What do we know about Taj Mahal? It is made up of white marble, dome like structure with pillars, built by Shah Jahan & the most important it is located in Agra. What if i tell you i saw one in Delhi, it was red(not white),made of marble and sandstone, looked almost the same but still different. For all of those who think i have gone crazy and i am talking about something i visualised on my own have a look at this beauty.
Those who have visited this place might have guessed it by now, Yes i am talking about the Humayun's Tomb(Mini Taj mahal). It was built by Emperor Akbar in the memory of his father and is 80 years older than the Taj mahal. It is not so popular because it was not taken care of and was left to ruin until it was declared as a world heritage site. It was restored in 10 years and now it looks beautiful.
The tomb in itself is a beautiful piece of architecture and is surrounded by lush green gardens called the Char Bagh(four gardens).The place is not over crowded(due to the fact that it is too big), i visited it on weekend and i was still able to find a quiet spot in the garden to gather my thoughts. You need to walk a lot and climb steep staircase to cover the entire area(not suggested for old people). If you love architecture then you must pay a visit to this place, you can find the use of geometric designs on the walls, the stone carved windows, the balconies, the crisp lines of water channels flowing all around the tomb and everywhere else you can see. You can see the use of red sandstone and marble everywhere.
The place is surrounded by greenery and you can come here if you are irritated by the pollution levels in the city or to enjoy the sun's heat on a cold winter afternoon.I spent more than an hour sitting in the garden reading a book, i wish i could have spent some more time but i was hunger struck so i had to leave but i will definitely try and visit it again but this time with my stomach filled.
If you feel like visiting the place it is situated in nizamuddin area, you can go by cab, metro or by your own car there is a parking space. The nearest metro station( JLN stadium-purple line) is 6-7 mins on rickshaw(tuk-tuk). The entry is ₹30 for indians and ₹500(which i think is not fair) for foreigners.
