The Monument That Inspired Taj Mahal

Hi,

This is our first sight seeing trip in the Delhi/NCR region which has the highest number of historical structures in the World with over a thousand such structures co-existing grandly with modern marvels, skyscrapers, shopping marvels and colonial structures.

Through this post, I introduce you to Humayun's Tomb which happens to be the monument that is said to have inspired Shahjahan to build Taj Mahal almost half a century later. The monument is the mausoleum of First Mughal Emperor Humayun and it is located in central Delhi near the famous Nizamuddin Dargah. It is easily accessible by public/private transport or cabs. Nearest Metro Station is Jangpura from where you can take an auto or a rickshaw to reach this monument.

I won't delve much into the history and archaeological facts related to this magnificent monument as you can find relevant information at Humayun's Tomb.

So let's move ahead and see why this structure is often considered to be the 'original Taj'.

After getting through the ticket queues, we walk towards the towering entrance and even though just an entrance, it is an imposing structure in itself. 

The moment we reach the entrance building, the mausoleum appears in the distance and immediately you are reminded of a 'Red Sandstone Taj without the Minarets'.

Even on a sunny day, there are hordes of tourists from all over the world that visit this UNESCO heritage monument and the grandeur of the place makes it worth the effort.

 As we walk further towards the main structure surrounded on all sides by lush and manicured gardens spread over several acres.

 There are small square ponds with fountains built in the pathway leading to the main mausoleum which add to the aesthetics of the monument.

 The main building is built upon a huge platform as you can see in the picture above, but, the real vastness of this platform is experienced when you stand on it and look around.

View of the main entrance gate from the mausoleum platform. 

The towering double storeyed mausoleum main facade.

 There are numerous graves of royal family members and courtiers spread outside the main structure and within the periphery of the monument as well as its gardens. It is difficult to identify who is who, but, they have all probably been royalty in Mughal times.

The flight of stairs that leads to the mausoleum from the entrance path.

While the tourists approach the monument from the main entrance, there are entrances built in other directions as well. Each one of them is architecture wise similar and connected through similar paths with ponds at the center.

The royals not just had the luxury of having manpower and wealth to build such structures, they also had unlimited real estate at their disposal 😉

Let's take a peek at the interiors 

The main dome of the mausoleum

Here lies the founder of Mughal empire

A side dome

The structure has ample ventilation ducts, windows etc and is a glowing example of the Persian architecture

View from the side courtyard

View from the side courtyard

There is this section separated by a separate walled entrance leading to another tomb which interestingly belongs to a courtier of Sher Shah Suri who had fought against the invading Mughals.

Entrance to the tomb mentioned above

As the shadows lengthened and feet got tired, I decided to head back and to explore some other Delhi monument another day. If you visit Delhi on vacation then this tomb is a must visit place. 

Stay tuned for our next outing!