Visiting Rahim’s Tomb in New Delhi

Just before Christmas, I read about the re-opening of a monument in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area – a 16th century garden tomb that has been lovingly restored and renovated.

To my shame, I’d never ever visited this tomb, even in its pre-restoration run-down state, so we decided to mark the first day of the year by doing something new – and so we visited the tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.

Now either I hadn’t researched the facts fully, or…

Well, whatever it was, we rocked up only to be told that we should’ve booked tickets online, in advance.

Covid rules apparently.

In the face of husband-ly grumbling about inefficiency etc. etc., I thought our New Year’s day trip was shot before it even started, but by dint of entering our PAN numbers (driving licence didn’t work as ID) and waiting for OTPs from the bank, and much cheering-along from the 2 delightful men on duty, we finally managed to book tickets online. It took a while, but since there was no-one else visiting, it wasn’t an issue.

So – remember to book online before going. And don’t use your driving licence.

The main tomb itself is locked, but you can climb up and wander around the outside, and if you’re like me, you will keep exclaiming how like Humayun’s Tomb it is, which it is, but on an altogether smaller, more intimate scale.

The impeccable work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (like their sterling work on Sunder Nursery) is fully in evidence – excellent information panels, detailing the before and after state of the tomb and gardens, and lots of information about the architecture of this lovely tomb.

The ceiling decorations around the base of the tomb are lovely and, interestingly, very varied:

The gardens look as though they are still being restored, but there are nice flat walkways, which are wheelchair accessible through gentle ramps.

There were loos, but I didn’t check them.

A small, compact tomb, beautifully restored and, on a chilly January morning, virtually deserted.

A good start to the year.

Cost? For Indians Rs 20 a ticket.