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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      Hazrat Baqi Billah – founder of Naqshbandi silsila in India

      inMedieval Indian History, sufi saints
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      “Those who cannot benefit from my silence will never benefit from my words.”

      -Khwaja Baqi Billah

      I had set out to visit Qadam Sharif a Dargah in Old Delhi’s Paharganj, armed with a guide book. Getting off at the New Delhi Metro station I hired a cycle rickshaw, who very confidently said he knew where it was. In my naiveté I thought that this once very important Dargah from the Delhi Sultanate would still be very well known.

      I had chosen the day of Delhi’s local elections last year and found the streets mostly deserted except for polling agents for various political parties and some people who had come to exercise their franchise.

      The rickshaw waala very confidently set me down at the Buland Darwaza.

      imageI had heard that Qadam Sharif had very grand gates as it housed the tomb of the Emperor Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s favourite son, Fateh Khan. Thinking that maybe the main entrance was elsewhere I entered. Somehow I missed reading the name on the gate: all i read was Buland Darwaza. As I set inside I saw a family living inside the compound amongst the graves. I asked them about the Dargah and was informed by them that this was the Dargah of Hazrat BAqi Billah and that Qila Qadam Sharif was some distance from here. Since I had already come here I decided to pay my respects and i am glad I did. The beautiful mosque and Dargah gladdened my heart.

      imageHazrat Baqi Billah was the sufi saint responsible for establishing the Naqshbandi silsila or order in India. The son of Qazi Abdul Salam Khilgi Samarqandi Qureishi,a famous scholar and saint of Kabul, Razi-ud-Din Muhammad Baqi was born in Kabul in 971 A.H. or 1563 A.D. He was popularly known as Baqi Billah. Spiritual from birth , he became inclined towards Sufism and travelled through C.Asia to India. He saw Khawaja Baha-ud-Din Nashbandi bestowing spiritual favours on him. On his way to Mavara-ur-Nahr he dreamt that Hazrat Khawaja Amkangi was calling him and waiting for him anxiously. So, he went to see him at his abode and stayed there for three days. Khawaja Amkangi blessed him with his Khilafat (spiritual caliphate) and said:

      “Go to India because this Order (Naqshbandia Silsila) will be established there by you”

      Though he knew it was a difficult task he set out for Delhi to fulfil the task given to him. He stayed in Qila Firozabad or Firoz Shah Kotla and would sweep the qabristan behind which now falls in Maulana Azad Medical College. He established and strengthened the Naqshbandi silsila in India.

      imageJanab SalamatUllah Naqshbandi a direct descendant of Hazrat Baqi Billah and the mujavir (caretaker) of the Dargah. Old and frail, Pir Sahab as he is known as looked very spiritual and serene and I was very impressed by his personality. Though he was preparing for namaz he very kindly took me around and patiently answered my questions, even posing for this photograph.

      imageThe mosque is very beautiful and very well maintained. There are no crowds of supplicants or those begging and it is a place of solitude and meditation.

      According to Hazrat Khwaja Baqi Billah Tovakkal (trust in Allah) does not mean that a person should not earn his living and become idle as that is an act of disobedience to Allah. Everyone should earn their living in whichever manner they can and have a strong faith that only Allah is the Sustainer. He did inot approve of saints living the life of a hermit and giving up the world . According to him work is just like a source, mediation or an intercessor and worldly struggle sternthens one’s spirit.

      imageHe passed away on 29 November 1603. His tomb is in a small green building just outside the mosque and again very well kept. It is said that one night Hazrat Baqi Billah after having offered his Tahajjud prayers, came to his bed to rest. To his great surprise, he saw a cat couching in his bed. The kind hearted Hazrat Baqi Billah did not disturb the cat but quietly sat down on the floor and passed the rest of the night in the chilly winter, whereas the cat enjoyed a sound sleep till morning.

      image

      When one lives amongst graves, life and death hold no fear. These children of the family living here were playing, fighting,having fun here as I stood and watched them.

      Location : Qutab Road, Singara Chowk, near Sadar Bazar Area

      Nearest Metro Station RamaKrishna Ashram

      Further reading, here

       

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.