The Mughal Cemetery

Humanyu’s Tomb, New Delhi

Brief History: While we all get amazed by the beauty of the Taj Mahal and proudly recognize it a token of love of an emperor, there lies a place in heart of New Delhi which represents the sentiments of an empress but in a much lighter tone. Humany’s Tomb was commissioned by his first wife Bega Begaum nine years after his death at the cost of Rs. 1.5 million at that time.

However, after his death, Humayun's body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila at Delhi. It was later taken to Punjab due to the fear that other kings might damage the tomb. It was later ensured by Akbar himself that his father’s tomb is completed and the body is finally shifted to Humany’s Tomb as it stands today. It is amazing to note the history of the tomb. After the decline of the Mughal empire, the garden around the tomb was used to grow vegetables!! Even at the time of independence it was used as a major refugee camp with thousands of people living in the garden and the tomb itself which lead to further degradation of the monument. Unfortunately it remained one of the least visited places and for quiet sometime it didn’t even appear in any list of tourist places by the government due to its condition. 

The tomb was declared world heritage by UNESCO in 1993 which marked the change in fortune of this monument. The Aga Khan Trust in collaboration with Archaeological Survey of India took the work of restoration of the place with a detailed research and excavation process. The restoration has been a long and continuous process.

The tomb is not only the final adobe for Humanyu but there are over 100 gravestones and multiple small tombs in the premises including tomb of Isha khan an Afgan noble in Sher Shah Suri’s court.

How to reach: The tomb is located opposite Dargah Nizammudin. The nearest metro station is JLN.

Timings and charges: Its open on all days and last entry is around 6 PM. The entry fee for Indians is Rs. 10. No still photography charges. This means that unless you are with a crew for shooting film, all the other cameras are eligible for free entry including DSLRs.  

Kingdom of Dreams

KINGDOM OF DREAMS

KOD is one of the most famous live entertainment destinations in Gurgaon (Sector 29). My initial attention to the destination was drawn by a piece about KOD that aired on NatGeo recently and especially the fact that the King Khan is the official brand ambassador of KOD. Its a joint venture of Wizcraft International Entertainment and Apra Group of Companies.

Perhaps keeping the mood of people during the weekend in mind the owners have decided to open the place at 1 PM. So even if you are travelling from another end of the city, you may simply laze around till late morning, have breakfast and still reach the destination right at the opening time. I was travelling from Noida and needless to say that Metro is the best option. KOD is walkable from IFCO CHAWK metro station but if you are new and want to avoid any hassle you may take an auto (The quotation fare will start from Rs. 50 or higher but distance does not even call for a fare of Rs. 20. So your negotiation skills are really at test).

KOD has two sections: Nautanki Mahal and Culture Gully. 

Nautanki Mahal is the section for live play and the entry fee is exorbitant especially on the weekends. 

The Culture Gully is the section for food, shopping and live cultural dance (at regular intervals). The tickets are available online as well. For weekends the entrance fee for Culture Gully is Rs. 600 per person. This entrance amount has to be spent in Culture Gully on the same day for food or shopping.

Since Nautanki Mahal was dramatically too expensive we concentrated on the Culture Gully only. Culture Gully has been given the look of a street filled with tables, chairs and some place to walk and it gives a feeling as if you are walking, eating and shopping on road. The roof is sky colored with clouds painted on it so whatever be the time, you are somehow lured to think that it’s still a pleasant evening and you have plenty of time to spend inside. I cannot even count how many stalls are there but they have successfully entrapped the fascination of every visitor by offering everything at the same place i.e. Maharastra’s vada pav, South Indian dosas, north Indian delicacies, chinese, IIFA lounge, shopping plaza with clothes, bags, jewellery and many more souvenirs that you may buy. The place is over-priced but there is no point in budgeting the things because however much you eat you would not be able to spend the money solely on food as the quantity is good. Especially if you are in a group of 4-5 people, the amount that you are supposed to spend is around Rs. 2400-3000. We had lunch, snax, tea, dinner and all the probable in between meals but we could not spend more than Rs. 2000. So the last thousand was dedicated for shopping. I won’t advocate the taste, I have had better food in Delhi (or at the authentic place of their genesis such as “vada pav”). At regular intervals, troops will perform cultural dance for you mostly Indian forms but we witnessed a tribal dance as well.

All and all it’s a good weekend hangout destination with loads of opportunity to click photographs. So just gear up and enjoy the place!!