Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

As twilight descended over the city on Tuesday, it saw the dawn of a bygone era at Humayun's Tomb as the Aga Khan unveiled the restored gardens of the monument with water flowing in its many fountains. Visitors were taken back in time to the 1560s, when the mausoleum was completed.
The restoration project, for which the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) had given US $6,50,000, tried to erase the colonial character the tomb's Moghul gardens had ''wrongly'' acquired over the past decades.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, began a six-day official visit to India Monday during which he will meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Abdul Kalam, officials said.
It is his first visit to India in 11 years. He will meet Kalam and Vajpayee later Monday and is also expected to meet deputy premier Lal Krishna Advani and Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, an Indian government official said.

Union tourism and culture minister Jagmohan spent almost the whole of Sunday touring Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal to get a first-hand feel for problems relating to their upkeep, but he skipped visiting the work site of the controversial heritage corridor project linking the two. The minister had similarly gone on an inspection trip of Delhi's Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar some weeks ago. During the visit, he announced an additional Rs 1-crore grant for the upkeep of the Taj Mahal.

New Delhi: Religious leadership has always been linked with high finance. Uniquely, the institution of the Aga Khan has come to carry the ultimate lifestyle label as well. The triple burden sits lightly on the sharply cut shoulder pads of the present incumbent, revered by his 15 million followers in 25 countries as the 49th direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Anointed at 20, Prince Karim, now 68, has steered clear of both fundamentalism and the flashy life which killed his father, Prince Aly Khan.

This weekend will see the environs at Humayun's Tomb come alive with an evening of history and architectural excellence. The tomb has been chosen as the venue for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 2004.
The awards mark the completion of the ninth cycle of the programme (2002-04) and will be announced by His Highness the Aga Khan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be the chief guest at the ceremony.

Only a month-and-a-half after the Aga Khan Trust for Culture handed over the 16th century Humayun's Tomb to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for maintainence, the tomb is back to its original neglected state.
The sandstone water channels that had been restored for the first time after 40 years, running through the 30-acre Char Bagh, are dry. There are only patches of stagnant water in this 4-km stretch and mostly nothing at all. The caretakers at the site say it has been like this since April. They also point to the unruly grass that is now covering the sandstone pavements.

The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, met Indian Finance Minister Jaswant Singh during an official visit here Tuesday.
He was due to inaugurate the restoration of a tomb of the Moghul Emperor Humayun later in the day. The work was carried out jointly by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Aga Khan, who is on the second day of a six-day visit here, was also to meet leaders of the Ismaili Muslim community which has roots in India going back many centuries.

The head of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, today met Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to discuss ways in which his foundation can work with the India in the fields of education, health, rural development. On his visit to India after 11 years, Aga Khan spoke of the potential for cooperation in areas such as healthcare, micro-credit, financial services, humanitarian assistance and the promotion of NGOs, officials said.

Spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, Prince Karim Aga Khan arrived here on Tuesday and will discuss with Indian leaders the future cooperation in restoration of heritage sites. The Aga Khan's foundation is engaged in promotion of education, rural development, health care and preservation of heritage sites in India. He unveiled late on Tuesday a $650,000 project for restoration of the gardens, water channels and fountains at Mughal Emperor Humayun's Tomb, which contains more than 100 Mogul graves. It is one of UNESCO's 23 World Heritage Sites in India.

The Aga Khan with Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam

His Highness, The Agha Khan calls on the Vice President Shri Bhairo Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi on November 25, 2004

The Agha Khan calls on the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on November 25, 2004