NEW DELHI: The new-look 16th-century Humayun’s Tomb was officially unveiled on Wednesday in a grand ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. It was attended by culture minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust chairperson Ratan Tata.
During his address to the audience, the Aga Khan took note of his suggestion to introduce more public-private initiatives to protect Indian heritage. “I would like to thank the Prime Minister for recommending a public-private partnership to conserve heritage like the Humayun’s Tomb. A great many of our other projects are also founded on public-private partnership. There has been a ten-fold increase in the number of visitors here since we began the conservation project nearly a decade ago. Humayun’s Tomb is unique; it was the first garden tomb setting in the subcontinent and later inspired the Taj. After we completed the garden restoration project, we took on a new project to conserve the mausoleum,” he said. Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s first foray in conservation of Indian monuments was the revival of the Humayun’s Tomb gardens in 1997—a gift from the Aga Khan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Indian independence.
Ismailimail 