India's First Sunken Museum opened at Humayun's Tomb Complex

Museum Overview and Inauguration

• India's first sunken museum opened at the Humayun's Tomb complex in Delhi on July 29, 2024.
• Inaugurated by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Prince Rahim Aga Khan.
• Open to visitors from July 30, 2024.
• Developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India.
• Coincides with the 46th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in New Delhi.
• Layout inspired by traditional Indian 'baolis' (stepwells).
• Located at the entrance of the World Heritage complex.
• Links Humayun's Tomb with Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin Basti.

Exhibits and Technological Features

• Displays over 500 never-before-seen artifacts.

Highlights include:

• • Mughal miniatures and manuscripts
  • Architectural elements
  • Coins and stone inscriptions
  • Glassware and textiles
  • Astrolabes and celestial spheres
• Immersive gallery with 270-degree screen for virtual tours.
• Animated feature showing the evolution of Humayun's Tomb over 500 years.
• 3-D videos recreating the timeline of the 14th-century shrine's construction.
• Detailed wooden scale models of the Nizamuddin Dargah complex.
• Rare items such as 'farmans' (decrees), a 1840s celestial sphere, and a 16th/17th-century warrior's helmet.
• Centerpiece: The restored finial of Humayun's Tomb, knocked off in a 2014 storm.

Significance and Impact

• First-of-its-kind museum in India, potentially serving as a prototype for other sites.
• Culmination of 25 years of conservation efforts in the 300-acre site.
• Bridges the gap between history and the present day.
• Showcases the legacy of Mughal emperor Humayun and the Nizamuddin area's 700-year heritage.
• Demonstrates successful public-private partnership in heritage conservation.
• Aims to boost tourism and cultural awareness.
• Provides insight into traditional craftsmanship.
• Described as an "incredible addition to the cultural landscape of Delhi" by the Culture Minister.
• Preserves and reveals the story of humanity, according to Prince Rahim Aga Khan.
• Ebba Koch, a leading authority on Mughal architecture, called it a "new monument for the Mughals and a great gift to Delhi and India."