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Humayun's Tomb

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Amanda
Amanda
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Delhi's Finest Garden Tomb

  • April 8, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by koshkha from Northampton, United Kingdom
Delhi's Finest Garden Tomb

The Taj Mahal is hailed world-wide as history's greatest monument to love and was built by Shahjahan as a tribute to his wife Mumtaz. Fewer people have heard of another mausoleum which is widely believe to have inspired Shahjahan in his choice of design for the Taj; that monument is the Tomb of Humayun in Delhi. It has been on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites since 1993 and was included for its significance as the first Persian-style 'garden-tomb' on the Indian sub-continent.

Whilst the name might suggest that this is just one building and one dead old wealthy chap, it's actually a complex of many different tombs and mausoleums and it's well worth a visit. To anyone who has seen the Taj Mahal, Humayan's Tomb can seem at first like a poor substitute but if you put aside the temptation to compare the two too much, the tomb complex in Delhi is a world class tourist attraction in its own right and well worth a visit.

~Our visit?~

We were in Delhi in the last few days of June 2006 and were offered a free half-day city tour by our tour company. We'd just been to the Red Fort and had chosen Humayun's Tomb as our next attraction. I'd seriously advise anyone looking for a tour of Delhi highlights to be smarter than we were - Red Fort and Humuyan's Tomb are not a logical or sensible combination as you'll spend half your time driving between the two. But sometimes you have to take the opportunities that you can.

It was an exceptionally hot and humid day.The monsoon was already a week or so overdue and predicted to break at any moment. The skies were overcast and threatening to break at any moment. The temperatures were touching forty degrees and the air was saturated - it was like going sightseeing in a sauna (but without the men in towels).

After visiting the Red Fort and the mosque we had sweated our way across the city in a badly ventilated minibus. The final stop on our tour was feeling like altogether too much effort. As we drew up outside the tomb complex at about four o'clock in the afternoon, the group was getting tired and irritable. We'd suffered each other's company for two weeks in Ladakh and four of us were ready to commit ritual slaughter on the other two. It was going to take something special to put a spring back in our steps.

~Admission Details~

The fee at that time was 250 Rupees (just over £3) for non-Indian visitors and you could also pay in dollars when we visited. I quickly worked out that $5 was cheaper than 250 Rp so, never one to miss a bargain, we paid in dollars. On our visit last year, I believe the Archaeological Society of India had withdrawn the 'dollar option' because of the devaluation of that currency. There are relatively few tourist sites in Delhi which are as expensive as Humayun's Tomb and the prices have increased after recent work, funded by the Aga Khan foundation was carried out to improve the site.

The site is open from sunrise to sunset.

~Who was Humayan?~

Humayan was the son of Emperor Babur and he became the second emperor of the Mughal Empire in 1530. Unfortunately like so many leaders throughout history he liked the high life and spent too much time living it up in Agra, leaving others back home to plot against him. He was overthrown by Sher Shah in 1540 and was sent into exile in Persia. We found evidence of his time in Esfahan when we visited the Chehel Sotoun Palace during our tour of Iran.

In 1555 Humayun put together an army and headed back to Delhi to take back his land and power. With the job done, he had little time to celebrate his victory and died just six months later from a fall in his library at the nearby Purana Qila. And to think that they say reading isn't dangerous! His Persian widow Haji Begum - who I assume he picked up on his travels during his excile though I have no evidence to support that - is believed to have designed his tomb and building work was completed nine years after his death.

~The Design of the Tomb~

The layout of the tomb is believed to have been inspired by descriptions of Islamic paradise gardens known as 'charbagh' (literally four gardens) and is based on a grid system with the gardens divided into 36 squares separated by paths and water channels. On entering the site visitors pass through the West Gate and immediately are confronted by the impressive and enormous double storey mausoleum of pink sandstone inlaid with black and white marble. As you climb the steps up to the entrance to the tomb, it's hard to imagine what's inside.

