Humayun's Tomb

Who would've thought that there would be a structure similar to the Taj in pretty much all respects??(except the marble ofcourse!)..well, tucked away in a corner in the Nizamuddin area in Delhi is the tomb of emperor Humayun. This can rightly be said as the precursor to the Taj. The proportions are slightly different but the overall effect is no less imposing than that of the Taj. I particularly liked the combination of white marble & red sandstone, which is done pretty neatly...

The elements of symmetry, perspective, attention to detail, magnificient jaali openings, monumental scale, sense of place.....the simple beauty of the building is delightful.

You must give it to the Mughals for making a statement.

Somehow, for me personally, I actually liked the Humayun's Tomb more than the Taj Mahal(oops..!!). Must be 'cause of the larger colour palatte..I think the Taj is much more of an idea, the romantic story of the emperor who built the monument in memory of his wife....is that what makes it 'more' special? If you kinda overlook those facts, somehow the Humayun's tomb made more sense to me as an aesthetic composition. Of course the Taj is much more refined in terms of its proportions, approach etc, mainly as it was built a lot later when the mughals had perfected their craft. However, the 'blunt' beauty of the Humayun's tomb has a special appeal.