Kawa Tea

Hello

Today I want to tell you about the delicious Kawa tea that we drink in Kashmir.

This tea is made of grren leaves, cardamom, cinneman, sugar, saffron and almonds.

It is always served in a saovar that keeps it very hot.

For Tour Packages to Kashmir, kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073

Sujat Mantoo

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Srinagar Airport

Srinagar Airport, is an international airport in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The airport had undergone extensive renovations, including improving the runway, a new terminal for departures.

Elevation: 5,458 m

Code: SXR

Phone: 0194 230 3000

 Address: Aerodrome Rd, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190007

Address: Aerodrome Rd, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190007

For Tour Packages to Srinagar kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo


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Post by Sujat Amin Mantoo

Nun Chai

Hello,

You already know I am from the beautiful state of Kashmir, India.

In Kashmir we drink the delicious Nun Chai. 

Nun Chai means Salty Tea. Yes, you read it correctly. It is tea prepared with salt and NOT sugar.

The color of the tea becomes pink after over boiling it. And all who have tried it, have felt in love with it. Thereefore I give you the famous Nun Chai recipe from Kashmir:

NUN CHAi (Salty Tea)

Serving size: 4 people

Ingredients :

• 5 cps water,
• salt to taste,
• 1 tsp. green tea,
• 11/2 cups milk, a pinch of sodium bicarbonate,

Method:

• Take one cup of water, tea and soda or sodium bicarbonate in or pan.
• Boil this tea on stove till little water is left and color of tea has turned reddish brown.
• Add one more cup of water and allow tea to boil.
• Add 3 cups of water again.
• Add salt to taste.
• Brew the tea for few minutes
• Serve the tea hot with Nan style bread commonly known as bagirkhani if possible.

 Nun Chai

Bagirkhani (Kashmiri bread)

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo

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Saffron from Kashmir

Sujat Mantoo

Saffron flower

How to recognize genuine Kashmiri saffron

If you have never seen Kashmiri saffron threads before and you are planning to buy genuine Kashmiri saffron elsewhere this information should help you to recognize a genuine product.

Kashmiri saffron threads have two unique characteristic that no other saffron in the world has. First is the physical shape of the thread itself. Kashmiri saffron threads are flat and thin like a paper and slightly wider especially toward the tip of the thread than saffron threads from other regions of the world. Second, is that it feels very smooth and sort of silky to the touch and no other saffron in the world has this characteristic. For these reasons it is not a very wise strategy for the packagers to mix Kashmiri saffron threads with non-Kashmiri saffron threads. There are roamers out there saying that low quality Kashmiri saffron is being mixed with good quality Iranian saffron and is being exported and sold as high quality Kashmiri saffron (since Kashmiri saffron is more expensive than Iranian saffron). This simply is not true because when you mix non-Kashmiri saffron threads with Kashmiri saffron threads the differences will be obvious to the eye and you do not need to be a saffron expert to realize that there are two different saffron threads in the package. The only way this would be possible is if the entire batch consists of non-kashmiri saffron and the buyer has no idea of what Kashmiri saffron should look like.

1 gram of pure saffrom from Kashmir costs around 7 (seven) US dollars

10 grams costs 60 (sixty) US dollars

25 grams costs 100 (one hundred) US dollars

 Kashmiri man measures saffron

Bunch made of saffron

To buy Kashmiri saffron or for Tour Packages to Kashmir kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

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J&K Road Transport

SRTC

Srinagar Road Transport Corporation

New Delhi to Srinagar Kashmir  900 km Distance

Map of Jammu and Kashmir

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

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Kashmiri Apple

                                                          Apple from Kashmir  

                                       Sujat Amin Mantoo 


 

He word Apple is derived from the old English word aeppel. Apple is a fruit that is cultivated and consumed across the world, not only for its sweet taste but also for its nutritional value.

Consuming apples helps lower heart disease as well as helps a great deal in weight control. There are hundreds of different types of available across the globe and are either consumed fresh or baked into apple pies, converted into juices, jellies, jams and many more mouth-watering products.

