HUMAYUN'S TOMB GARDEN:
RESTORING FLOWING WATER
• In 1993, while recommending the designation of the site on the
World Heritage list, ICOMOS had recommended that the
enclosed gardens be restored.
• In 1997, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of India’s
independence, His Highness the Aga Khan gifted to India the
garden restoration of the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site.
• This was to become the first ever scientifically carried out garden restoration at any of India’s national sites and in
implementing it in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture was to
similarly become the first private agency to undertake conservation works on any of the country’s monuments of
national importance
LANDSCAPING
• The Humayun’s Tomb gardens are a perfect Char-bâgh with the tomb in the centre and the garden divided into four
quadrants.
• Each of the principal pathways with water channels in their centre and the four pathways in the cardinal directions
adorned with large square water tanks with a fountain in their centre.
• Each quadrant further subdivided into eight plots representing the eight gateways or spaces of Quranic paradise.
• The garden, built with the tomb in the 1560’s was one of the earliest gardens built on the plains where it was without
doubt challenging to ensure flowing water.
• The garden plots were lower than the pathways with water channels to ensure irrigation by flooding from the water
channels was possible.
• Though Humayun’s Tomb remained a place of veneration for the early Mughals, with the decline of the Mughal
Empire from the 18th century onwards, the gardens no doubt were left in a state of neglect.
• In the mid 19th century, the British changed the formal, geometric layout of the western half of the garden to a more
English layout with changes including introduction of circular flower beds to replace the square Mughal tanks.
• In the early 20th century, Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, directed the restoration of the Mughal layout –
enthusiastically adding channels even to pathways where none had existed in Mughal times.
• Several further changes were then carried out through the 20th century – a major planting in 1916 when palm trees
were inappropriately introduced on the four corners of the mausoleum and tamarind trees on the platforms used by the
Mughals for tents.
• Additional plantings neither used plant species favoured by the Mughals nor planting patterns.
• Three failed attempts in the 20th century to restore flowing water preceded the 1997 garden restoration and of these the
1984 effort was the most destructive with the Mughal stone bedding ripped out and replaced by the more familiar and
favored 20th century material – cement concrete!
• Even before the official MoU for the garden restoration was signed, M. Shaheer wrote a concise note defining the
objectives, in his typical simple yet profound manner. His note was to become the foundation of the six year effort.
• To him it was obvious that the project was to commence with restoring the levels of the 32 garden plots so
methodically trenches were dug on all four sides of each plot to determine the original levels revealing how levels
varied from plot to plot and could be determined both by the depth of the pathway edging but also by the levels of the
water outlets into each plot from the channels.
• His attention to detail led him to provide individual levels for each
garden plot but also specific slopes for levels within each plot to
ensure accumulated rainwater quickly taken to the aquifer through
the four rain water harvesting pits provided in each plot.
• Most other architects would have been satisfied recommending a
single plot level for at least each quadrant if not for the whole
garden – but by ensuring even a 10 mm difference was respected
Shaheer not only achieved authenticity but also considerably
reduced the required work.
• Each garden restoration effort requires consideration of not only the ‘built’ portions of the garden – the pathways,
platforms, tanks, waterfalls – but also the vegetation. The Mughals left no drawings and Shaheer’s proposed layout
was required to be based on historic descriptions but also the modern functions of the World Heritage Site attracting
almost 1 million annual visitors.
• As did the presence of existing trees; Shaheer would never permit the removal of an existing tree – taking great
pains to alter design in a manner that would save any vegetation – yet here historic considerations required for the
transplanting of 72 Ashoka trees.
• The final planting layout for the tomb-garden was
stylistically Shaheer – simple yet to great effect.
• The peripheral pathways were planted with tall trees
– mango and neem – both recorded in Mughal
chronicles and the canopy of which was eventually
expected to be visible from over the 6 m tall
enclosure walls.
• The three garden plots in each of the four corners had
the pathways perpendicular to the enclosure walls
planted with one row each of orange and lemon –
fruits said to have been favoured by Humayun.
• Later, with we at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
returned to the site in 2007, Shaheer suggested that the
entire area of the three corner plots be planted with
orange and lemon in an orchard layout.
• The ends of these plots towards the enclosure wall were
planted with a grove of flowering shrubs – hibiscus –
recorded to have been planted here during Mughal
times and the sweet smelling Harsingar.
• Similarly the intersections of the pathways in the center
of the quadrant were planted with the lowering Motia
and Mogra. Finally, an orchard of pomegranate was
planted along the western edge of the sunken eastern
side of the garden.
• The Humayun’s Tomb garden was probably the earliest
garden built on the plains with flowing water channels
and ensuring the flow of water would have been a major
challenge.
• Flowing water was also a significant element of the garden and it was essential for the project to restore flowing water.
• Originally used for irrigation, the flowing water in the channels was no longer required for irrigation and as such it was
not considered necessary to restore flowing water to the peripheral channels and to those in the south-west quadrant –
where channels had in fact been introduced in the 20th century where none were built by the Mughals.
• The Hydraulic engineering firm MKG was finally engaged and in many channel sections a 1:4000 slope was required.
In the 1980’s much of the water distribution network at Humayun’s Tomb was dismantled and destroyed in an
otherwise well meaning attempt to restore flowing water by making the bed ‘water tight’ by using cement.
• These 1984-5 works needed to be dismantled and a traditional masonry with lime mortar bedding restored to the
channels while providing the required slope. Over 2 kilometers of sandstone edging had to be prepared – hand chiseled
by traditional tools by the stone carvers.
• On amongst the first few channels fixed in this manner, the stone was provided a mortar edging – rounded off – this
upset Shaheer Sir enormously and was one of my first lessons in seeking perfection – it was an inappropriate detail not
thought through and the work had to be reversed and the pathway levels changed to provide the required stability to
the stone edging.
CONCLUSION :
Shaheer’s deep understanding of Persian landscape principles and Mughal preferences enabled him to preserve the
authenticity of restored gardens while incorporating modern functions in the them and turning them to major tourist
attraction sites.
Following in spirit the geometry of the garden as it exists .
His thorough understanding of local cultural context and designing the landscape accordingly constitute his simple and
powerful design style.
The attention to detail was given to even the smallest portion of Design.
Restoration of Water Bodies was one of his major concern.
