In #Mehrauli is the chillahgah of Baba Farid near the #dargah of 14th century Sufi saint #AshiqAllah.
This adjoins an old wall on the western side and bastion of Lal Kot and the area is hilly.
The word ‘chillah’ is derived from the Persian term ‘chehel’ for the number forty. It is a meditation technique where one goes without food for forty days and nights, a period spent only in spiritual penance and meditation.
Once When Khwaja Mu’in-u’d-din Hasan Sijzi visited Dehli, Qutub Sahib presented his disciples to him and everyone received his blessings according to his merit. Later Sultan-ul- Arifin asked : “Baba Qutb-u’d-din ! Is there any other disciple of yours?
Qutb-u’d-din replied, “There is one Mas’ud by name who is sitting in Chillah.
Sultan ul Arifin got up and said ; “Come along and let us see him.’
Both the saints went to his cell and opened the door. Baba Farid was so weak that he could not get up to pay his respects to the saints.
Helplessly and with tears in his eyes he placed his head on the ground When Sultan ul Arifin saw this he said : Qutb-u’d-din ! How long will you burn this poor fellow in the fire of penitence?
Khwaja Garib Nawaz Sultan ul Arifin said for Baba Farid “‘Baba Bakhtiyar ! You have caught a noble falcon which will not build his nest except on the
holy tree of Heaven. Farid is a lamp that will illuminate the Silsilah of the derweshes.”
The is a low vaulted cell – 5ft 8 inches in height and 16ft by 7ft 6 inches. There is a simple niche on the western wall.
Today people come here with mustard oil and offer it for lighting lamps.
It’s now kept locked with an iron grill but earlier when it was open I have sat inside and felt a deep sense of calm