South Delhi: Humayun’s Tomb new finial is dressed in gold

On May 30, 2014, a sandstorm of wind velocity exceeding 150 km/ hour snapped the wooden core of the finial causing the 300 kg of copper vessels to come crashing on the roof 70 feet below. (Sonu Mehta/ HT Photos)

Humayun’s Tomb, the first of the magnificent mausoleums built by the Mughals, is symbolic of Mughal creativity and perfect assimilation of architectural elements. On World Heritage Day recently, the tomb was crowned with a new finial. The 18-feet-tall finial has 11 copper vessels. The whole finial is coated with pure gold. On the top of the finial is an Arabic brass inscription done using laser cutting.

The supervising-cum-executing agency, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) along with Archeological Survey of India (ASI) faced many challenges to restore its glory. Officials said the main challenge was hunting for traditional craftsmen skilled in the process of making copper vessels and gilding them with gold in order to match the perfection of the original piece. The trust heaved a sigh of relief after it got some information about a few craftsmen based in Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk.

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