Tomb of Humayun

Humayun`s tomb in the capital city of Delhi is a fine specimen of the enormous Mughal architecture. It is a mausoleum for the Mughal Emperor, Humayun. Built in 1570, the tomb is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. Its unique beauty is said to have inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the unparalleled Taj Mahal. In many ways, this magnificent red and white sandstone building is as spectacular as the famous `monument to love` in Agra. This historic monument was erected by Humayun`s queen Hamida Banu Begam (Haji Begam) at a cost of about 1.5 million. It is believed that she designed the tomb.

Humayun`s tomb is a complex building that is located in Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. During the reign of Slave Dynasty this land was part of the KiloKheri Fort which was capital of Sultan Kequbad Nasiruddin (1268-1287 AD). It encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun as well as numerous others.

Humayun, the eldest son of Babur, succeeded his father and became the second emperor of the Mughal Empire. He ruled India for nearly a decade but was ousted by Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan ruler. Humayun took refuge at the court of the Safavid ruler, Shah of Persia, who helped in regain Delhi in 1555 AD. Unfortunately, he was not able to rule for a long time and met with his untimely death after he fell from the stairs of the Sher Mandal library. The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun`s widow starting in 1562. The architect of the edifice was reportedly Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin and his father Mirak Ghiyathuddin who were brought in from Herat. It took 8 years to build this Tomb and had a Charbagh, the first of its kind in the region.

Humayun`s Tomb was one of the first important buildings the Mughals erected in India, It introduced purely Persian features to the subcontinent but it also drew several elements from the land it was built in. The red sandstone and white marble, for instance, was a common feature of 14th century architecture of the Delhi Sultanate. In fact it was one of the first mausoleums for a Mughal emperor and it drew inspiration from 15th century Timurid architecture. Built to a meticulously symmetrical plan, it displayed a range of Timurid characteristics, including the bulbous double dome on a high drum; a high portal in the front elevation; coloured tilework arranged geometrically; and arch-netting in the vaults.

Entry to Humayun`s Tomb : The entry to Humayun`s Tomb is through a long axial processional track. On the way, there are gateways, which offer a glimpse of the tomb. The tomb is octagonal in shape and placed over a platform with colonnades, under which there are numerous graves of lesser known people and can be ascribed to various nobles and workers of Humayun`s period. A great central chamber has four offsets, double storeyed in height and with arcade on their facades. Their openings closed with perforated screens. Three emphatic arches dominate each side, the central one being the highest. The central room contains the cenotaph of the emperor Humayun and his queen Bega begum. The tomb is crowned by 42.5 m high colossal double dome.

Humayun`s Sarcophagus : The main sarcophagus stands in the central hall, oriented - in accordance with Muslim practice on the north-south axis. Traditionally, the body is placed with the head to the north, the face turned sideways towards Mecca. The dome is what is called a full dome, a complete semi-circle that is a special feature of Mughal architecture. The structure is built with red sandstone, but white and black marble has been used in the borders. Its plan, based on the description of Islamic paradise gardens, is known to have inspired the Taj Mahal and many later Mughal tombs. This type of garden is known as a Charbagh and is based on a grid.

Charbagh in Humayun`s Tomb : In the centre of this Charbagh, the mausoleum itself rises from a wide and lofty platform about 6.5 metres high, which in turn stands upon a podium just over a metre high. The latter is the only feature of the mausoleum built of quartzite, the remainder being entirely of red or yellowish sandstone with marble panels or outlines and a marble-covered dome. Each side of the high terrace is pierced by 17 arches, while the corners of the structure are chambered, giving the monument a pleasing depth. At each corner, an oblique arch cuts the angle.

Central Arch : The central arch on each side opens on to an ascending staircase. To the east of the southern stair a horizontal passage leads to the actual tomb below the monument. The remaining arches open into cells, most of which contain subsequent and subsidiary tombs. The floor of the terrace is paved with red sandstone and contains a number of unidentified graves. Inside, the octagonal tomb chamber rises through two storeys and is surrounded by smaller octagonal chambers at the diagonal points. These chambers also house a number of other tombstones, making Humayun`s mausoleum almost a family one.

Central Hall in Humayun`s Tomb : The central hall containing the cenotaph is roofed by a double dome carried on squinches, with plastered interlace in the spandrels. It is in three stages, of which the central is a gallery and the uppermost, a clerestory. Most of the openings are filled with sandstone grilles. Between each of the octagonal wings on the diagonal sides of the central tomb lie the great arched lobbies that dominate the exterior elevation. Although varied in terms of their numerous panels and recesses, these conform essentially to the three-fold scheme characteristic of Persian architecture, the great central arches being flanked by a smaller but emphatic arch in each wing.

Domes of Humayun`s Tomb : Humayun`s Tomb was among the first structures in India to use a double dome. This device, a favourite of Persian builders, gave a building an imposing exterior height but kept the ceiling of the central hall in proportion with the interior heights. The dome is also remarkable in that it is the first major full dome to be seen in India. Earlier domes were not full in the sense that their shape never traced a full semi-circle.

The outer dome of Humayun`s Tomb is covered with marble and is bulbous in shape. It is supported by pavilions or chhattris above the wings and portals. These, historians believe, served as a madrasa or college in the days when the tomb was a living monument. The chhattris serve the added purpose of masking the drum from view. These pavilions, augmented by carefully graded pinnacles at all angles of the building, unite the soaring outline of the dome with the horizontal lines of the main structure and give strength and coherence to the design.

