Nila Gumbad reunited with the Humayun's Tomb complex

After nearly nine years, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has been able to close the 15-feet-wide road that cuts through the complex, leading to isolation and decay of the blue tomb.

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Nila Gumbad
Nila Gumbad, the beautiful blue-tiled tomb

Nila Gumbad, the beautiful blue-tiled tomb, has finally been reunited with the Humayun's Tomb complex. After nearly nine years, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has been able to close the 15-feet-wide road that cuts through the complex, leading to isolation and decay of the blue tomb. Every year, nearly one million tourists visit the Humayun's Tomb - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but never get to see the Nila Gumbad. All of that will change now. This is also the first step to landscaping Nila Gumbad - constructing pathways and gardens around it - after its renovation was completed by AKTC last year.

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After the changes, the Archaeological Survey of India's demand to include Nila Gumbad in the Humayun's Tomb World Heritage Site shall get strengthened. Nila Gumbad is said to be the earliest Mughal-era building in Delhi. The Samarkand-style architecture of Nila Gumbad - with blue tile work on the northern faade and the shape of the dome - suggests that it came up before Mughal architecture got influenced by the local styles. Conservationists say it is the resting place of Miyan Fahim, servant of Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana who was the son of Bairam Khan, the famous courtier of Akbar.

Excavation work around Nila Gumbad has shown that it originally stood on a raised island in river Yamuna, the course of which has since shifted further eastwards. It was a part of the Humayun's Tomb complex. Remains of the arcade that encloses the single tomb joined with that of the Humayun's Tomb, but were possibly destroyed over time. Conservation architect and project director at AKTC, Ratish Nanda, told MAIL TODAY, "In the 1980s, Nila Gumbad was segregated from Humayun's Tomb when a trunk sewer line was laid. Restoring the linkage required years of negotiation with over a dozen agencies. Over 200 squatters were relocated and AKTC had to build an

alternate one kilometre road. Several decades later, it is a matter of great satisfaction that the integrity of the world heritage site has been restored." This will now be followed by constructing walkways and gardens around the Nila Gumbad to assimilate it in the environs of the Humayun's Tomb and make it more attractive for the visitors. This project is supported by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. An AKTC official said, "Nila Gumbad suffered heavily over the years because of this road. It underwent vandalism and encroachment. Vibrations due to traffic on the road could have damaged it further. Now relocation of the road behind the tomb will provide a much required green buffer zone between the archaeological zone and the Nizamuddin railway station. Additionally, it will ensure that conservation works are carried out on this significant 16th-century building without any interruptions and its survival is ensured for future generations."