Humayun Passion for the Sky

The Full Moon shines above the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s tomb complex in Delhi, India. Humayun (1508 – 1556) was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of his widow starting in 1562 for 8 years of construction. Its architecture was a precursor to the Taj Mahal with Persian-style garden layout. It was the first of its kind in South Asia region.Any astronomical connection with Humayun’s tomb brings into the foreground the fact that, perhaps it was for astronomy that Humayun died. From the terrace of the Purana Qila tower monument in Delhi, it is said that Humayun was trying to observe the appearance of Venus just at sunset that he had stepped back on hearing the call for prayer and fell to his death on the stair case. It is well known that Humayun had a deep interest in astronomical phenomena observations.