Placement of Hindu auspicious inlay design elements in the Mughal monuments of Agra India

The Mughal buildings were decorated with auspicious, floral, arabesques and geometrical designs - which often considered as decorative motifs by viewers. However, when examined more closely, these motifs carry a certain meaning according to its placement. The aim of this study is to explore placement and significance of Hindu auspicious inlay motifs in the monuments of Agra. Five Mughal monuments built during period of Akbar to Shahjahan have been selected and explored based on visual assessment and primary data collected from 85 respondents (artists, architects and scholars). These motifs were used as a mode of visual communication and reveal a glimpse of different culture and tradition. The auspicious motifs (e.g., the sun, swastika, satkona, gavaska and purunakalasa) were placed on prominent places and convey message of welcoming, freshness and openness. The Hindu design elements, in slightly altered form, were found to be logically placed in these monuments.