This paper traces the aesthetic pleasure (Indian rasas) in Mughal architecture of Agra with specific reference to Red Fort, Akbar's tomb, Itmad-ud-Daulah, Buland Darwaza and the Taj Mahal, using inlay designs as a source. The study highlights that the inlay designs are not flat, lifeless stone lines and colors, but they have Indian rasas and bhavas. The various designs and design elements used in the monuments have different Indian rasas, which can be felt through these inlay designs. Visually, many of the motifs can be read as decorative patterns, but at source, their meanings are quite distinct. These designs are not merely a source of decoration, but also have rasas when we see them deeply. The study finds six predominant rasas (aesthetic pleasure or anandanubhuti) in the Mughal architecture of Agra: adbhuta, veera, shringar, shanta, karuna and raudra rasas. Artisans have presented inlay designs with standardized techniques and skills and are capable of offering the most abstract forms into concrete and real forms that can evoke rasas in the spectators.

The Mughal dynasty was at the height of its power, having been secured, strengthened and consolidated by Akbar (d. 1605). Under his successors, in the 17^th century, most of the subcontinent was incorporated into the Mughal Empire, as the rulers of the Deccan were finally conquered and turned into Delhi's feudatories. The Mughals were fond of art and architecture and their growth was seen during the periods of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Rajput princes continued to be enlisted as generals in the imperial army, aiding the spread of Mughal ideas on art and architecture to the peripheral courts and also in the absorption of Rajputs and their traditions into the Mughal world. The Mughal rulers established workshops in the 16^th century in what is now India and Pakistan. Decorative arts flourished remarkably in this period. Marble (inlay-Pachchikari or Parchinkari), one of the most beautiful and popular forms of Indian Mughal art, was developed indigenously in India (Sharma et al., 2008a, p. 1). Floral, geometrical, calligraphy and many auspicious design elements were applied in inlay technique in the monuments of Agra. The propagation of one motif type and its adaptation in different religious monuments over several centuries suggests that the motifs were passed on from one generation of craftsmen to another, and many of these motifs have remained in oral or mental forms and are not standardized in textbooks for open reference. The basic concept remains the same and the design may be tailored. At times, the design and the concept are either fully changed or remain the same. When both are changed, its purpose becomes only ornamentation, and when they remain the same, it will be symbolic in purpose (Sharma et al., 2008b). It is obvious that Mughal art was a combination of Islamic and Indian art. It is interesting to see Indian rasas in the inlay designs of Mughal architecture. These designs arising in Indian culture were slowly absorbed into the mainstream religions as vital principles. Visually, many of the motifs can be read as decorative patterns, but at source, their meanings are quite distinct. It evokes in our mind the spell of historic past and charm of aesthetical imagination. These designs are not merely a source of decoration, but have rasas when we observe them closely.

Architecture Journal, Indian Aesthetics, Inlay Designs, Mughal Architecture, Indian Rasas, Indian Culture, Aesthetic Vision, Raudra Rasa, Mughal Monuments, Aesthetical Imagination, Cultural Heritage, Islamic Architecture.