Morning I visited a Dargah near Ajaigarh enroute to Sariska .
In the evening I went to a Hanuman temple inside Sariska forest.

The Mujavir and Panditji both called me and tied a Kalava on my wrist.

I find no difference between both.
Can you?
(And best part is neither asked my name or where I came from)

Some photos of the dargah and temple

His dargah has to be the most exquisite I’ve seen in Delhi. It’s in Sheikh Sarai

More in The Forgotten Cities of Delhi

It is the dargah of Sultan Baba she told me.

It was a Thursday and the baoli had many visitors

the fatehpur sikri baoli has seen many ups and downs in its 500 plus years of existence

He was with Syed Faisal Ali Nizami and both were United by the huge turquoise rings they were wearing.

Gifted to Maharaj by an Iranian disciple some 20 years ago.

Syed Nizami gifted one to me too.

I’m blessed to have met them

Wrote

Hayderum,Qalandrum, Mustam

Banda-e-Murtuza Ali Hastum

Peshwa-e-Tamaam Rindan Num

Kay Sagae kuo-e-Sher-e-Yazdan Num

Translation:

I am Haideri (a follower of Haider, aka Ali ibn Abi Talib), I am a Qalandar and I am intoxicated (with inspiration).

I am a servant of Ali Murtaza (aka Ali ibn Abi Talib)

I am leader of all saints

Because I am a dog of the lane of “Allah’s Lion” (referring to Maula Ali Murtaza)

Every field is filled with yellow mustard blooms
Mango buds open, flame of the forest trees blossom,
Every branch echoes with the koyal’s call
The lovely maiden dons her make up
The garden ladies bring fragrant bouquets,

These Purbi lyrics sung in the raag bahar melody herald the beginnings of Basant (on the eve of Basant Panchami) festivities at the Dargah of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the reader were taken aback by these words, this occasion and the connection with a Sufi saint.

Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 A.D.) was a saint of the Chistiya silsila and the successor of Baba Farid. He is called the People’s saint and was given the title of Mehboob e Ilaahi or Beloved of God. He believed that for a saint the three necessary things were ishq (love) aql (wisdom) and ilm (knowledge.) It was only through this that one could reach one’s goal of fulfillment. He used them all in generous amounts.

His belief was that one can devote one’s life to God through two ways :
1. 1. lazmi or intransitive — where an individual comes closer to God through prayer and meditation, and
2. 2.muta’addi or transitive — where you assist your fellow beings to lead a smoother life.

He practiced both and touched many hearts. Though he lies buried close to many Emperors and noblemen from the medieval ages, his dargah sees more visitors and devotees than any of the Emperor’s tombs. In fact the area where his Dargah lies was called Ghiyaspur after the Delhi Sultan Balban who built his palace there. But today it is known by the name of the saint as Nizamuddin basti.

One of my favourite sayings of Hazrat Nizamuddin which explains the deep devotion that he commanded is
“The wilayat (domain) of gnosis and faith can
suffer decay. The wilayat of compassion can not.”

Altamash Nizami one of the direct descendants of Hazrat Nizamuddin and part of the Dargah committee told me this story about the origins of Basant celebrations in the Dargah.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya did not have children and was very attached to his sister’s son Khwaja Taqiuddin Nuh. The attachment was deep and mutual. Alas a fatal illness took Khwaja Nuh from this world.

His death was a deep blow for Mehboob e Ilaahi and he grieved over the loss and was extremely saddened. His followers particularly Hazrat Amir Khusrau longed to see him smile once again.
One day Hazrat Amir Khusrau saw a group of village women, dressed in yellow, carrying mustard flowers and singing on the road near the Khwaja’s khanqah .
His khanqah ( retreat or monastery) where he spent his life reaching out to people is a little way behind Humayun’s tomb.
He asked them where they were going dressed like this. The women replied that they were going to the temple to offer the flowers to their God. Amir Khusrau asked them whether this made their God happy? On hearing an affirmative answer he immediately dressed up in a yellow Saree and carrying mustard flowers came into the presence of his pir ,Khwaja Hazrat Nizamuddin singing ‘sakal ban phool rahi sarson.’
The Khwaja recognizing his favourite disciple smiled at his get up and song.

This was an occasion for rejoicing and since then the tradition of dressing up in yellow, carrying mustard flowers and singing qawwali on Basant Panchami started.

This year I had the good fortune to attend the celebrations myself. The atmosphere in the dargah was electrifying with a langar ( food for all) being held in the dargah complex and various qawwali groups singing in the courtyard.

After the asr ( afternoon) prayers all the qawwali singers gathered in a lane opposite Ghalib’s grave and the celebrations started from a small by lane there.
I presume the significance of that lane must be that this is the original spot from where Hazrat Amir Khusrau started his song. I asked many people there but no one could give me a satisfactory answer, except that this is from where it has always started.

