Firoz Shah Tughlaq ‘s memorial (grave) for his son Fath Khan. So called because of an imprint of the Prophet ‘s foot buried with him as per his request.

The descriptions given of it in Dargah Quli Khan ‘s Muraqqa e Dehli show you a vibrant bustling place where kings, Queens and prince and princesses come to ask for boons and joined commoners who came to ask for theirs.

The Basant celebrations started from this Dargah.

Alas it’s all a far off dream now.

In front of the present walls of Qadam sharif Dargah in the bylanes of Paharganj, lies

Nawab Shamsuddin Loharu, father of Dagh Dehlvi,

2nd Nawab of Loharu 1827/1835, executed by the authorities in Delhi on 3rd October 1835 due to his particiption in a conspiracy to assasinate the Resident, William Fraser and in consequence Loharu and Firuzpur were confiscated, and the title of Nawab was denied.

Father of Daagh Dehlvi

“Next to the KoodaKatta” (rubbish dump)

Kaun jaye Zauq” par Dilli ki galiyan chhod kar

Dilli see where Zauq sleeps

Tho I should thank God for smaller mercies. A public lavatory was made on his grave. Thanks to efforts of Firoz Bakht at least that was removed & a memorial built in its place.

It’s called yaadgar e Zauq as no one knows where original grave was

(Yaadgar because original tomb demolished to make way for a public lavatory. This was made because of the efforts of Mr Firoz Bakht who fought long and hard for it)

Laayi Hayat aaye qaza le chali chale

na apni khushi aaye na apni khushi chale

behatar to hai yahi ke na duniya se dil lage

par kya karen jo kam na bedillagi chale

ho umr-e-khizr bhi to kahenge bavaqt-e-marg

hum kya rahe yahan abhi aaye abhi chale

duniya ne kis ka rah-e-fana mein diya hai sath

tum bhi chale chalo yun hi jab tak chali chale

nazan na ho khirad pe jo hona hai wo hi ho

danish teri na kuch meri danishvari chale

kam honge is bisat pe hum jaise badqimar

jo chal hum chale wo nihayat buri chale

ja ki hava-e-shauq mein hain is chaman se ‘zauq’

apni bala se bad-e-saba kaheen chale

अगर हर एक पत्थर  जुबां बन जाए तो ना जाने हमें क्या क्या खूबसूरत पल, दरदनाक वाक़िये  और  रूमानी क़िस्से सुन ने को मिले |

मैं ने जब दिल्ली वापस आने का फैसला लिया तो  उस में बहुत बड़ा हाथ था मेरी चाहत अपनी विरासत के लिये।

स्कूल के दिनों से शौक़ था पुराणी इमारतें देखने का उन में घूम ने का और यह सोचना के यहाँ क्या क्या गुज़र गया होगा।

बचपन लखनऊ में गुज़रा और रेजीडेंसी घर के बहुत क़रीब थी तो अक्सर जाना होता ट वहाँ  १८५७ के मंज़र अक्सर दिल ओ दिमाग़ पे छा जाते थे , और ख्याल आते थे कि उन् दिनों अंग्रेज़ों पर और हिन्दुस्तानियों पर क्या गुज़री हो गी.

ऐसी ही कहानिया सुन ने के लिए मैं आज कल दिल्ली कि ख़ाक छान टी हूँ और कभी ख़ुशी कभी ग़म के आंसू बहती हूँ ।

मैंने कई मुल्कों कि सैर की है और वहाँ के मक़बरे, कलीसा और महल केख़ज़ानों से आँखें सेर की हैं । कोई जवाब नहीं है यूरोप के कालेसों  का । मक़बरों में भी किस शान से लोग सोते हैँ : और एक हम हैं ना खुद चैन की नींद सोते हैं ना मरे हुवों को सोने देते हैं ।

आज काफी मक़बरों के चारों तरफ घर बन गए है, मस्जिदें वीरान पड़ी हैं और उन में नमाज़ तो दूर कूड़े का ढेर हैं |

ऐसे ही एक मस्जिद मुझे दिल्ली ले पहाड़गंज में मिली|

यह नबी करीम पुलिस थाणे के सामने है|

ढाँचे को देख कर आप यह बिलकुल नहीं कह सकते के यहाँ कभी खुदा का नाम भी लिया गया होगा।

इस मस्जिद कि खासियत यह थी के यह एक वाहिद मस्जिद है जो कम अस कम मैंने देखी है जो ‘यू-शेप्ड” है|

इसको किस्ने बनवाया और क्यूँ इस तरतीब से बनवाया नहीं मिला मुझे किसी भी पुरानी तारिख कि किताब मे| क़दम शरीफ कि दरगाह से नज़दीकी कि वजह से मुझे लगता है यह इलाक़ा काफी मशूर रहा होगा और यहाँ ज़ायरीन काफी आते होंगे| कुछ लोगो़ का मान ना है कि यह िफरोज़ शाह के मशहूर वज़ीर ितिलगाना िक बनानाई हुई ७ मस्िजदो़़ मे़ से एक है लेिकन इसका कोई ठोस सबूत नही िमलता । उनकी बनवाई गई मस्िजद मे़ बेगमपुर और िखणकी बहुत मशहू और मारूफ है़। अगर यह भी उनकी । ७ मस्िजदो़ मे से एक होती तो इसका ज़िक् ज़रूर मिलता।यह मस्जिद शायद लोदी बादशाहों के ज़माने कि है।

सदियों की तारीक खंडर में

जब आवाज़ लगाता  है

ला महदूद खला के लैब पर

खामोशी बन जाता है

अंधेरों में खंडर सोता पड़ा है	अबाबीलों के लश्कर जागते है

ग

बीच के हिस्से मैं मलबा मिटटी और गन्दगी हमारी लापरवाही कि गवाही देती है

दर  ओ दीवार  हसरत से नज़र डालते हैं	कभी हमने भी देखि है शान ए  करीमी

कभी यहाँ झुकते थे सर खुदा के सामने

आज झुकते हैं शर्म से अपनी लापरवाही पर

जब कहीं सर छुपाने को घर ना मिला तो खुदा का घर ही काम आया

अब इसका दायी तरफ  का हिस्सा तो  काफी हद्द तक गिर गया है और बायीं तरफ के हिस्से पर किसी का क़ब्ज़ा है।  बीच के हिस्से मैं मलबा मिटटी और गन्दगी हमारी लापरवाही कि गवाही देती है

यह शायद कभी इस मस्जिद में आने का एक रास्ता था अब एक साइकिल कि दूकान है

जहाँ एक तरफ लाखों का हुजूम हमारी इन इमारतों को देखने के लिए दुनिया भर से आता है वहीँ दूसरी तरफ हम खुद इनकी हिफाज़त नहीं करते।

आखिर कार अपनी विरासत कि हिफाज़त करना हमारा काम है|

कुछ काम  तमाम किया  हमारी लालच, लाचारी ने और कुछ १९४७ के बाद इमारतों की  ला वारिसी ने अंजाम दिया|

Can you imagine my delight when last week on my visit to this area I saw a wonderful sight.

At first I didn’t realise it was this same place but Syed Mohamamd Qasim who was with me kept insisting it was.

To my surprise I realised it was.

It used to be an Imambara as per the board there and there are references to imambara which was converted intoa hospital for infectious diseases by the British.

Was a cycle shop the last time I saw it. Now a proper gateway

see the contrast!

one thing remains constant and that is illegal occupation. Though the occupant has changed. This laundryman came here 2 years ago when the monument was restored. The old one has gone to some other monument

But the heart was gladdened to see that when we want we can restore our heritage.

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