City Faith – Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Celebrating the saint’s death.

[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]

Saturday evening, April 3rd, 2010. The sufis are celebrating the death anniversary of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Delhi’s 14th century sufi saint. On this day, he married his lover. That is, the saint’s soul united with his beloved, the God. Urs means ‘wedding’ in Arabic.

The dargah’s dome is lit up with electric bulbs. Its courtyard is crowded. After the prayers, there will be nightlong qawwalis. Special food stalls have been set up around the lanes leading to the shrine. Some pilgrims are wearing yellow-colored pointed caps; yellow is the favorite colour of the saint. Families are lounging around the dargah’s several graves. The pankhawallas are fanning the pilgrims. One of them has only one arm.

While the courtyard is packed with worshippers, a few are also sitting inside the main shrine, around the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin. This chamber was the meditation room of the saint. Here he died in 1325. Centuries later, his presence is as tangible as it was when he was alive. Every time The Delhi Walla is in the dargah, he feels close to Nizamuddin, and so also close to the God. It’s magic.

The evening of the Union

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Chinese bulbs

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah

Bright and festive

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah

The sweet boy

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah

Get, set, go

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah

Three believers

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

Happy family?

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

The cooling effect

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

The lovers of Nizamuddin

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Have an arm, will fan

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Go, get the blessing

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Remembering the beloved

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

The decoration budget

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

The company of sufis

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Close to Him, closer to Him

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

The Dargah’s people

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya