Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana: Tomb Of the Jewel of the Court

The grand and majestic tomb of Rahim Khan-I-Khana and his wife Mah Banu in Delhi is built entirely in marble and red sandstone and predates the Taj Mahal by about five decades. Hence it was a pleasure to see that Shah Jehan wasn’t the only one who built a mausoleum for his wife.

Abdul Rahim was the commander in chief in Emperor Akbar’s court and was conferred the Khan-i-Khana that is the highest title in the Mughal court after the emperor and princes.


This tomb is barely 500 meters away from the famous Humayun Tomb in Delhi and equally big and beautiful, but was until recently lying in ruins. This was because most of its precious stones like marble and a large quantity of semi-precious red stone were taken away to build the Safdarjung Tomb in Delhi itself. So I decided to visit and investigate, Why was that so?

  1. The popular version is that the tomb is visible from the roadside so not many would care to take a ticket and enter the remises to view it from closer.

  2. Another interpretation was that Rahim had an inclination towards the Hindus and composed a large number of poems dedicated to Sri Ram and Sri Krishna. He also translated the Ramayan and Mahabharat from Sanskrit to Persian and clearly had a soft corner for the Hindu population.

As an example here is one of the paintings by Rahim in the art gallery near the tomb that shows him bending in respect to Hindu deity Shiv praying him to be reborn a Hindu and in his service.

This did not go well with the Muslim Ulema comprising the clergy and courtiers besides the rulers of Delhi who were hell-bent on converting the Hindus to Islam during the medieval period. This is evident from the fact that 700 Million is the population of Muslims out of the total 1700 million population of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh that was India before 1947.

As a result, it is said that they not only abandoned the tomb but also took away a large number of valuable marble and other stones for constructing the Safdarjung Tomb.

The tour guide at the Safdarjung Tomb pointed me to the dome that clearly has a random mix of marble, red stone, and the more common yellow sandstone that was used in its construction of which the marble and red stone came from the tomb of Rahim Khan-i-Khana.

This tomb was recently opened after restoration was done by AGA Khan trust. Like every Indian, I had learned Rahim Couplets called Rahim-ke-Dohe in school.

Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana was one of the nine jewels or Ratna of Akbar’s court.

The monument is an amazing site with exquisite incised plaster patterns on its interiors.


Once inside it was a pleasure to view this mausoleum which was on the verge of collapse until recently and has been lovingly restored.

This tomb is a must-visit for anyone interested in a mix of tangible and intangible heritage.

The interior of the tomb is painted with exquisite patterns. The Tomb narrates the story of the lost past, the lost glory, and is an epitome of artistic beauty.

This corner view is a treat to the eyes and I spent hours marveling at the beautiful designs.

The Swastik is a symbol of prosperity and good fortune and there are plenty of Swastiks embedded in the designs due to Rahim’s faith and inclination towards the Hindu culture.

This is the ceiling of the tomb is a maze of Persian patterned geometry.

The site also has an exhibition that tells the story of its conservation and illustrations of the Dohe poetry by Rahim.

Thie exhibition also has a gallery of paintings by Rahim.

Rahim was a poet, painter, astronomer, and military general. All of his work is beautifully displayed in the adjoining gallery.

My Impressions

My visit to the tomb of Rahim Khan-i-Khana was an experience of a lifetime. I spent more than 3 hours marveling at the work of mason and architects who designed such an exquisite mausoleum with beautiful motifs and frescoes.

How to Reach

I visited the tomb on my bike but the nearest stations on the Delhi Metro are:

  1. Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium or JLN Station on the Violet Line.
  2. Sarai Kale Khan Station on the Red Line.
  3. JorBagh Station on the yellow line, then take an auto for INR 70 to reach the tomb.

Entrance and Ticket

Entrance is not free and I bought the ticket for INR 30 by scanning a QR code displayed at the entrance by payment using my credit card.

They also accept debit cards or PayTM.

Note: Ticket for the museum and the art gallery is included in the entry fees.

The ticket is scanned on entry and also upon exit. So kindly factor in this and reach a bit early as no paper tickets are issued nowadays.

accessiblity_64.pngAccessibility Features

There is plenty of free accessible parking.

The entrance and also all pathways are well bound and smooth so not an issue for persons with reduced mobility.

Here’s a snapshot:

:wheelchair: :heavy_check_mark: Ramp access.
:wheelchair: :heavy_check_mark: A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
:wheelchair: :heavy_check_mark: A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
:wheelchair: :heavy_check_mark: A wheelchair-accessible Parking.

What Else To Do In Delhi

While you are in Delhi, these are the top-recommended places:

  1. Red Fort
  2. Humayun Tomb
  3. Lotus Temple
  4. Akshardham Temple
  5. India Gate
  6. Jama Masjid
  7. Rashtrapati Bhavan
  8. Tughlaqabad Fort
  9. Laxmi Narayan Temple
  10. Gurudwara Bangala Sahib
  11. Agrasen ki Baoli
  12. National War Memorial
  13. Raj Ghat Memorials
  14. Safdarjung’s Tomb
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I can understand why you would spend so much time here @TusharSuradkar

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One visit is not enough @PaulPavlinovich to appreciate all the art here.

I keep going there often, and fortunately there is a direct metro from my home to this place in Delhi :blush:

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