On my second day in Delhi, I visited my favorite site to date: Humayun’s Tomb. I arrived at around 9:30 AM, early enough to beat the worst of the heat, and was greeted with the jaw-droppingly stunning predecessor of the Taj Mahal. Humayun’s Tomb was built by the wife and son of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, from 1569-1570 AD. It is the first garden-tomb on the south Asian subcontinent, and also the first to use red sandstone on such a large scale. In addition, Humayun’s Tomb shows the growing influence of Persian architecture in the Mughal Dynasty and marked the start of this influence in royal mausoleums. I am a novice in architectural studies (unlike my friend I’ve been sight-seeing with, who is an architecture PhD and a total boss at analyzing this stuff), but from what I understand, the domes and arches used in tombs such as Humayun’s Tomb and the Taj Mahal have Persian influence. The Mughals, like the Persian Safavids, also practiced Islam (although the Mughals practiced Sunni Islam, and the Safavids, Shia Islam). (The Mughals and Safavids, along with the Ottomans, are considered to be the three greatest Middle Eastern/Central Asian Empires around 1500-1600 AD, also dubbed by some scholars as the “gunpowder empires” due to their successful use of newly developed firearms, although this concept has been criticized as too simplistic.)
Humayun’s Tomb actually contains hundreds of royal tombs in the grand mausoluem. The tomb of Humayun himself, of course, is by itself in a central room, raised above the rest on a small platform. (By the way, if you ever visit, be forewarned that you are NOT allowed to step up onto the platform!) This is a ceremonial tomb, though – his real tomb is far below in an underground chamber, apparently accessible through a side chamber but closed to most of the visiting public. The position of Humayun’s tomb is deliberate – his body is aligned on a North-South axis, while his head has been turned to face Mecca. I visited Humayun’s Tomb with my family 12 years ago (and can’t believe I didn’t remember how stunning it was!), but there have been additional excavations and restorations since then. The most notable is the mausoleum of Isa Khan Kiyazi, an Afghan noble in the court of the Suri Dynasty (dynasty that fought against the Mughals) that was constructed several decades before Humayun’s tomb.
Humayun’s tomb complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 1993. After visiting, I could appreciate the origins of the word “paradise” better – apparently the English world is derived from the Farsi term for “walled garden.” After Humayun’s tomb, I visited Purana Qila, one of the oldest forts in Delhi that is believed to have been built by Sher Shah Suri (of the Suri Dynasty) and by Humayun. Unfortunately there was not much information inside on the actual history of the fort, but Humayun did die here. In the center of the complex was a building in which Humayun could relax and repose. Within walking distance was a mosque Humayun used personally (architecturally the most beautiful part of the complex, in my opinion). He was getting old, and when he heard the call to prayer one day, in his rush he fell down the stairs, and died from injuries 3 days later. The majority of people hanging out in the complex were not very interested in this history, though – they were mostly couples canoodling on the grass!
One frustrating but understandable aspect of the tourist sites is how expensive they are for foreigners; tickets for foreigners are usually well over 10 times pricier than the same ticket for locals. Most “tickets” are reusable tokens – this is the same for one-time use metro tickets. When I had to relieve myself, I also discovered that public toilets here are quite comparable to those in China. They have what I affectionately dub “squatty potties” here as well – porcelain bowls set in the ground rather than raised, so that you squat over them rather than sit on them. If you travel to India, I’d also advise you to bring your own tissue, as not all places provide them.
After Purana Qila, I decided to visit Connaught Place (CP), a sprawling area of stores and businesses considered the commercial heart of Delhi. The original horseshoe-shaped structure with white buildings was built by the British, who believed that the horseshoe shape would be “lucky” for both shopkeepers and shoppers. At the time it was built, in the late 19th century, it was the largest market of its kind in India. I naturally stopped at a Starbucks there. A man associated with a group of autorickshaws convinced me to pay 50 rupees (less than 1 USD) for an autoricksaw to take me to Starbucks, then a nearby marketplace (my friend and I were speculating and determined that the drivers must have bargains with shopkeepers to bring tourists to them in exchange for a cut of the profit or something), then to an amazing South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain called Saravana Bhavan recommended to me by a friend. Of course, the “market” turned out to be an upscale store with multiple sections that was obviously geared towards foreigners, but I only bought 1 shirt for around 900 rupees (a little less than $15 USD) – a little expensive, but very cute, and I was very proud at my persistence in refusing to buy more stuff!