Entering the tomb you find it's not just Humayun who's resting peacefully inside. There are many different members of the royal family from his time and from later generations interred both inside the tomb and outside on the terraces. Moving from room to room you can glimpse into the next chambers through carved white marble screens. The remarkable thing about the design is that air seems to be drawn through the building with a form of ancient air conditioning. Despite the intense temperatures outside, the tomb was cool and breezy.

The sarcophagus containing Humayun's body is aligned on the North-South axis with the face turned to look towards Mecca.

~What else is in the Complex?~

In the main walled square of the tomb complex you can find other smaller tombs and gate buildings. We were under pressure for time and didn't get the opportunity to examine all of these although we saw the Tomb of Afsarwala and had a closer look at the tomb of Isa Khan, a nobleman from the court of Sher Shah. This smaller garden tomb predates the much larger and more impressive tomb of Humuyan and is located in its own smaller walled garden with its own mosque to one side. There is also a Gurudwara (Sikh temple) just to the northeast of the main tomb
.
~What about the gardens?~

Look, we're British so any major heritage site ought to have a good garden and Humuyan's tomb scores 9 out of 10 on that. Unlike most of the Indian monuments which can sometimes be a bit raggedly looking with burned out grass, a few sad marigolds and a bit too much litter, (my apologies in advance to any Indian readers) the gardens of Humuyan's tomb have received a major injection of cash and effort with the recent work done on them. This is now the sort of place that you'd just love to bring a picnic and a good book and laze around on the grass talking to the squirrels. I'd suggest that's a great idea for a calm afternoon in a busy city.

When we visited there were no more than a dozen other people in the complex - maybe a factor of the high entrance price, but I think we just struck lucky on a day that nobody expected to stay dry on the edge of the monsoon.

~Do I recommend it?~

Absolutely! Of course I do. With or without a picnic. But if you have the chance, give it a couple of hours at least just to soak up the atmosphere.

From journal Death In Delhi

Editor Pick

Humayun's Tomb

  • October 19, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Koentje3000 from Hamme, Belgium
Humayun's Tomb

Nicknamed Delhi’s Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of emperor Humayun is a splendid example of 16th-century Moghul architecture. Nasiruddin Humayun was the son of Babur, the founder of the Moghul empire in northern India, a direct descendant of Tamerlane of Central Asia and the father of Akbar the Great. He was the only Moghul emperor to loose his Indian territories, namely to Sher Shah Suri who was helped by his younger brothers. After his flee to Persia, he converted to Shi’a Islam, gained the support of the Persian Shah, and retook northern India. His victory was short-lived, as Humayun died only 6 months later in 1556 from an accident. He was succeeded by his 13-year-old son Akbar, who expanded his father’s legacy to one of the greatest empires of that time, reaching as far as Kabul.

The tomb of Humayun, inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, was built after the emperor’s death by his wife Haji Begum. It took around 10 years to complete this magnificent red sandstone and marble structure. The building is highly symmetrical. The square base is 6.5m in height and 100m wide. Right in the middle of this support is the actual mausoleum, taking up one quarter of the square. This shrine, with walls made up of red sandstone with white marble inlays, is topped by a magnificent marble dome reaching 45m above the ground and four smaller domes at each corner. The building is surrounded by a symmetrical square garden with water canals, pathways, and trees. It is the first building of this kind in India, but other similar examples would soon follow, most notably the favourite wife of Shah Jahan’s mausoleum better known as the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Entry to the complex is Rs 250 (4 €). A path from the entrance leads straight towards the square garden. If you have a little time to spend here, it is worthwhile to enter the massive Arab Sarai gate on the right side of the path. This will bring you to another splendid grave, the 20-year older tomb of Isa Khan, a nobleman from the court of Humayun’s enemy Sher Shah Suri. Although not as beautiful and spacious as above mausoleum, it is a remarkably structured octagonal edifice typical for the Lodi architecture favoured in these times. Next to this tomb is the so-called Mosque of Isa Khan, built with sandstone and marble. Inside the complex is also a smaller tomb, reportedly of Humayun’s barber. Outside the complex are even more interesting tombs, like the shrine of the sufi saint Nizam-ud-Din or the tomb of Jahanara, daughter of Shah Jahan.

The tomb is within walking distance of one of Delhi’s most important railway stations, Hazrat Nizamuddin, with direct trains to the south, like Agra or even Chennai (Madras). The station can be reached by public bus for a few rupees on line 181 from New Delhi railway station. A rickshaw ride from Connaught Place would cost you around Rs 50.

From journal Delhi: The Good, the Bad or the Ugly?

Editor Pick

Humayun's Tomb

  • June 20, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by phileasfogg from New Delhi, India
Humayun's Tomb

This tomb’s a World Heritage site, the precursor to the Taj Mahal, and the mausoleum of the second of the Mughal Emperors. A Mughal monument, but one which lies pretty far from Chandni Chowk, Red Fort and Shajahanabad. And there’s a reason behind its location: the fact that according to belief, being buried near the tomb of a saint brought you some hope of salvation- and the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya, a prominent 13th-century Muslim saint, lies just across the road. Close proximity to Nizamuddin’s tomb means that the entire area’s crawling with tombs- of poets, noblemen, princesses, and other important people- but Humayun’s is the most spectacular.

Built around 1570 by Humayun’s widow, the mausoleum’s a red sandstone edifice, decorated with geometric patterns and calligraphy in white and black marble and tan sandstone. Around it are a series of other interesting, but relatively insignificant tombs- of Humayun’s poorer relatives, sundry officers, and even (although this isn’t confirmed!)- Humayun’s barber, supposedly an important chap because he could actually hold a razor to the emperor’s throat. You have to keep such people buttered up with nicely-situated tombs and stuff like that.

Anyway, Humayun’s tomb is a splendid sight- more so because a massive restoration project has just been completed on it. The garden in which the tomb stands (a `charbagh’ is what it’s called- a square garden, with the tomb in the centre) is being spruced up too.

Tickets are $10 per person.

From journal Exploring Mughal Delhi

Editor Pick

Humayun's Tomb

  • November 17, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Amanda from London, United Kingdom
Humayun's Tomb

Humayun’s Tomb has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UN (and therefore, costing $10 / person.) It is very close to Isa Khan’s tomb (see the entries for this also in my Delhi journal) - the two compounds are only a couple of hundred feet apart.

The architecture of the tomb is amazing. Looking through the gate that leads to the tomb, you can see the similarities with the Taj Mahal – the arched gates leading to avenues, and then the tomb itself, the care that has gone into the views the visitor has from all sides, the arches themselves, meeting at a graceful point above the centre of the lintel, the tree lined avenues and walled-off enclosures, and last but not least, the building’s style and grace.

The walls around the enclosure are built from a warm, honey-coloured stone that catches the sun and raises the spirit. As you walk through from the car-park, you find yourself in a large grassy area, with men cutting grass and loading it on to their bikes and donkeys, to take away and feed to their animals. There is a wide, tree-lined avenue leading towards the honey-coloured entrance gate to the tomb – to your right is the walled-enclosure of Isa Khan’s tomb. As you go through the first arch, you find yourself on another tree-lined path, leading to the tomb.

The tomb had a large main dome, and four smaller ones at the corners. Much of these are built from a white marble, with inlaid red sandstone parts decorated. Only men are allowed inside the tomb (at least on Friday, the day my mother and I visited), and it seems to be a religious site – as we entered the compound, a group of men talking quietly were leaving, mosque-caps in hand. There isn’t a huge amount to do here, once you’ve seen the outside of the building, but it’s such a beautiful place I strongly recommend you see it.

From journal Delhi - exciting, vivid, and hot!

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