Learning love, life and culture, in the embrace of Nizamuddin’s Delhi

About two decades back, I migrated to Delhi from Patna to study journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia. From a small town to the national capital, life appeared to be quite culturally hostile. After finishing my degree, I joined the Press Trust of India.

Delhi still had not become a home. In search of a spiritual sanctuary, me and many of my journalist friends, including Sunandita Dasgupta, Neha Bhatnagar, Zishan Haider and Asit Awasthi became regular at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin. The dargah became an anchor in helping us to adapt to the vicissitudes of life in metro. Sometimes, these visits to the dargah were in search of spirituality, and at other times to savour the atmosphere, music, and food at the shrine. All around the dargah, devotees would eat, sleep, and sing in communion with Nizamuddin, amid qawwalis in praise of the Sufi saint as well as Radha and Krishna.

Hazrat Nizamuddin’s revered disciple, Amir Khusrau is buried adjacent to him, along with Princess Jahanara Begum, Aurangzeb’s elder sister. The powerful princess chose to be buried near the great saint instead of in an opulent mausoleum, reflecting a royal surrender. To us, these aspects blurred the distinction between the divine and ordinary, the royalty and commoners, between Hinduism and Islam or other religions, and romanticised the atmosphere.

Life, death and religious traditions intermingled in the vibrant grounds of the dargah amid sharing of biryani and zarda and offerings of millions of red roses. The langar at dargah also serves vegetarian food as per tradition so that people from all religions can break bread in communion.

In the years since, Delhi has grown on me and my friends, many of whom still remain dear to me. They, too, have found their moorings in the metro. To us, the cultural connect to Delhi is complete — it is home now.

Shakeb Ayaz, New Delhi