Sculptures show Humayun’s love for stars

The exhibition, ‘Seven Humayuns: Planets, Astrology and the Padshah’ will remain open from 11 am to 7 pm till March 6 at the India International Centre Annexe

Following the birth of his son Akbar in 1542, Mughal emperor Humayun celebrated the occasion only after consulting the horoscope and making his own astrological calculations. Humayun believed that heavenly bodies such as planets affected events on Earth, and this influenced him to even choose the colour of the clothes he wore every day.

The seven sculptures show Humayun dressed in different colour robes corresponding to the astrological colours of the planets on different days. (Sadia Akhtar/HT Photo)

These lesser-known facts about the second Mughal emperor are brought to life through seven bronze sculptures, crafted by Scottish sculptor Jill Watson, at a new exhibition, which opened at the India International Centre Annexe on Tuesday. The exhibition, ‘Seven Humayuns: Planets, Astrology and the Padshah’, organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, will eventually move to the Humayun’s Tomb Museum, which will open later this year.

Humayun succeeded to the throne in 1530 CE at the age of 22. During his reign, he commissioned many buildings in different cities, including Delhi. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture commissioned Watson in 2019 to illustrate Humayun’s keen interest in astronomy and astrology, besides architecture.

“Seeing Humayun come alive as a sculpture makes him a reality for visitors. It makes them wonder about his life and what his interests were. Through the sculptures, I wanted Humayun to look kingly but also approachable,” said Watson, who started working on the sculptures in 2019. The first sculpture was completed in 2021 and the others followed soon after.

The seven sculptures show Humayun dressed in different colour robes corresponding to the astrological colours of the planets on different days. The exhibition includes 19 panels giving an insight into several instances when Humayun relied on planetary astrology, and the artistic process that Watson undertook to create the sculptures.

“Astrologers associate each day of the week with a planet. To seek the benefit of the astrological powers associated with the planets, Humayun matched the colour of his robes with the colour of the planet of the day. This tradition of matching clothes with planetary colours preceded Humayun by centuries in South Asia and continues to be popular to the present day,” a panel at the exhibition informs visitors.

The exhibition will remain open from 11 am to 7 pm till March 6.

Ratish Nanda, chief executive officer, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, India, said the sculptures will find a permanent home at the Humayun’s Tomb Museum. “We want visitors to the tomb to have a better understanding of the site. Even at the tomb, the six-pointed star is an important symbol. Visitors will be able to understand the use of such elements better once the site museum opens,” said Nanda.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is constructing a museum in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India at the entrance to Humayun’s Tomb. It is being funded by the Ministry of Tourism.

The Trust started working on the underground museum in 2017. “The museum is being built underground since it is surrounded by monuments such as Sabz Burz and Isa Khan tomb. We didn’t want to break the visual linkage,” Nanda added.