Chausath Khamba, also spelled Chaunsath Khamba, is a tomb built during 1623–24. It is located in Nizamuddin precincts of Sufi Muslim shrines and tombs in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...

, India. The name means "64 pillars" in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

. It was built by

Mirza Aziz Koka Mirzā `Azīz Kokah ( fa, میرزا عزیز کوکه; ), also known as Kokaltāsh ( fa, کوکلتاش) and by his sobriquet Khān-i-A`zam ( fa, خان اعظم ''The Greatest Khan''), was the foster brother of Akbar, who remained one of the lea ...

, son of

Ataga Khan Shamsuddin Muhammad Atgah Khan (died 16 May 1562), also known as Khan-e-Kalan Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad Khan Atgah Khan, was a prominent figure in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar. He held important positions in Akbar's court, including that of ...

, as a mausoleum for himself, at the time when

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled ...

Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ea ...

ruled from Delhi. Mirza Aziz Koka had served several times as Jahangir’s

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

before he died in Gujarat.

Structure

Chausath Khamba monument was initially built as a hall in an innovative eclectic architectural style of the Mughal period. It was later converted into a tomb. It is a square structure constructed entirely of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorpho ...

. The structure (pictured with facades) has 64 columns that support twenty five

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

. Each bay supports a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a ...

. The domes are not visible externally since they are reverse domes (picture). The roof is flat. Each wall has five

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

es that are held by square

pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...

. In each face, between each of five pilasters, marble trellised

screens Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing * Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry * Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mul ...

have been fixed. Atgha Khan's tomb

According to inscriptions, the structure houses the tomb of Mirza Aziz Koka (also named Kotaltash). The tomb of his father,

, the Prime Minister of

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, H ...

, is also in the vicinity. In addition, there are several other unidentified tombs inside this monument. It is considered the family shrine of Atgah Khan. The structure is enclosed and has an imposing entrance gate. The

Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

tomb is located adjoining this structure on the northern side. Comparison is drawn to a similar tomb built in marble in

Sarkhej Sarkhej is a suburban neighbourhood in the city of Ahmedabad. It is primarily known for the Sarkhej Roza, an architectural complex located 8 km south from the city centre. One of the most important roads of metropolitan Ahmedabad, Sarkhej ...

where Mirza Aziz Koka served several times as

’s

of Gujarat. He died in Sarkhej and was temporarily buried there. His remains were later shifted to Chausath Khamba.

Heritage status

The Chausath Khamba is located in the busy 14th century market area of Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi. The shrine of the Sufi saint

Nizamuddin Auliya Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (sometimes spelled Awliya; 1238 – 3 April 1325), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Mahbub-e-Ilahi () was an Sunni Muslim scholar, Sufi saint of the Chishti Order, and is one of the most famous Sufis from the In ...

(1236 AD – 1325 AD) is nearby. The monument is part of the Nizamuddin religious complex and has been declared a heritage building. The forecourt of Chaunsath Khamba was recently landscaped by the Aga Khan Trust. The successful Sufi qawwali music of Jashn-E-Khusrau, in which performers from India and Pakistan performed, was held here in March 2010.

Other structures

There are two other structures adjoining the Chausath Khamba, which are also heritage monuments. ;Urs Mahal Located in front of the Chausath Khamba, Urs Mahal is an assembly hall (pictured in the gallery) where Khawwali programmes are held on festival days and on the days during "

Urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. ...

of Sufi saint

". It is a protected monument (refurbished in 2003). ;Mirza Ghalib’s tomb Mirza Ghalib's tomb is a small tomb of famous Urdu poet

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

(1797–1869), who was renowned in Urdu and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

poetry during the

Mughal period The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. It is a protected monument. The tomb is a work of art located north of the enclosure of the Chausath Khamba.

References

External links

Chausath Khamba @Flickr

at ''

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

'' * {{Authority control Mughal architecture Mausoleums in Delhi 1620s establishments in India Monuments of National Importance in Delhi