Archive: January 2010
Impressions - part 4
New Delhi - One day I discover the most beautiful architecture I have seen for long. What for a fascinating history we may discover! Why don’t we talk about this in our schools in Europe? When you have been to Paris, Rome or Cordoba, you may be happier coming to the Red Fort in Delhi. Already the dark red stones reflect strength, which impresses me. It’s a mixture of Mughal architecture with some gothic style, as we would say, and the construction of a huge Fort, to survive all the attacks and to show your power. You may discover a huge red hall, where the Sultan received the people to hear their opinion. Pillars in red, the floor in red and in the middle a seat out of white marble with flower and bird ornaments. Would a European king receive the people in his castle to hear their opinion, no, I don’t think so. They only listened to their ministers and ducs. Behind this hall a huge garden opens to his palaces in white marble in Mughal and Hindu architecture as far as I know. This beauty in its ensemble with a wide view over Delhi put me into 7th heaven. The wife of the Sultan became the biggest palace, wide open with pillars in fine, chiseled ornaments like in the Moors architecture in Spain. His wife was in the center; near her the sultan had a much smaller palace to sleep. Close to him was a huge reception hall for the private hearings of his ministers and friends. The pillars and walls are full of beautiful flower ornaments. Behind his huge desk he had a view over Delhi, only at that time there were no traffic jams, no horning and honking of some cars and rickshaw drivers. But could you imagine a man in his office having flower ornaments at his walls nowadays? Not even a woman would put flower ornaments at the walls of her office, you would be some kind of naive loser and not a serious businesswomen. Here it’s pure beauty in perfection. At that time in Europe we put little angels at the walls with some sensual male or female goddesses being half naked, pretending to be Greek or Roman goddesses, fighters, heroes, but actually they are just a visual translation of everybody’s desires. It’s the beginning of Baroque architecture in Europe.
Further in the South of Delhi you may find Tombs such as Humayun’s tomb. European Kings build castles and churches, but they would never build a tomb. What for a waste of money and manpower! When we show power we go high, we go wide, we go everywhere but we don’t build a tomb. So what is behind the idea of building a tomb? In the meantime I am sitting near Isa Khan’s tomb, a close friend to Sultan Humayun, who build himself an octagonal mosque. Don’t ask me, who is Isa Kahn or Humayun? Humayun was the second Mughal emperor, but who was he in the 16th century? One thing for sure he must have had a charming senior wife, Hamida Banu Begum, who has been build this tomb for him. An old gardener is sitting close by Isa Khan’s tomb looking into the sun for an hour. I very much like the silence and centeredness of this octagonal architecture, and I am quite surprised about the tomb, actually a mosque. The gardener is still sitting there, waiting, giving some food to the dogs. They are as hungry as many dogs in Delhi, running around in the streets. Falcons are flying over Isa Khans tomb, a huge ant is running in front of my feet, a beautiful bird hides in the tree, singing an unknown melody for the spirits living here. Finally I make myself on the way to Humayun’s tomb. I am a little resistant, in Europe cemeteries and tombs tend to be sad and melancholic.
Suddenly a beautiful and huge mosque appears in front of my eyes, surrounded by fountains and green lawns. I didn’t know that such a beauty is hidden in Delhi, it seems like paradise. The wife of Humayun must have loved her husband so much, that she has build him such a beautiful mosque, in the center octagonal outside squared. I have seen many photos of the Taj Mahal, that I am not really keen going there. But Humayun’s tomb with a beautiful white coupole and a building in red stones with fine and white marble inlays, feels for me wonderful. I am very much delighted. You feel the grandeur of her love for her husband. I have never heard of a Queen in Europe who has build such a magnificent monument out of love for her husband. Personally this is much more interesting for me then the Taj Mahal. That a man makes huge efforts for his wife/ girlfriend is normal, assumed, shown in many movies. But that a woman in the 16th century showed her love in such a strength and beauty is incredible for me. I am very happy being here, it gives me/us much more for my life then the spoiled meeting in the morning. This edifice of love is the first example of Persian influence in Indian architecture. I can only copy what I read at the entry of this red-brown architecture - red the color of love.