Country's first sunken museum at Humayun's tomb in Delhi set for July 29 inauguration

The "country's first" sunken museum at the magnificent Humayun's Tomb site in Delhi that marries modern 21st-century architecture with Mughal-era craftsmanship in its design is all set for its inauguration next week.

The museum, whose layout is inspired by the medieval 'baolis' or traditional water tanks, is slated to be inaugurated by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on July 29, coinciding with the ongoing meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in the national capital, an official source told PTI.

India is hosting the 46th session of the WHC in New Delhi from July 21-31 at the Bharat Mandapam. It is hosting a key event of UNESCO for the first time.

The 16th-century tomb in the Nizamuddin area is one of the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Delhi.

It is learnt that a member of the renowned Aga Khan family is also expected to be present during the inauguration ceremony.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is building the museum on behalf of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of the urban renewal initiative.

According to AKTC, the museum has been constructed at the entrance zone of the world heritage complex and would serve as a bridge between the three sites of Nizamuddin, Sunder Nursery and the 16th-century tomb.

The museum will showcase the heritage of the Nizamuddin area over the last seven centuries.

"The principal structure where the galleries will be located is 6 metres below the ground level while the gallery block rises 4 feet above the ground level and the roof is treated like a Mughal garden," a top official of the AKTC had said in April 2015.

The museum will include galleries, a library, seminar halls, a crafts centre and a cafeteria, among others. The finial of the Mughal monument (Humayun's Tomb), which was knocked off in a 2014 storm, will be its "centre-piece", he had said.

Inspired by the medieval baolis (water tanks) of northern India, the underground site museum, with a built-up area of 10,000 square metres, marries modern 21st-century architecture with Mughal-era craftsmanship in its design.

Large Sheesham-made doors in galleries evoke the aura of the grand 'Darwaza' (entrance gateways) seen in Mughal-era monuments, while ancient artefacts help weave the centuries-old stories of Nizamuddin and its famed monuments and heritage sites.

Architectural models of the sacred Nizamuddin Dargah, along with its baoli, made of wood, and of many other landmarks in the neighbourhood are an added attraction.

A model of a landmark monument of Sunder Nursery encased in a glass case has also been displayed in a gallery at the museum.

Work began on the construction of the country's first sunken museum at the iconic 16th-century tomb here in April 2015.

"Besides, several other finials, sandstone and marble elements, terracotta pipes, over 400 earth toys found at the site of nearby Isa Khan's tomb, among others will also be housed," the official said.

The design is inspired from the baolis, which are sunken and yet allow natural lighting and ventilation, he said.

The project was earlier planned to be inaugurated in 2017.