The phoenix rises

Delhi’s iconic Humayun’s Tomb was declared open by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a ceremony to mark the completion of the restoration of the site. The Unesco World Heritage Site restoration was spearheaded by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India. Over 1,000 workers, including experts in tile restoration from Uzbekistan, worked on the monument for six years to bring it back to its former glory. Over the years the monument and its surrounding gardens have served a plethora of purposes — its grounds have been used for everything from farming to refugee camps post-Independence, which led to a lot of wear and tear. Today, the lawns have been manicured, the tiles, jaali work and mosaics have been redone, and the walls freshly painted. One, however, wonders whether the monument has lost a bit of its soul. Today, it continues to inspire awe, but appears to have lost its old-world charm.