Explore The Mughal Era At Delhi's New Underground Humayun Museum

The Humayun Museum, a unique addition to the urban landscape of Delhi, draws inspiration from traditional Indian baoli architecture. "We didn't want to disturb the view corridor between monuments," Ratish Nanda, architect and Projects Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, said while explaining the reason behind this decision. "On one side of the museum is Sabz Burj, on the other side is Sundar Burj, and on the third side is Isa Khan's tomb, a significant national monument. As a 21st-century addition, the museum doesn't need to be seen; it needs to be experienced," he elaborated.

The Humayun Museum opened to the public recently and is ensconced 6 metres below the ground. It houses galleries that rise four feet above the ground and is crowned by a roof reminiscent of a Mughal garden. While the Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery previously remained segregated, they can now be accessed through the museum.

The museum's interior offers a journey through seven centuries of Nizamuddin's rich heritage, blending digital experiences, gardens, and galleries, illuminating a pivotal period in India's history. This underground space features a 100-seat auditorium, temporary galleries, cafés, meeting rooms and a library. A highlight is an immersive gallery with a 270-degree screen for virtual tours of the World Heritage Site's monuments and gardens, alongside an animated feature on the 500-year evolution of Humayun's Tomb. The museum also showcases over 700 artefacts, including Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, coins, astrolabes, celestial spheres, stone inscriptions, glassware, and textiles.

Beyond showcasing artefacts and antiquities, the museum serves a deeper purpose. "The museum tells stories that are generally not known through objects that are generally not displayed," Nanda explained. He believes that people neither understand Delhi nor Humayun at all. Challenging the common perception of Humayun as an insignificant emperor who tumbled in and out of life, the museum highlights his role in establishing the Mughal empire, his architectural contributions, and his extensive travels—three times more than Marco Polo. The routes Humayun took are meticulously mapped out within the museum. The displayed objects are borrowed from the Archaeological Survey of India and the National Museum. At the same time, historian Ebba Koch's book, "The Planetary King: Humayun Padshah, Inventor and Visionary on the Mughal Throne," serves as the "museum book."

Meanwhile, historian and numismatist Shah Umair, also known as "Sikkawala" in Delhi, remarked that he had never visited a museum as immersive as the Humayun Museum. "Most museums are immersive with holography, audio-visual routines, and detailed displays, but they lack genuine antiquities," he noted. Umair praised the Humayun Museum for balancing immersive elements with authentic artefacts, including utensils, swords, books, farmaan, and other items that resonate with a historian's informed sensibilities.

The Museum's Dilemma

While Umair appreciated the museum's efforts, he also pointed out that using English and Hindi for descriptions and labels might overlook those who are more comfortable with Urdu. He believes this omission is a missed opportunity to engage a broader audience and honour the region’s rich linguistic heritage. Additionally, Umair highlighted the need for clearer labels on the museum’s coins to avoid confusion, explaining that provincial states minted many coins from the later Mughal period in the emperor’s name as a gesture of respect.

He also pointed out that the museum displays a coin minted under Akbar Shah II by the autonomous Bharatpur state. “Numismatically, this isn’t a Mughal coin,” he clarified, “but a provincial coin minted by Suraj Mal in Akbar Shah II’s name.”

Reacting to Umair's observations, Nanda explained that the absence of Urdu on museum signage is due to the lack of requests from community stakeholders, despite the Nizamuddin Dargah Committee’s involvement in planning. He noted that few young people in Nizamuddin read Urdu, and the Urdu classes they introduced in the area had very limited interest. Regarding the coins on display, Nanda clarified that they are not individually labelled to focus on the family tree and the 18 Mughal emperors, with only Akbar’s coin bearing an inscription.

"Additionally, it is not claimed that Akbar Shah II minted the specific coin in question; instead, it belongs to his era and bears his name. Like the Mughal paintings, metalware, and textiles on display, the accompanying text clearly states that the coins are intended to illustrate the artistic achievements of the Mughal era," he said.

A New Chapter

As an addition to the urban landscape of Delhi, the museum also has much potential as a contributor and disseminator of heritage and knowledge in Delhi. Located adjacent to Humayun's Tomb, one of Delhi's three iconic landmarks (along with Qutub Minar and the Red Fort), this site is a must-visit for any tourist exploring the city. For now, the museum breathes life into the forgotten emperor, resurrecting Humayun from the dust of time and placing him again in the heart of Delhi's vibrant narrative.

The Information

Address: H6VX+8G Humayun's Tomb, Nizamuddin, Nizamuddin East, New Delhi, Delhi 110013

Entry Fees: INR 50 for Indian nationals and INR 300 for foreign nationals

Timings: 11 am to 4 pm (closed on Mondays)

Getting There: JLN Stadium Metro Station on the Violet Line, which is just 1.5 km away from Sunder Nursery is the nearest metro station.