It is the soil, climate, and environment those must suit to the culture and preservation of temperate fruits producing tree stocks. Kashmir probably is most ideal unparalleled such area in the world. Temperature is the most important climatic factor affecting the geographic distribution of various kinds and varieties of temperate fruits over which man has little control. Apples are produced in all temperate regions of the world in northern and southern hemisphere. In South Asia, because of tropical climate apples are not grown except in higher elevations where temperatures are low enough to meet the chilling requirements of such trees. Hence these are grown in the Himalayan region of Indian sub-continent, Kashmir placed as it is in monsoon shadow of greater Himalayas, has thus been more favourably located for growth of apples and other temperate fruits since times immemorial-a true, habitat of temperate fruits. Kashmir essentially covers the valley (15,130.3 sq. km) with small minor Himalayan valleys comprising the districts of Anantnag, Badgam, Baramulla, Pulwama, Srinagar, and Kupwara. It is a unique oval plain approximately 85 miles in length and 25 miles in breadth at an average altitude of 5300 feet ASL with surrounding habited mountain areas/ plateaus rising upto 7000 feet ASL nestled securely in the Pir Panjal ranges of Himalayas, rising 11,000 to 15,000 feet ASL. The mountains that surround the valley are varied in form, height, and colour with forest and sub-forest areas - protracted and excessively wet winters. Nowhere else in the world can one find such an amphitheater of snow capped mountains surrounding such a large plain, traversed through its length by a navigable river "Jhelum" serving also as a relief for the valley and the extensive catchment.
Soil and water conditions vary considerably with an annual rainfall of 26 inches most of which is derived from winds associated with winter depressions. Temperatures are modified by altitude - minimum temperatures of about 11 degree F(-12C) occur in January and maximum temperatures of about 99 degree F(37C) in July. December to March are very cold months with mean temperatures of between 34.2 and 46.9 degree F and receive a rainfall of over 11 inches (including snow). April and May are cold and mild with precipitation of over 6 inches and mean temperatures between 55 and 64 degree F. June to August are hot months with over 6 inches precipitation and mean temperatures varying between 71 and 76 degree F. September is mild with mean temperature of 68.5 degree F and precipitation of 1.6 inches. October and November are cold and dry with rainfall of 1.8 inches and mean temperatures of between 47.7 and 57 degree F. All indexes put together, the valley climate is cold temperate.
Upto about 7000 feet ASL woodlands of Deodar (Kashmir Cedar), Blue Pine, Horse Chestnut, Walnuts, Pome and Stone fruits, Elm, and Poplars are grown- and occur in nature too. From 7000 to 10,000 feet ASL Coniferous forests with Fir, Pine, Spruce, and Berries occur. At and around 10,000 feet ASL, Birch is dominant and above Birch line there are meadows. This lush green basin is the historic heartland of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and of the Himalayas.
Kashmir has the unique distinction of possessing an unbroken historical record from ancient times to the present day. In the words of the "Chronicler" (ancient times) 'learning, lofty houses, saffron (crocus), grapes and icy water-the things which are difficult to get in heaven are common here' (Nilanultpurana and Rajtarangni). Fruits of which was an abundance in Kashmir, formed an important article of diet. Huen Tsiang, a Chinese pilgrim (AD 631) who travelled and stayed in the valley for 2 years mentions Pears, Wild Plum, the Peach, the Apricot, and the Grape as being cultivated in profusion. Grapes were particularly valued as fruits and were also used in making wines. "Muss" was the local name for wine.
The astounding beauty of Kashmir has been lavishly praised by writers and travellers of many ages and nationalities. Its snow capped peaks and sparkling streams, high pastures carpeted with alpine flowers, fertile valley rich with fruits and grain and its lakes and springs inspired the Mogul Emperor Jehangir to call the region "Paradise on Earth". The soaring Himalayan ranges surround the heartland like the ramparts of a natural fortress.
Although it is not possible to say with certainty whether food crops or fruit plants were man's first cultigens, but historical and other evidence place it at par. Fruit plantation have always been used by every great culture as an evidence of social success of advancement of the achievements of some measure of wealth, ease, and taste. Poets have celebrated richness of orchards/gardens as one of the most moving accomplishment of the arts of peace and fitting only too well to the eco-system then and now. "One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on the earth."
The history of culture of temperature fruits in Kashmir is very ancient, about 3000 years old. Kalhana in Rajtarangni makes mention of it in the reign of King Nara (1000 BC). Forests in Kashmir were rich in flora and fauna. Indigenous fruits and nuts etc. that provided food for wild animals in the forests existed in abundance.
Some places/areas in the valley now habited are still known as Chaere-van (Apricot Forest), Chunt- var (Apple yard), Tangdar (Pear fields), and Alkhi Bag (Sour (bird) cherry garden). The fruits trees then were grown also on the path edges and sporadically in the agricultural fields and slopes to provide shade and food. The regeneration was natural by various ways from indigenous kinds and types. Animals and birds after eating the pulp of the fruits deposited the seeds and stones on the ground with residues here and there. The forest litter and snow cover over winter provided for stratification resulting in natural regeneration under natural conditions (habitat). Many arose as chance seedlings of plants and trees. Palweth - Ambri apple of Kashmir and several others are instances existing.
Planting a tree then especially a fruit tree or nut tree was considered a sacred act. When a boy's head was shaved first time, the crop of hair thus cut used to be buried underground along with few walnuts in a field or compound/backyard. Grapes apart from other fruits are recorded to have been grown widely over Martand plateau in Anantnag until it was ravaged and destroyed by Phylexra pest probably never to revive. It was after this catastrophe that an irrigation canal presently known as Martand canal was laid for irrigating the vast plateau area and rice cultivation extended there after (724-761 AD). The State records reveal that in 1876 AD a French resident Monsieur H. Denvergua had made wines from wild grapes of Kashmir. Maharaja Ranbir Singh was enthused and engaged Monsieur Enmers and Monsieur Peychaud of Chateau and others for wine making in the valley.
Long before the Moguls (16th Century), the Shamir rulers had laid out gardens and orchards in the valley. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin "Budshah" (1420- 1470AD) imported many fruit grafts for furtherance during his reign along with art of grafting from Central Asia.

