Impressive in style and substance, the Humayun’s Tomb Museum in Delhi sets a new benchmark

We who love Delhi’s rich heritage had much to celebrate with the opening of the Humayun’s Tomb Museum in the middle of last year. Since then, I have visited the museum more than once, and each time found it a very enriching experience. It is designated as a ‘site museum’ for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb and surrounding precincts, but is nothing like the usual site museums that adjoin most historic sites.

The average site museum is a place where some artefacts are displayed with information panels on the history of the site, and maybe with some models of recreations. This museum is of a different order altogether. The introduction to the site it provides is impressive in its breadth and depth.

For a start, the ‘site’ is defined in generous terms, not simply seeing Humayun’s Tomb in isolation. When the tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun was constructed in the 1560s, the site was chosen with care and deliberation — on the banks of the river Yamuna, within the sacred sphere of the shrine of the great Sufi Nizamuddin Auliya, and south of the fortress (Purana Qila) built by the emperor himself. This setting is emphasised at the very outset — through the graphic on one large wall, and in an immersive experience on a large screen. In the exhibition that follows, this larger context is given ample scope.

In keeping with this broad sweep, one strand of the narrative centres on the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya, the structures within this important spiritual centre, and their historical and cultural context. We are told of the Sufi saint’s life, times, work and ideas, as well as of those of Amir Khusro, the poet and political figure who was a close companion of Nizamuddin and was buried in a tomb near his. We get glimpses of Sufi thought and practice centred around the shrine, through the centuries up to the present.

The other strand, of course, is Humayun himself — his life, his times and his personality. Humayun’s life was also the period of the early years of Mughal rule in India, and so, important wars associated with the Mughal conquest and the vicissitudes and instability of Humayun’s rule are among the themes covered. The Mughal world in general — particularly in its cultural aspects, and the lives of certain important members of the royal family and some other figures around the court — forms another important section. The personalities chosen for highlighting are those who are buried in the vicinity, such as  princess Jahanara, prince Dara Shukoh, and Abdurrahim Khan-i-Khana (better known to us as the poet ‘Rahim’).

Lastly, and not surprisingly, since it is a ‘site’ museum, architecture occupies a good deal of space in the exhibition. We learn about various buildings and landscaped areas across the larger site — not only Humayun’s Tomb and its surrounding garden, but several other buildings in an area stretching from Purana Qila to Nizamuddin basti to Rahim’s tomb at the southern extremity. Closely linked to the exposition of the architecture and landscape is the story of the evolution of the site, particularly its conservation over the last nearly three decades. It particularly brings into focus the Aga Khan Trust for Culture  (AKTC), that has been involved in the conservation project.

The scope of the museum is broad, but what is truly impressive is the treatment. All these different narratives are brought to life through well-designed displays. These include an extensive selection of objects, some from museum collections such as the National Museum, the Archaeological Survey of India collection, and the collection of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. There are beautiful miniature paintings, antiquarian prints, astronomical instruments, utensils, coins, arms and armour. Each helps to illustrate some aspect of the narrative.

It is difficult to pick from among many favourites, but one definitely is the mashak, a goat skin bag once used by professional water carriers, or bhishtis. This object is used to illustrate a story from Humayun’s life — when a water carrier inflated his mashak with air so it could serve as a floatation device to save the emperor from drowning, and enabled him to cross the Ganga in spate on his flight after a rout in the battle of Chausa against Sher Shah Suri in 1539. Another object that catches the eye is an 18th century enamel or meenakari vase. The accompanying description tells us that after being ousted by Sher Shah from his Indian territories, Humayun spent several years in exile, including in the territories of the Safavi ruler of Iran. Upon his return, he brought with him several artists and craftspersons, among whom were those who brought to India this craft of enamelling, which became a lasting tradition that survives to this day.

Apart from models, there are numerous carved full-size replicas, which give an excellent idea of the scale of the buildings as well as details, such as we cannot always appreciate from our point of view at the site itself. One of these is a full-size recreation of a portion of the drum below Humayun’s Tomb, which not only emphasises its proportions, but is also designed to show how its facing stones are put together. Then there are painted ceilings of several tombs that are replicated on one large wall. There are smaller replicas too — such as the group of medallions from Rahim’s tomb, showing an eclectic choice of ornament. Another is a panel of tilework from the interior of Sher Mandal. One striking replica is the canopy above Nizamuddin Auliya’s grave. This is a faithful copy of the 17th century original in wood inlaid with mother of pearl. The original canopy is seldom noticed at the dargah itself, because it is covered with cloth.

Among the replicas are originals too. Some of these are pieces found during the removal of debris from sites, such as the objects found in Isa Khan’s tomb garden, or the finial of Humayun’s Tomb that was blown down in a storm some years ago and had to be replaced with a new one. Other pieces that have found their way into the museum are more surprising. For instance, there is a piece of a finely carved parapet, and the leaves of a marble door, both from the emperor Mohammad Shah’s 18th century tomb. The tomb still stands at the Nizamuddin dargah, so why are these pieces here? If there is some reason why conservation was not possible, one would have appreciated some explanation of that, which is missing.

There is also what clearly appears to be an original cenotaph (the stone in a tomb the marks the grave) within the replica of a part of Mirza Aziz Koka’s tomb. There is no explanation for this either. To me, these represent parts that have been taken away from a site that is of great significance in its own right. By putting these in the museum, are we not diminishing that site?

An ambiguity such as this is surprising as the AKTC prides itself on sensitive conservation. In fact, that narrative is given a prominent place in the museum. The story of conservation, the revival of crafts, the employment of local crafts people, and programmes for the uplift of the local community is an important and enlightening part of the museum. Though there are a few films running on screens spread through the displays, there is a blessed absence of the ‘interactive display’. This has tended to be a favourite with museum makers, but never seems to fulfil its promise. In so many museums, non-functional kiosks lie gathering dust.

The Humayun’s Tomb Museum is a valuable addition to the cultural and heritage space, an example others may learn from. It has been made possible through decades of consistent and deep engagement by the AKTC, and pulling in of experts — not just conservation architects, but scholars specialising in art and history.

— The writer is a Delhi-based historian