present of Shah Nawaz Khan in the Non-occupied Mode (for the Present
Acoustical Condition with Contemporary Repairs). Acoustical Condition with Contemporary Repairs).

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Ray Tracing: In addition to the above acoustical parameters, ray tracing (an analytical
tool in the EASE 4.3 acoustical simulation software) a stochastic approach, is
implemented to model the propagation of sound rays and reflection patterns within the
enclosed space by emitting rays whose reflection paths can be viewed and investigated.

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Ray Tracing for the Tomb of Shah
Nawaz Khan.

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Conclusions

The acoustical parametric analysis suggests that the Tomb originally had well-designed
acoustical characteristics that provided optimal acoustical conditions for music and speech
intelligibility.

The well-designed original acoustical characteristics of the Tomb is being changed and
destroyed by improper conservation measures.

More information related to the sound absorption properties of the historic materials needs
to be obtained to better understand and predict the original acoustical characteristics
through simulations.

This will help protect intangible cultural heritage such as the acoustics of the built
environment, a highly fragile and elusive quality attached to the heritage structures.

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 REFERENCES

Research carried out by,

Dr. Alpana R Dongre, Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, Visvesvaraya

National Institute of Technology, Nagpur

Amit J Wahurwagh, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning,

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur,
(https://intranet.sfa.asso.fr/archives)
Thank you