The Humayun’s Tomb – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of three in Delhi – has finally got a gold crown. A 24-carat gold finial has been installed atop the tomb’s majestic dome.
Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma will unveil it on Tuesday in the presence of senior officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and conservation agency Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). Bhaskar Bhat, the managing director of the gold sponsor, Titan Company Limited, is also a guest.
The 18-foot-long finial has 11 vessels covered with a crown. It stands 45 metres above the ground. The ornate structure includes an auspicious inverted heart-shaped kalash (pitcher) and motifs.
The 16th century tomb, resting place of Mughal emperor Humayun who stumbled to his death down a steep flight of stairs, was making do with a copper replica finial since last year.
The original was damaged by a fierce thunderstorm that wreaked havoc in the Capital on May 30, 2014, and dispossessed the austere monument of its crowning glory.
The Aga Khan Trust, which restored the Humayun’s Tomb complex and garden in 2013, was looking for a sponsor for nearly 5 kg of pure gold to create an enchanting yellow-metal finial.
The Islamic inscription on it translates as: “Khuda jo hay jo barkat rakhe, kisi bhi aapda se bachahye (May God always keep it prosperous, protect it from any calamity).”
After the finial was partially destroyed in the storm, the ASI and Aga Khan Trust carried out an extensive study. The AKTC submitted a report in June 2014.
“We got some craftsmen in Chawri Bazar but it was not easy, putting this together. But, we did not want to compromise on the heritage value of the finial. I am glad the crown is finally back on the king’s head,” – Ratish Nanda, AKTC
Ratish Nanda, project director of the AKTC, had then said, “The original 11 copper vessels in gold finish were in a friable state and had been repaired several times over the past five centuries. Each vessel was weighed and studied separately to allow comparisons with the original profile and carefully map the damage.”
He said the wood of the beam had been damaged by repairs a few decades ago using cement, blocking the water outlet, “In keeping with the conservation philosophy, traditional craftsmen were engaged to prepare the vessels just as they were prepared five centuries ago.”
Source: Baishali Adak, India Today – New Delhi, April 18, 2016
Related
- Reviving India’s Soul: Ratish Nanda and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s Legacy in Heritage Conservation
- Preserving Heritage: PM Modi Acknowledges Aga Khan’s Role in Restoring Sunder Nursery
- Urban renewal of Nizamuddin Basti by Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives two awards from UNESCO: Excellence and Sustainable Development
- Jason Kenney, Leader of the United Conservative Party in Alberta visits Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, India
- Now, Humayun’s Tomb will glow in the Delhi night | Condé Nast Traveller India
- Assorted Links of Interest – A0001
- Sunder Nursery: Before and After
- Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s conservators discover hidden Mughal treasure near Humayun’s tomb
- Conservation can help reverse urban decay in the country
Ismailimail 