Humayun’s Tomb museum a treasure trove of history
As visitors explore the museum at Humayun’s Tomb, they stop at the 14th century handwritten manuscript of the iconic Persian poem of Laila-Majnu.
The manuscript has 332 pages of text and 18 illustrations. A new wave of interest has developed among youngsters in Laila-Majnu, after the release of the 2018 Hindi film of the same title, inspired by the original poem.
Mughal emperor Humayun was fond of books and the presence of the manuscript of Laila-Majnu refers to his lifelong love for literature. The emperor often travelled with a Shutur-i-kitabkhana, a camel-back library.
The museum boasts of over 500 esteemed artefacts —- from the collections of National Museum, Archaeological Survey of India and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. This includes an original copy of Ain-i-Akbari written by Abu Fazl.
Most of the rare and original manuscripts were procured from the National Museum. Miniatures, manuscripts and significant architectural elements from Humayun’s mausoleum such as the original finial of the tomb, inspired by temples in India, is made of copper of almost 100 per cent purity, coins, contemporary art and craft pieces, astrolabes and celestial spheres amidst other metal ware. Several stone inscriptions dating from the 14th century onward, glass, textiles, etc, are architectural models that assist in conveying 700 years of stories developed through rigorous research by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The digital exhibit technology allows visitors a diversity of experience, including experiencing the construction of Humayun’s tomb and other monuments like Nizamuddim Auliya’s Dargah in the area.
The musical traditions were inspired by Hazrat Amir Khusrau, who in the 14th century, proudly compared India to paradise and placed Delhi in the centre of the civilised world.
The first principal gallery, ‘Where the Emperor Rests,’ is focused on the architecture of Humayun’s Mausoleum and the personality of Emperor Humayun – conveyed through stories of his travels, his deep interest in reading and astronomy.
The gallery, ‘Icons of a Sacred Landscape’, has exhibits focused on the four iconic cultural personalities associated with the Nizamuddin area from the 14th century onward. These are the 14th century Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, his disciple and poet Amir Khusrau, who created the Qawwali music genre. Also here are Rahim, commander-in-chief of Akbar’s army but more famous as a poet, for his couplets and his translation of the Ramayan into Persian, and Dara Shikoh, who translated the Upanishads into Persian.
Delhi