 










 
The historical and other evidence available reveal that Kashmir in Himalayas was rich in Pome, Stone, nut fruits, and grapes (vinefera group) from very ancient times. Modern Pomologists consider apple native to a vast area of temperate zone from Britain in the northwest to Himalayas in southeast. Likewise there is a reference with regard to Apricot (P. dasycarpus) reported mainly grown in China - Kashmir, and Afghanistan (Alan E Simons 'Growing unusual Fruits' Walker Publishing Inc., USA) to lead about hardy fruit tree growing in Kashmir in wild form. Walnut (Jugling) are another example which in ancient times in Kashmir were grown and nuts were used in sacred offerings to Gods. Likewise Cedrus-Loud 'Kashmir' the Kashmir deodar (cedar) though similar to the species in general morphological characters, but being much harder. The writer in his long career (Jammu and Kashmir State) in horticultural development in Kashmir has been gathering rootstocks, seeds, nuts, and stones of Malus Sp., Prunus Sp., and Juglaus Sp., as propagating material (rootstocks) from the wilds. Many species of Malus (Crab Apples) with fruits of the size of bird cherry to 1.8 inches, likewise the prunus sp., (wild and indigenous plums, apricot, and cherry), pyrus sp., (wild and indigenous pears), Juglaus regia (hard and thin shelled walnuts), and Grapes (vitis riparia) are found growing in the woods and nearby. Seed pips of Hapat Trel (Malus Sp.). Bears Crab Apple considered to be Bear food, have been widely used as apple root stock in Kashmir. Kashmir has been a source for a longtime of propagating material of temperate fruits and nuts for other temperate areas of Indian subcontinent.
In Kashmir every aboriginal tree, plant, fruit, and flower are known and identified by their local nomenclature like Chunt for Apple, Tang for Pear, Chaer for Apricot, Duon for Walnut, Fresst for Poplar, Weer for Willow (Salyx), Alich-for Wild cherry, Aer for Plum, Dach for Grape, and so on. Improved varieties and types have flourished overtime at the expense of wild aboriginal. We have been ruthless in felling broad leave species of aboriginal fruits for fuel and commerce over time thus minimizing their existence.
 





