NEW DELHI: A seven-member committee set up by the Centre to identify the grave of ill-fated Mughal prince Dara Shikoh has located his ‘exact’ burial place inside Humayun’s Tomb.
A member of the panel said it had ‘almost’ reached a conclusion that the final resting place of Dara Shikoh is between the graves of Prince Daniyal and Prince Murad, Emperor Akbar’s sons.
“After examining available evidence and research done by an engineer working with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), Sanjeev Kumar Singh, the spot in question has almost been identified. It is between the graves of Prince Daniyal and Prince Murad. Till now, it was believed that Shikoh’s tomb was on a platform. Kumar has done extensive research to pinpoint the grave. We will soon present our final detailed report to the ministry,” said the member.
The panel headed by TJ Alone, Director (Monuments) at ASI was set up by the Culture Ministry in February and has submitted its preliminary report. On Thursday, Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said that after submission of the final report, the controversy related to Dara Shikoh’s grave would hopefully end.
“In the next 7-10 days, the committee will hold its final meeting after which the government may be able to announce which grave is of Dara Shikoh,” said Patel.
The minister was speaking at the unveiling ceremony of Abdur Rahim Khan-E-Khana’s mausoleum, which was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in association with InterGlobe Foundation.
Nearly 3,000 craftsmen were pressed into the service to restore the grandeur of Rahim’s tomb. Patel also announced that the under-construction museum at Humayun’s Tomb will also be named after Shikoh.
“Some personalities are lost in the historical records. Dara Shikoh translated Upanishads. No religious leaders went to the western world. It was Dara Shikoh, who presented Upnishads to them,” he added.
The eldest son of Shah Jahan, Shikoh was killed in 1659 by his brother Aurangzeb during the war of succession.