St Mary’s School’s date with history

Tanvi Sahni,XI-C
The students of Class XI and XII of our school went to Khan-e-Khana’s tomb for a heritage walk on December 3. We were guided by Jaya Basera,who introduced us to facts that were hitherto unknown to us. She helped us understand more about the Persian architecture and paintings there. We were also given information on Neela Gumbad,and a little about Humayun’s tomb. Abdul Rahim was a learned poet and writer,and we have been studying his works since the sixth grade,but it was only when we saw Khan-e-Khana’s tomb that we realised how great he really was. All in all,the tour was a very knowledge-gaining experience.

Urvashi Bhardwaj,XI-A
We have walked or driven past Nizamuddin East,on the way to the Nizamuddin station,hardly noticing a historical monument there. I was a part of the great ignorant majority until I got a chance to visit Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana’s tomb. Getting to know about Rahim’s life was a splendid experience. The tomb as well as the exquisite carvings etched on them astounded us. We could hardly imagine how such a masterpiece could be made with no machinery or tools of modern technology. The only thing that broke my heart was the fact that the public had disfigured the monument by writing their names on it. A monument,which had weathered all storms and attacks,could not survive Delhi’s miscreants. After getting to know about the tomb and it’s history,we went to Arab ki Sarai and finally ended our walk with a visit to Neela Gumbad,which was a perfect example of Mughal architecture.

Punnya Khanna
There are many monuments in and around Delhi that speak the city’s historical glory. They include Humayun’s tomb,Qutab Minar,Lotus Temple and India Gate. One such monument is Khan-e-Khana’s tomb. Built in the 17th century,it houses the mortal remains of Abdur Rahim Khan and his wife. He was the son of Akbar’s caretaker Bairam Khan. When Bairam Khan was killed on his way to Huz,Akbar had taken responsibility of his wife and son.

Abdul Rahim Khan was the general in Akbar as well as Jahangir’s armies. He was a poet and a very prominent jewel in Akbar’s nine jewels. An expert in many languages,his couplets are remembered by all. Rahim had built this tomb in memory of his wife,after which he was buried here too. It is a square double-storeyed structure that stands on a high pedestal with arches and cells on all sides. Sadly,though,the tomb lost its original grandeur in the later period because many things — such as the red sandstone and marble used in its construction — were removed and used to decorate Safdarjang’s tomb in the 18th Century.

Sanskriti Saxena,XII-C
Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan,the son of Bairam Khan,served both Akbar and Jahangir. He was the first prime minister or regent of the third Mughal emperor. A great scholar who knew several languages and wrote couplets in Hindi,his tomb was named after his title Khan-e-Khana. The double-storeyed tomb is a massive square edifice rising from a platform faced by the arched cells,following the pattern of Humayun’s Tomb. This tomb was built by Rahim with red sandstone and Delhi quartzite in the memory of his wife in 1598. The grave of Rahim,who died in 1627,is decorated with stucco work and intricate patterns. The interior of the tomb,especially its ceiling,is decorated with floral ornamental patterns and its exterior is decorated with stucco work. From the tomb,we went to a site that was a market during those times. It had many gates and the southern gates were known as ‘Arab-ki-Sarai’,built by Hazi Begum for the 300 people who built the famous tomb at Nizamuddin. Then we went to Neela Gumbad,a dome constructed with blue tiles,and decorated with beautiful flowers and colourful patterns. The trip,which was a remarkable experience for all of us,made us aware of our heritage and the various historical stories behind them.

Anu Sharma,XII-C
The best way to know yourself is to know your past. Keeping these words in mind,a heritage walk was arranged for the Class XI and XII students of our school. After a short bus journey,we found ourselves at a four-sided structure,complete with lush green lawns and a dome. Our guide told us about this monument,a tomb belonging to Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana. Rahim was a member of Akbar’s court and the son of Bairam Khan,who served as his guardian during his early years. From here we moved to Arab-ki-Sarai,where 300 Persian architects are believed to have stayed while constructing Humayun’s tomb. Our next and last stop was Neela Gumbad,aptly named because of the blue tiles on its dome. The structure was octahedral from outside and quadrilateral from inside. It was thus that we came to the end of our ‘monumental’ journey,taking some interesting pieces of history home with us.

Shikhar Singh,XI-B
When you are having a splendid experience visiting the past,coupled with a leisurely walk,don’t you wish that it never ends? I got the same feeling when we were taken for a heritage walk,starting from Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana’s tomb. As soon as we entered the fort,we came across a big gravestone,beneath which lay Rahim’s grave. The guide told me that his face lay towards the west and legs towards the south. Another thing that caught my attention was the beautiful Persian carvings on it. Later,we were taken to Neela Gumbad. Along the way,we also saw Arab-ki-Sarai. The dome of Neela Gumbad,which was made of blue tiles,showcased the ancient art of the Mughals. It was indeed a delightful experience.

Vanya Jain,11-C
Amid the stress and humdrum of modern life,we found an oasis of peace and knowledge during our heritage walk in East Nizamuddin. Khan-e-Khana’s tomb,from where we began our walk. The tomb,which was once a spectacular monument,is now in ruins. Influenced by the Persian style of architecture,it got me thinking about everything we have missed while trying to excel in the rat race. The trip culminated at ‘Neela Gumbad’,yet another monument which has been forgotten. The exquisite tile-work at Gumbad had all of us enthralled. We also got to see Humayun’s tomb,which was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1993. The trip really was a trip down the annals of history.

M Sri Ramya,XI-B