Travel Guide to Humayun�s Tomb, New Delhi

The glorious Humayun�s tomb, in New delhi, is known to be the first significant display of Mughal architecture in India.

Built after Humayun�s death, by Humayun�s wife Bega Begam, the Humayun�s tomb gained popularity for being the first garden tomb in the country.

Built completely out of red sandstone, UNESCO included The Tomb in the list of World Heritage Site in the year 1993.


Humayun�s Tomb, New Delhi

Location: Opp. Dargah, Nizamuddin, Mathura Road, New Delhi

Built by: Bega Begam

Built in: 1565 A.D

How to Reach: Local transports including taxis or buses are easily available to reach Humayun�s Tomb within the capital city. The nearest metro station to Humayun�s Tomb is Pragati Maidan station which is at a distance of 5 km. The distance between Delhi Airport and Humayun�s tomb is 19 km and it is only 1 km away from Nizamuddin railway station.

Best time to visit: Due to the scorching heat of New Delhi in summers, winters are the best season to visit the Red Fort.

Entry Fee: Rupees 10 for Indians and Rupees 250 for foreigners

Timings: Everyday Sunrise to sunset

Introduction

The Humayun's Tomb is a glorious example of the architectural superiority of Mughal Empire and holds the testimony for their skilled craftsmanship. Included in the list of every itinerary to Delhi, the Tomb is a must visit monument. The mausoleum, built by Humayun�s Widow Bega Begam, has a complex structure, but retains her grandeur and charm amongst the thousands of tourists, that visit the Humayun's Tomb, from all over the world.

The classical touch of Islamic architecture is visible amongst the geometric patterns, high arches, round domes and lattice stone windows in the tomb. The structure of Humayun�s Tomb is quite similar to that of the famous Taj Mahal.

Being one of the most stunning monuments in Delhi, the tomb was recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by vibrant Mughal gardens and pathways separating them in to four parts and numerous fountains, till today, The Tomb remains as one of the leading attractions of Delhi, luring tourists from all over the world.

History

After Humayun�s death in 1556, Bega Begum or Haji Begum, Humayun's first wife, was extremely upset and she decided to dedicate her whole life for the construction of a grand mausoleum in the Empire, to commemorate and remember her late husband. After coming back from Mecca where she went for Hajj Pilgrimage, Begum ordered the construction of Humayun�s Tomb.

Humayun�s tomb History

For the purpose, a Persian architect namely Mirak Mirza Ghiyas was invited from Heart. But, as tragedy would have it, the architect died before completing the project. Then, the construction was looked after by Ghiyas� son, Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin who finished the construction in 1972.

After a while, The Mughal Empire started to decline which led to the destruction of Mughal architectural site as well. The popular Charbagh (Four-square) gardens were completely destroyed by British after the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured during The Revolt of 1857. The Mughal Gardens in the tomb were changed to English style gardens by 1860. The true Mughal style of gardens was restored in 20th century, by Viceroy Lord Curzon during the restoration project in 1903�1909.

In August 1947, when India and Pakistan divided, large population of Muslims found refuge in Humayun's Tomb. A lot of damage was done to the tomb during this time. Later, the gardens and the buildings in the tomb were reconstructed by The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), who decided to preserve India�s Heritage Sites. In 1993, when the monument was include in UNESCO�s World Heritage Site list, ASI with aids from Aga Khan Trust began a rigorous restoration project of the tomb which was finished by 2003.

Major Attractions

There are numerous attractions inside the magnificent Humayun's Tomb and therefore only it is a truly grand structure. There are beautiful bath chambers (hammam) and pavilions (baradari) inside the tomb, which is completely made of red sandstone except the dome, which is built with shining white marble. Tourists can also witness the octagonal chambers that comprises of the tomb of Humayun. Besides Humayun�s tomb, the tourist can also view the graves of various Mughal princes including Dara Shikoh (Shah Jahan's son), Bahadur Shah Zafar (Last Mughal Emperor) and Hamida Begum (Akbar's mother).

Some Fascinating Facts on Humayun�s Tomb
  •  The inspiration of the monument was the tomb of Oljeytu, Persian Mongol ruler, located at Sultaniyya.
  •  After fourteen years of Humayun�s death, the construction for the tomb was started. 
  •   The architecture of the tomb was a Persian Architect namely Mirak Mirza Ghiyuath.
  •   Located nearby the Humayun�s Tomb is the Old fort or Purana Qila. 
  •   The location for the construction of the tomb was chosen to be the banks of Yamuna River, as it was closer to Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of Nizamuddin Auliya, the renowned Sufi saint.
  •  Crowning the Humayun's Tomb is a sparkling white dome made out of shiny white marble, with a 42.5 m long spire on top of it. The monument is rising from a couple of huge platforms, on top of each other that are joined together by a flight of stairs.
  •  The tomb is constructed in a peculiar fashion. With each step you take inside the tomb, the path start to ascend gradually and the height of the tomb keeps on increasing.
  •   The majestic grave of Mughal Emperor Humayun is surrounded by adjoining rooms in which the tombs of a couple of Emperor Humayun�s wives or begums and tombs of other Mughal Emperors are kept.
  •  For the construction of Humayun�s Tomb, approximately a wealth of Rupees 1.5 million was spent by the Mughal Empire. The whole project took a time period of approximately 8 years to be completed.
  •  The idea for using the four �quartered gardens was given to Mughal architects by Humayun's Tomb.
  •  The Persian double dome structure was first used in construction of Humayun�s Tomb.
  •  The architecture of magnificent Taj Mahal, which is included in the list of Seven Wonders of the World, was inspired from the architecture of Humayun�s Tomb. The Tomb was inspiration for many other Mughal architectural innovations as well.

[Explore Delhi Tour Packages at IndianHoliday.com]

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Last updated on 17th September 2014 by

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