There was a ceremonial prayer, lighting of incense sticks and then the singing commenced.
Young and old, everyone joined in the procession which went into the by lanes of Nizamuddin Basti, stopping at the grave of Khwaja Tajuddin Nuh and entering the Dargah.

Once in the dargah, they took a yellow chadar (sheet) and holding it above their heads, entered the shrine itself. This is apparently the only occasion on which the qawwali singing is done inside the shrine. On all other occasions it is outside in the courtyard.

After that they all assembled outside and encouraged by the SajjadaNasheen Hasan Nizami, the various qawwals sang and rejoiced.
The qawwali session lasts for a few hours after which they go to the choti dargah or Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s grave and make their offerings there.
The shrine’s courtyard was full of people from different areas, regions and faiths: all united with a common love for the people’s saint, dressed in yellow to celebrate the occasion when he smiled once more on the eve of spring.

Aaj Basant Manaley Suhangan

Aaj Basant Manaley
Anjan Manjan Kar Piya

Lambay Neher Lagaaye
Tu Kya Sovay Neend Maasi

So Jaagay Teray Bhaag, Suhagan
Aaj Basant Manalay…;

Thank You Asif for taking me to the Dargah

Thank You Pari for showing us the sama Room of Mehboob e Ilahi
and a big thank you Syed Mohammad Qasim for these beautiful Photographs

Thank You Raj Prajapati for the photographs

In Sufi philosophy the Beloved is God or the Divine. The person seeking oneness with God is the lover.
This is ishq e haqeeqi which literally means “the real love” but metaphorically it means “the love of God”. It refers to the belief that only God is worth loving and He is the only one who can return His creature’s love for Him.
Khusrau darya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar,
Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar.

Oh Khusrau, the river of love
Runs in strange directions.
One who jumps into it drowns,
And one who drowns, gets across.

The death of a Sufi saint therefore, is regarded as wisaal (union with the beloved), and the death anniversary is celebrated as a wedding anniversary and not an occasion for mourning.
The material world is the maika and afterlife is sasural
“Yeh duniya mere babul ka ghar
Woh duniya sasural”

The Dargah sharif of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya ( from their Facebook page)

Khusrau raen suhaag ki, jaagi pi ke sung,
Tun mero mun pi-u ko, dovu bhaye ek rung.

Khusrau (the bride) spends the eve of her wedding
Awake with her beloved, (in such a way that)
The body belongs to her, but heart to the beloved,
The two become one.
Amir Khusrau famously said on beholding the body of Pir o Murshid Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
Gori sovay sej par, mukh par daaray kes,
Chal Khusrau ghar aapnay, saanjh bhayee chahu des.

The fair maiden rests on the wreath (of roses),
Her tresses covering her face,
Let us, Oh Khusrau go back now,
The dark dusk settles in four corners

Urs rituals are generally performed by the custodians of the shrine, and usually include the singing of religious music such as qawwali.

From today starts the 711th Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Hazrat Haji Ali

(From the Facebook of Dargah sharif Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya: )
The various functions in the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin will be as follows

On the day of the urs his admirers, disciples, followers and relatives assemble together at the grave of the Saint to obtain spiritual benefit and celebrate the anniversary and rejoice that he has achieved wisaal with the Divine.
It is recommended to recite the Quran Shareef and pass on the Sawaab (reward) to their soul and to recite Fateha. Qawwalis are sung to obtain spiritual succour and go in a state of trance. This can be seen in the program for this year’s Urs at the Dargah as given in the photograph above

Translation of Hazrat Amir Khusrau from here

A painting and description from Thomas Metcalfe’s ‘Imperial Dehlie’written in 1844

Qadam Sharif is the an imprint on a marble slab of the Prophet Mohammed pbuh which was acquired by Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

Metcalfe writes
“The Tradition is that in the time of the Emperor Feroze Shah about five centuries ago, a celebrated Devotee and a Disciple of the Emperor’s was deputed to Mecca (to which all true Mohummudans are bound to make one Pilgrimage, if they hope for Salvation) to obtain from the Caliph of that place a Khillut or Dress of Honor.
The Boon was granted, and in addition as a mark of high consideration the Slab in question was also consigned to the care of the Devotee.
It was brought to Dehly. The Emperor and all his Nobles proceeded to a Distance of 15 Miles from the City to do Honor to this precious Relic. It was escorted with much Pomp and finally deposited by order of the Emperor in the Royal Treasury.”
The stone with the Prophet’s footprint was brought from Mecca by Makhdum Jahanian Jahan, the spiritual guide of the Sultan.

Once Feroze Shah asked his favourite son, Fateh Khan what he would like from the imperial treasury. The young prince asked for the Qadam Sharif. The Sultan, refused, but promised that it would be buried with whoever amongst them died first.
Unfortunately, the Prince died first (1374) and as per his promise the Sultan erected this tomb and had the precious slab with imprint kept on the grave of his son.
It is said that Feroze Shah had built the tomb for himself earlier but I find that suspect because the Emperor would surely wish to be buried in the premises of Tughlaqabad : his tomb is in Hauz. Khas.