 
Scientific nomenclature and other details of fruit trees-varieties of various kinds grown in Kashmir were not available until after 1945, when survey was commenced and revealed identification and location of 113 varieties of Apples, 62 varieties of Pears, 31 of Plum, and 14 of Cherry in early, medium, and late groups, besides scores of wild crabs/Pip (Malus Sp.) etc.
With the improvements in fruit tree raising, management, and marketing over time the area under cultivation of fruits in Kashmir has increased from abare 14,000 hectare with blanks in 1950 to 187,000 hectare in 1993-94 with apples covering over sixty per cent area. Apples and other temperale fruits grown under different environment conditions vary considerably in their character, but qualitatively apples and other fruits generally produced in Kashmir are by far better than those of the same varieties produced in other regions in the Himalayas which receive monsoon. Kashmir apples have exhibited better keeping quality (shelf life) under local conditions. A western expert, who was coopted as one of the judges at a fruit show/exhibition declared that the Cox orange apple produced in Kashmir was qualitatively superior (taste, juice, and crispness) to one produced in his home country. About 15-20 per cent of the total area under fruit plantations is assessed irrigated and over 80 per cent area as unirrigated. Approximately 300,000 households are the owner operators of fruit crop holdings in Kashmir with over 70 per cent of the holders owning and operating 0.2 to 0.4 hectare holdings and only 4 per cent holders own holdings between 1 to 12 hectares. Kashmir is now forging ahead with standardized rootstocks as in other countries with Italian and Bulgarian assistance. A lot more remains to be done to enhance productivity per tree/unit area.
Vavilov (1887-1942), the great Russian geneticist and plant Explorer/Collector has made study of the distribution of the economic plants in 60 countries of the world. Vavilov's conclusions 1926 and 1935 determine the centers of origin of almost all cultivated Pome, Stone, and nut fruits of temperate regions to Persia and Afghanistan.
Search of ancient literature - Sanskrit, Hebrew, Chinese, for names of fruits has provided another valuable source of information concerning the native habitat of many cultivated plants and some of Vavilov's conclusions have had to be modified on this score.
It appears that Vavilov did not peep into Kashmir Himalayas and thus left valley of Kashmir pomologically undiscovered. Kashmir was a princely state then within British India and continued so until late 1947. The British Government had taken Gilgit area of the state bordering Russia on lease from Maharaja of Kashmir. The British must have been controlling therefore the entry and movement of Russians particularly into Kashmir valley then.
This has obviously deprived Kashmir the real habitat in Himalayas of temperate fruits (Pomes, Stones and Nuts) being explored, recognized and recorded as the oldest home of temperate fruits.
I hope the present day Pomologists, Horticulturists, Plant Explorers, and Collectors will take a view and seek amendments of generic records known so far.















 
 Post by Sujat Mantoo
Srinagar Kashmir

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by Email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

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My Visiting Card

I am handling 2 states only.
1. New Delhi, India's capital.
2. Kashmir

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073

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New Delhi - Capital of India

                                        New Delhi - Capital of India

Sujat Mantoo

Sujat Mantoo

 New Delhi - Capital of India

The capital of the Republic of India, and the seat of executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of the Government of India. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory.

The foundation stone of the city was laid on 15 December 1911. It was planned by two leading 20th-century British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new Capital was christened "New Delhi" in 1927, and subsequently inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by British India's Viceroy Lord Irwin. On 12 December 2011, New Delhi celebrated 100 years of capitalship, making it another landmark year in the long history of the historic capital of the region of Delhi. New Delhi is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Humayun's Tomb and the Qutub complex. There are areas like Old Delhi and Mehrauli in New Delhi which have a number of heritage structures.

India Gate

New Delhi is known as the microcosm of India and is leading world’s top global cities with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. The metropolis of Delhi is the 2nd most populous in India with a total population nearing 17 million residents, the capital city being the 10th most populous city in the world by city proper and has the 7th biggest urban agglomeration in the world with a population of 23 million people. The metropolis has the highest urban spread in the country with a total area of the city being 1482 km².

According to Mercer, New Delhi is the most expensive city in India for expatriates in terms of cost of living, figuring 113th in the list of 214 cities. Reflecting the growing global economic clout of the Asian region, have been ranked among the 75 top centers of commerce in the world. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated New Delhi as an "alpha- world city".

India Gate by night

In 2011, Knight Frank's world city survey ranked it 37th globally. The National Geographic's Traveler Magazine describes it as "one of the Ultimate Cities of a Lifetime to visit and explore." In a report jointly prepared by Institute for Competitiveness and Confederation of Indian Industry, the city is listed as the best to live in India. The city of New Delhi is also known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and is home to numerous national institutions, museums and landmarks.

