The finials on jama masjid, other structures

• Architecturally, the way a building touched the sky was given a lot of importance. That's how finials became important eventually.

Inscriptions

• Several inscriptions were found on the finial mentioning past repairs as well as artwork depicting a bearded man praying.
• Analysis revealed 99.42% pure copper sheets were used, in 8-in strips embedded into one another.
• Copper of such purity is not commercially available even today.
• The use of pure gold to finish the finial was revealed during lab analysis, underlying the significance of the finial as well as continuity of Indian craft traditions by the Mughals.
• The part of Jama Masjid's finial that is still hanging would weigh around 350 kg.
  • So the entire ensemble weight would be about 500 kg.
• The finials on Mughal tombs represent the pluralistic architectural traditions they used by adopting elements from monuments pre-dating their arrival in India.

Prelims Takeaway

• Finials