Rauza, Rouza, Roza (Urdu: روضة, Bengali: রৌজা, Hindi: रौज़ा) is a Perso-Arabic term used in Middle East and Indian subcontinent which means shrine or tomb.[1][2][3] It is also known as mazār, maqbara or dargah.[4]
The word rauza is derived through Persian from the Arabic rawdah (روضة rawḍah) meaning garden, but extended to tomb surrounded by garden as at Agra and Aurangabad.[5] Abdul Hamid Lahauri, the author of the Badshahnama, the official history of Shah Jahan's reign, calls Taj Mahal rauza-i munawwara (Perso-Arabic: روضه منواره rawdah-i munawwarah), meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb in a garden.[2]