Having read all these accounts I set about attempting to reach the shrine and make my own supplications and ziarat’
I had googled it and learnt that Lucy Peck’s guide book on Delhi was the only way to reach it.
Confident of finding it I caught the metro to New Delhi station and got off and went towards the Paharganj side.
Since I didn’t have an idea of distance I hired a rickshaw.
‘Dargah’ Oh yes I know where it is and we set off.
In a bit I reached the dargah and went inside. There were many graves there but I knew that it had been a favourite burial ground so it was expected
Children who live near graveyards grow up with a nonchalance about death, I feel. For them life goes on amidst death.
I entered the courtyard to find a beautiful mosque. Very well lit and maintained.
I asked the people there where the qadam sharif and tomb was. They looked at me in surprise, as this was the mosque and shrine of Hazrat Baqi Billah the founder of Naqshbandi silsila in the sub continent.A very serene and beautifully kept shrine.
One of the boys there offered to help me reach Qila Qadam Sharif. And then began a heart breaking journey.
The road to it went through narrow bylanes and galis of Paharganj
The road leading upto the dargah is called Nabi Kareem Road !
We could not even respect the name.
And we entered the dargah through what must once have been a splendid entrance
But today it is a dilapidated structure used as a dumping ground.

Kabhi yahan goonjti hogi sada
“Ba Adab, baa mulaihzaa hoshiyar!
Sultan e Aala tashreef laa rahe hain!”
Aaj tau koi pursaan e haal nahin hai

From that gate we took another turn to reach this scene. The three iron gates to the Dargah were shut, there were children playing outside (Cricket on the graves seemed fun!) and there was a goat which seemed to have blended in with the tree.

This is the entrance to the shrine. My heart skipped a beat to see that after so much effort the dargah was shut but the local buzurgs there said they would call the khadim and get it opened.
T

The first view of the dargah from the majlis khana

The first thing that strikes you is the utter state of neglect and disrepair

The dusty grave of Fateh Khan
Once upon a time Emperors and nobles came here during the ‘urs’. Today it lies forsaken and neglected
The slab was later taken out of the grave complex and kept for ‘ziarat’.
It is now with the khadim who keeps it in his house for safekeeping. On my request he brought it out.

There are domes in the corners of the dargah with corridors running from it, containing graves

This beautiful painted roof is now home to ababeels

The entrance door from inside ( under the main dome)

Sultan Bhai as he is known is the mutawalli of the dargah and it was from him I heard of the sad tale of the degenration of this beautiful shrine. According to him during the Partition hordes of refugees took shelter in and around the place and later settled down. The encroachments are very clearly visible
The majalis khana which was added later is barely surviving.

The enclosure of the grave of Fateh Khan and his spiritual guide.

Since it was the grave of his favourite son, The Sultan built it with a lot of care, love and grief. There was a madarsa attached to it and a well or tank which was filled with aab e zam zam ( water from holy well in Mecca).
I didn’t find traces of that in the premises I saw.
Even today it is called the Qila Qadam Sharif because of the fortified walls and gates the Sultan had built.
It became the graveyard of many luminaries including Shamsuddin khan of Loharu. It was only in the late 19th century that the British stopped burial there and in other holy sites within the city.

Some of the graves there.
I end with description from “Muraqqa e Delhi” written by Dargah Quli Khan a young visitor to Delhi from the Deccan in 1737-41.
He writes
“Every Thursday the courtyard of the Dargah is so full of visitors that it is difficult even to approach the Place and touch it. Pilgrims and ascetics come from countries far and near to seek fulfillment of their wishes.”
He goes on to rather disapprovingly describe the behaviour and demeanour of the crowds where there are beautiful women carrying porcelain bottles of perfumes, uncontrollable crowds and ecstatic singers with the mehfil becoming gay.
Alas today I did not find the spiritual solace I went to find there and came back with a heavy heart at the general air of neglect which hangs in the tragically run down place .Location : In Paharganj

According to legend the Saint who lived during the reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban, cured a man of an incurable disease by giving him a sip from his matka.
On hearing news of this incident,  Sultan Balban, sent clay pots filled with mud & iron balls to the saint as an offering. The Saint covered the pots; started praying & at the end of his prayers, the covers on the pots were lifted and the iron balls & mud were gone. The people around saw that it had roasted gram and jaggery in them.
Even today devotees whose wishes/mannat have been fulfilled offer matkas and jaggery and gram

Some offer matkas

It is a place which though next to a very busy road, is very calm and peaceful. There is no one asking the devotees for money or any other subscriptiin. One can sit and pray in peace

It is situated next to the Pragati Maidan On a small hillock.

Qalandars are ascetic Sufi dervishes who may or may not be connected to a specific Sufi order. They are different from other saints and they have very strong feelings of love for God’s creation.