Tomb of the Perfect Man or Insan-i-Kamil, Emperor Humayun, it stands today as a living memoir as well as mausoleum to the glorious days of the Mughal Dynasty in India. Commissioned in 1562 by Humayuns eldest wife, Hamida Banu Begum, and designed by a Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, Humayuns Tomb was the first garden-tomb of India. Based on the grandness and scale of Gur-e-Amir, the tomb of Humayuns ancestor Timur, Humayuns Tomb set a grand precedent for Mughal mausoleums and architecture that followed later. It was constructed at a cost of INR 15 lakh. Architecture of the Tomb Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1993, Humayuns Tomb is more than just another historical marker of Delhi and India at large. In its arches, gateways, mihrab, courtyards and garden, the decline of Mughal Dynasty and rise of the British Empire can be still traced. Initially, at the time of its establishment, the central chamber where the tomb lies was furnished richly with Persian carpets, a shamiana with the cenotaph covered with a white sheet and a copy of Quran, Humayuns sword and shoes kept in front of it. The complex is surrounded by a garden divided by walkways and flowing water. This garden landscape originated with the Mughals and is called the Paradise garden or Charbagh. When Britishers took over India, the gardens landscape was changed to a more Victorian one. Fortunately Lord Curzon ordered its restoration back to the original state in the early 20th century. Following the turbulence the country went through during Partition, when Humayuns Tomb along with Purana Qila had become refugee camps for the Muslims, significant damage was caused to the structure and the gardens water channels. To this day they havent been successfully restored to their original state. History of Humayuns Tomb Delhi grew around this magnificent tomb. Fourteen years after his death, Humayun’s widow, Hamida Banu Begum, started the construction of the red sandstone tomb in 1569 CE. The impressive blue-domed tomb made with Persian tiles was designed by a Persian, Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. In the same compound, the mosque of Isa Khan, a noble of Humayun’s enemy Sher Shah, is quite distinctive in structure. The Arab Serai was built to accommodate the 200 Arabs brought by Hamida Banu from Mecca. The sombre mood is enhanced as this tomb sheltered Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1857.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:36:04 +0000
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