Celebrating Amir Khusrau: Over 700-year-old ‘Parrot of Hind’
While in Delhi, I decided to visit the tomb Nizamuddin Aulia and his spiritual successor, Amir Khusrau
A three-day celebration of Sufi poet Amir Khusrau came to an end on April 9 at his Dargah in Nizamuddin, Delhi. This annual event commemorates his wisal (spiritual union) with the Divine, occurring six months after the passing of his beloved spiritual master, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
This was Khusrau’s 722nd annual celebration, held at his tomb, which faces that of his murshad (spiritual master). The courtyard between the two tombs was the central place for joyous musical celebrations, with nonstop qawallis and prayers, the tomb of Khusrau in the back and that of Aulia in the front.
Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), born in Uttar Pradesh, was a legendary 13th-century Sufi, musician, poet and scholar, often called the “Parrot of Hind” (Tuti-yi-Hind). A pioneering figure in Hindustani culture, he is credited with inventing the Sitar and Tabla, creating Qawalli and Taraana and pioneering early Hindavi or Hindustani literature, blending Persian and Indian traditions.
As a prolific poet in Persian, Hindavi and Panjabi, he developed a unique style that paved the way for modern Hindi and Urdu, including his famous pahelis (riddles) and poetry.
His music was deeply spiritual, focusing on the devotional aspects of Sufism. He lived under the Delhi Sultanate, bridging Islamic and local Indian cultures.
His work remains a vibrant part of South Asian musical and literary heritage, bridging classical and devotional styles.
Having recently visited the tomb of Baba Fareed Ganjeshakkar in Pakpattan, Pakistan, while in Delhi, I decided to visit the tomb of his spiritual successor, Nizamuddin Aulia and his further spiritual successor, Amir Khusrau.
It was the last evening of the Urs celebrations when I visited the festival. The bazaar streets leading to the Dargah were lined with bright lights and kiosks selling red rose petals, whose sweet smell filled the air. Having deposited my Peshawari Chappal with a flower seller, I proceeded down an alley that twisted and turned until I reached the pond called Chasma-e-Dilkusha (eye-opening spring).
In front of this beautiful pond, one could see the lights on the dome of the master Aulia’s tomb reflecting in the pond. I was then rushed along by devotees who, like me, had thronged the complex to pay their respects to Khusrau. Men and women mixed freely, each pushing forward to reach the central part of the Dargah complex.
Suddenly, the courtyard opened, and I was ushered along with the crowd to the back of the Dargah of Nizamuddin Aulia, where its golden pillars shone brightly.
As I walked to the front of Aulia’s Dargah, I saw a huge courtyard facing his tomb, and immediately behind it was the Dargah of his successor, Khusrau. Some prayers were being offered in the courtyard, shining with colored lights.
I walked to the back of the courtyard towards the shrine of Khusrau. The entrance to his tomb was small and crowded with men and women holding plates of red rose petals to offer at his grave. Entering the central area, his tomb was raised in the middle of the small room, with blood-red and parrot-green silk covers laid over it and red rose petals scattered across them. The noisy devotees outside were quiet inside the tomb area, whispering their prayers in hushed tones.
As I stepped out of the tomb of Khusrau, I heard a qawwal singing. I followed the voice to the open courtyard. Here, sitting with their backs towards the tomb of Khusrau and facing the Dargah of Aulia, the qawalls were singing the following Hindavi verse of Khusrau, which he wrote over 720 years ago for Nizamudin Aulia:
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Prem bhatee ka madhva pilaikay
Matvali kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Gori gori bayyan, hari hari churiyan
Bayyan pakar dhar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Bal bal jaaon mein toray rang rajwa
Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye
Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay
(English translation taken from https://allpoetry.com/Chaap-Tilak-)
You’ve taken away my looks, my identity, with just a glance.
By making me drink the wine of love-potion,
You’ve intoxicated me with just a glance.
My fair, delicate wrists with green bangles in them,
Have been held tightly by you with just a glance.
I give my life to you, Oh my cloth-dyer,
You’ve dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.
I give my whole life to you, O Nijammudin Aulia,
You’ve made me your bride with just a glance.
Listening to this verse by Khusrau, addressed to Aulia, with the Qawwals singing it after over 700 years, with their backs to Khusrau and facing Aulia, was mesmerizing. It felt as if Amir Khusrau himself had come there to sing to his spiritual master.
The Hindavi or Hindustani poetic verses of Amir Khusrau from the 13th century were precursors of today’s modern Urdu and Hindi. The syncretism of Islamic and local Indian cultures that he promoted has left an indelible mark on the history of South Asia. May the legacy of the Parrot of Hind inspire a more tolerant and peaceful South Asia.