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo


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Akshardham Temple

Akshardham Temple


Akshardham (Devnagari: स्वामिनारायण अक्षरधाम) is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India.^[1] Also referred to as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture, spirituality, and architecture. The building was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham.

The Temple, which attracts approximately 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi, was officially opened on 6 November 2005. It sits near the banks of the Yamuna adjacent to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village in eastern New Delhi. The temple, at the center of the complex, was built according to the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra. In addition to the large central temple crafted entirely of stone, the complex features exhibitions on incidents from the life of Swaminarayan and the history of India, an IMAX feature on the early life of Swaminarayan as the teenage yogi, Nilkanth, a musical fountain on the message of the Upanishads, and large landscaped gardens. The temple is named after a belief in Swaminarayan Hinduism.

Akshardham Temple in New Delhi Sujat Mantoo For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073  Sujat Mantoo .

Lotus Temple New Delhi

 Sujat Mantoo

Lotus Temple - Baha'i House of Worship

New Delhi 

Lotus Temple by night

The Lotus Temple, located in New Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship completed in 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

Like all other Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship god God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced

Lotus Temple by day time 

1987, the architect of the Bahá'í House of Worship, Mr. Fariborz Sahba, was presented the award for excellence in religious art and architecture by the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers for producing a building "so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact".

1987, the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, Affiliate of the American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C., gave their First Honour award for "Excellence in Religious Art and Architecture" 1987 to Mr. F. Sahba for the design of the Bahá'í House of Worship near New Delh

Lotus Temple full view

 Sujat Mantoo

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo

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Red Fort

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Red Fort Complex
The Red Fort is a prominent fort in Delhi
Location of Red Fort in Delhi.

The Red Fort (usually transcribed into English as Lal Qil'ah or Lal Qila) is a 17th century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India) that served as the residence of the Mughal Emperors. The fort was the palace for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, the seventh city in the Delhi site. He moved his capital here from Agra in a move designed to bring prestige to his reign, and to provide ample opportunity to apply his ambitious building schemes and interests. It served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857, when Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British Indian government.

The fort lies along the Yamuna River, which fed the moats that surround most of the walls. The wall at its north-eastern corner is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh Fort, a defence built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546. The construction of the Red Fort began in 1638 and was completed by 1648. The Red Fort has had many developments added on after its construction by Emperor Shah Jahan. The significant phases of development were under Aurangzeb and later under later Mughal rulers. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The earlier Red Fort was built by Tomara king Anangpala, now known as the Qulb Mosque

Red Fort's main entrance

Sujat Amin Mantoo

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo

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Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 AD, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a Persian architect. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah citadel also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort), that Humayun founded in 1533. It was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and since then has undergone extensive restoration work, which is still underway. Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance in the West, including one that even pre-dates the main tomb itself, by twenty years; it is the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niyazi, an Afghan noble in Sher Shah Suri's court of the Suri dynasty, who fought against the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE.

Humayun's Tomb

The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of his wife, Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, son of the later Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other subsequent Mughals, including Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat and Alamgir II. It represented a leap in Mughal architecture, and together with its accomplished Charbagh garden, typical of Persian gardens, but never seen before in India, it set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor, Babur, called Bagh-e Babur (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul (Afghanistan). Though the latter was the first Emperor to start the tradition of being buried in a paradise garden. Modelled on Gur-e Amir, the tomb of his ancestor and Asia's conqueror Timur in Samarkand, it created a precedent for future Mughal architecture of royal mausolea, which reached its zenith with the Taj Mahal, at Agra.

The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due to its proximity to Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of the celebrated Sufi saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya, who was much revered by the rulers of Delhi, and whose residence, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya lies just north-east of the tomb. In later Mughal history, the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar took refuge here, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, along with three princes, and was captured by Captain Hodson before being exiled to Rangoon. At the time of the Slave Dynasty this land was under the 'KiloKheri Fort' which was capital of Sultan Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin (1268–1287).

Humayun's Tomb (front view)

For Tour Packages kindly contact me Sujat Amin Mantoo by email at: mossesmantoo@yahoo.co.in or via cellular/mobile phone: +91-9560275073 

Sujat Mantoo

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