Built on a rocky river island in the mid-19th century, the eastern half of Nila Gumbad’s garden was taken over to lay railway lines.

Built on a rocky river island in the mid-19th century, the eastern half of Nila Gumbad’s garden was taken over to lay railway lines.

The principal southern gateway to the garden enclosure seems to have been demolished for the construction of the railway station.

In the late 1970s or early 1980s, the northern arcade of the garden enclosure were partially demolished to lay a trunk sewerage line and the area so levelled later came to be used as a road, thus separating Nila Gumbad and Humayun’s Tomb.

A densely populated squatter settlement grew around Nila Gumbad.

Historically significant amongst the many Mughal monuments in Delhi, Nila Gumbad was declared a World Heritage Monument by UNESCO as part of the extended Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site in 2017.

The site is best visited at dawn or dusk, when the dome can be seen glittering in the sun.

The tomb stands on a platform 108’ square and 5’ high.

The tomb stands on a platform 108’ square and 5’ high.

The building itself is octagonal externally, with four narrow and four wider faces, and is square within.

The wider faces are broken by pointed arched recesses enclosing a doorway, while slightly above is placed a small arched window.

The drum on which the dome stands is encircled with a series of low arches.

The dome exteriorly, as well as the facades, was originally profusely ornamented with enamelled tiles, portions of which are still preserved.

The ceiling of the dome, and the walls inside, are decorated with painted and incised plaster.

The dome construction is interesting as it is unusual in this period for the dome, as viewed from the interior, to rise through the high necking.

In such cases there is usually a separate inner and outer dome with a space left between them.

Here there is only the one dome shell.

The conservation of Nila Gumbad has required not only the removal of cement layers and replacing them with traditional lime mortar but also restoring over 20,000 tiles missing from the dome.

The conservation of Nila Gumbad has required not only the removal of cement layers and replacing them with traditional lime mortar but also restoring over 20,000 tiles missing from the dome.

The layers of lime-wash and paint were removed, and sandstone screens restored to the grooves found in the arched openings in the neck of the dome.

The collapsed portions of the surviving northern arcade are to be reconstructed as is the stone ramp discovered here.

The ramp likely was meant to carry building material from the river for the construction of Humayun’s Tomb.

To restore the setting of both Humayun’s Tomb as well as that of Nila Gumbad it is also planned to lower levels of the garden along the eastern wall of Humayun’s Tomb.

Almost four decades later it is a matter of great satisfaction that the integrity of the World heritage site has been restored.

Construction of the alternate road that re-routes traffic behind the Nila Gumbad was completed in mid-2014.

Landscape development of Nila Gumbad by M Shaheer Associates was commenced by levelling of land requiring significant increase in earth levels in the immediate setting of the mausoleum.

The arcade originally serving as a dam for the river water had suffered damages and was subsequently covered up.

This original arcade carefully conserved.

The restoration of the enclosed Garden around the monument and the connection with the Humayun’s tomb Garden have enhanced the historic character of the complex, and also integrated it into the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site.