Heritage Walk : Exploring and Uncovering Dara Shikoh's Tomb

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Dear LG Connect Members,

I would like to share details about a Heritage Walk I recently participated in.

Walk Conducted by : Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Senior MCD Engineer
Place : Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi
Date : 4th January 2025

I am a huge admirer of exploring historical places. Hence, I was very excited to join this heritage walk to uncover the place where Dara Shikoh’s Tomb was placed.

Who was Dara Shikoh : Eldest son of Shah Jahan, heir apparent to the Mughal Throne

Why was he killed : He was killed in a battle with his brother Aurangzeb for the imperial throne. He was decapitated and later laid to rest within the precincts of Humayun’s tomb in 1659

Search for his Tomb : Due to his controversial death, the exact burial place of Dara Shikoh remained a mystery for over 2 centuries until 2020. Sanjeev Kumar is an engineer by profession and a historian by passion. He went through numerous books written during 16th Century and particularly related to Aurangzeb’s reign. After four years of meticulous research, he arrived at the conclusion of his exact burial place inside Humayun’s Tomb complex.

Learnings from the walk : This was a treasure trove of knowledge for an amateur history aficionado like me. I learnt about various persons entombed in the premises, like Bu Halima ( Chief Wetnurse of Humayun ), Isa Khan ( Court Noble of Sher Shah Suri ) among others. I also learnt about the two types of arches which were used during the 15th and 16th Century - Corbelled Arch and Scientific Arch, and their uses and drawbacks. It was a revelation for me to learn about how tombs were built during late Sur and early Mughal era. I now know how we can distinguish between male and female cenotaphs. The captivating story telling which led us to finally discover Dara Shikoh’s tomb will remain with me forever.

The MCD has planned such heritage walks every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. More details about this can be seen on their Twitter page, sharing here a brief summary of the walk which was posted on the page.

I believe such events are crucial to spread awareness about our country’s rich heritage and historians like Sanjeev can spread their expert knowledge to anyone who has a passion to know about their history.

Location: Humayun’s Tomb

Accessibility: Ramps
Accessibility: Ramps1920×2550 670 KB

Painting of Humayun's Tomb Complex by Thomas Daniell in 1806
Painting of Humayun's Tomb Complex by Thomas Daniell in 18061920×1446 230 KB

Humayun's Tomb Precincts on a chilly morning
Humayun's Tomb Precincts on a chilly morning1920×1446 124 KB

Isa Khan Tomb
Isa Khan Tomb1920×1446 128 KB

Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's Tomb1920×1446 240 KB

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you all.

Regards,

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@Ssiddharth2000 we both share a same interest. If possible get enrolled to Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Architecture) chapter in your region you’ll get exposure to very authentic like-minded people. Wish see more from you. Thanks :heart_eyes:

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Thanks @MathanVibranarayan it’s great to know we have similar interests. Surely I will enroll for INTACH Delhi chapter right away

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This is amazing @Ssiddharth2000 , thank you for sharing the details :slight_smile:

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Thanks @Ssiddharth2000 for sharing the history behind this tomb. The pictures are nicely portrayed in the post.

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Interesting post @Ssiddharth2000 thanks for sharing :smile:

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Thank you @Kumaarsantosh :blush:

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Thanks @Durgak03

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Thank you for your kind words @Manishhh

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@Ssiddharth2000
Mir gefällt der Beitrag sehr gut und auch die schönen Bilder dazu :+1::pray:

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@Ssiddharth2000 Hazrat Nizamuddin’s tomb and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi are truly iconic and spiritually significant places.

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Delhi is a big living history book.
You are fortunate to be residing there and exploring via Heritage walks @Ssiddharth2000
Wonderful post and narrations - I loved reading through it :+1:

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Being a history buff i love to explore historical places and this information that you shared is actually true as there were many rumours surrounding Dara Shikoh’s grave. Finally you were able to get your facts right in this MCD heritage walk. That is just awesome, thanks for sharing.
Regards,

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Thank you @Annaelisa :blush:

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That’s so true @Ranu5g
Will explore the Nizamuddin area very soon

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Thank you so much @TusharSuradkar sir :blush:

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Thank you @ShreyaMusings :blush: Appreciate your kind words

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