The dome of Humayun`s mausoleum is significant on another count - it is the first major double dome to be constructed in India. A double dome is one composed of two shells, with a gap between the two layers. The outer shell provides the elevated dome imposing height while the considerably lower inner shell provides the central chamber a roof proportionate to its dimensions. This style of raising a dome had been prevalent in West Asia for a while before Mirak Mirza Ghiyas brought it to India.

Gates in Humayun`s Tomb : The walled enclosure of the tomb is entered through two gates: the main gate to the south, which is now closed, and a less imposing west gate. The south gate is-a towering 15.5 metres high. It stands on a podium approached by a flight of five steps. The ground floor comprises a central hall, octagonal and domed, with rectangular wings. There are square and oblong rooms on the first floor of the gateway. The outer angles are adorned with octagonal pinnacles topped with a lotus design. The gate is flanked externally by screen-walls with arched recesses.

Adjoining the south gate is a compound on the west, 146 metres by 32 metres, built against the exterior face of the main enclosure-wall. It contains a low-roofed verandah, with 25 arched entrances and was possibly meant to accommodate the many attendants of the royal tomb. Its main exit is towards the south, but it is also connected with the tomb by a small doorway. There is another dilapidated building flanking the eastern side of the gate externally.

The west gate, by which visitors now enter the tomb-enclosure, also stands on a podium with five steps and is two storeys high. It consists of a 7 metre-square central hall, with square side-rooms on the ground floor, and oblong rooms on the first. It is approached from the front and back through portals 10.7 metres high. The gate is flanked externally with arched recesses and measures 15 metres from the floor-level to the parapet. It is surmounted at the outer angles by small chhattri pavilions, 1.5 metres square.

Towards the centre of the inner face of the north wall stands an arcaded pavilion on a platform 2.1 metres high. It contains an octagonal tank, about one metre across, and the room appears to have been a hammam or bath. It is plastered but undecorated. Behind this pavilion, on the north side of the enclosure-wall is a rubble-built circular well, which supplied water both to the bath and the channels of the charbagh.

Sculpture of Humayun Tomb is the grave of second Mughal emperor Humayun which reflects the succeeding Mughal regal architecture. It is the first distinct example of Mughal style that was inspired by the Persian architectural style. Humayun`s tomb is now one of the best-preserved Mughal monuments in Delhi and is declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Features of Sculpture of Humayun Tomb : Humayun picked up Persian style of architecture during his exile from India. The Humayun Tomb stands in the heart of a square garden, which is divided into four main parts by the causeways (khiyabans). This style is known as `Charbagh` style. A high wall surrounds the garden on three sides, the fourth side being bounded by what was once the bank of the river Yamuna. There are two lofty double-storied gateways on the north and south of this cenotaph. The eastern wall contains a `Baradari` (pavilion), which occupies the centre and a `Hammam`(bath chamber) is situated in the centre of the northern wall.

The Humayun Tomb is a double-storied square structure made up of red sandstone. The mausoleum has furrowed corners and it rises from a 7 metre high square terrace. The top of its central dome reaches 140 feet from the ground. The tomb is raised over a series of cells, which can be entered through arches on each side. The actual grave is situated in the centre of the cell-complex, which can be reached by a passage on the south. The central chamber containing the cenotaph is, octagonal in shape. The diagonal sides of this octagonal chamber lead to different corner chambers, which houses the graves of other members of the royal family. The casket of Humayun is found in the central domed chamber, the head pointing south, and facing east according to Islamic practice. The sex of each sarcophagus is marked by a simple carved symbol: a box of writing instruments indicates a male, and a writing slate indicates a female.

The plan of the main tomb building is square and nine-fold. The external wall of the tomb is beautifully decorated by marble borders and panels on each side. It has three arched alcoves, among which the central one being the highest. Over the roof there is pillared kiosk that is flung around the soaring double domes in the centre. The central octagonal chamber also has diagonal arched lobbies, whose openings are covered with perforated screens. Each side of this is dominated by three arches, central one being the highest. The same plan is repeated on the second story. The roof is surmounted by two marbled domes of 42.5 metres height, which are surrounded by pillared kiosks or `Chhatris`. The arched alcoves, corridors and high double dome representing the Persian style while the kiosks, which give it a pyramidal look from the distance reveals Indian art. The Humayun`s tomb was amongst the earliest of garden tombs, which set up a new vogue in Mughal architecture. Several rulers of Mughal dynasty are buried here. Bahadur Shah Zafar and his three princesses took shelter here in this tomb during the first war of independence (1857 AD).

Other monuments mark the way leading up to the Humayun tomb area from the main entrance in the West. Tomb and mosque of Isa Khan positioned within an octagonal garden, which was built during his own time and the sovereignty of Islam Shah Suri, son of Sher Shah. Standing southwest end of the complex lies the Afsarwala tomb belonging to a nobleman in Akbar`s court. Standing outside the boundary of the complex is the tomb known as Nila Burj or `Blue Dome`, so called because it carries striking blue glazed tiles. It was built by Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, son of Bairam Khan also a courtier in Mughal Emperor, Akbar`s court, for his servant Miyan Fahim. Towards the south-east corner, within the Char Bagh, lies a tomb known as Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber`s Tomb, belonging to royal barber, it is datable to 1590-91 CE, through an inscription found inside.