History, they say, has not been kind to Humayun. The second Mughal king lost his fledgling kingdom to the Afghan, Sher Shah, in a decisive battle at Chausa-a place better known for its late-ripening and rather sweet mangoes; on the run, while crossing the Ganga in spate, he fell off his horse, only to be rescued and taken to the opposite bank by one Nizam, a water carrier, on an inflated hide (mashak), normally used to carry water. Ever grateful to the bhishti, Humayun put the lowly Nizam on his throne for half a day, a turning of the world upside down, an event illustrated in the majestic official account of the reign of his son Akbar. Building alliances and fighting battles against his brothers, Humayun sought refuge in the court of the Iranian king, Shah Tahmasp. Defeating the Afghans in a rematch, he returned to Delhi in 1555 and reclaimed the throne of Dinpanah, or Purana Qila as it is called today. He began to raise new buildings, among which was the fetching octagonal-domed pavilion, an observatory and his book-lined library. Negotiating its killer high steps (Koch provides a full-page view of the daunting stairs), Humayun stumbled to his death while rushing to catch the evening prayers.
A LASTING LEGACY
The tomb of Humayun, photographed around 1857 by Felice Beato; (below) a miniature painting of Humayun by Payag, c. 1650
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Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS
