City Faith – Sehri Feast, Gosht Walli Pahari
Feasting and fasting in Ramzan. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The kaleji and korma are done. The khajla has been left to soak in milk. As her daughter-in-law Sumaiya slices onions for the salad, Rashida Qureshi, 50, adds rice to yakhni….
City Faith – Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
Celebrating the saint’s death. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Urs ceremony, or the death anniversary, of Delhi’s 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, starts on February 27 2013. It will end on March 3. Urs means…
City Faith – Ghusal Sharif, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
The long night of Sufi songs. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Ghusal Sharif, or birth celebrations, of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the 14th century Sufi saint, was held on the night of January 8 2013. It took place…
City Faith – Bakra Eid, Matia Mahal
The ritual of sacrifice. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The goat was priced at Rs 7,000. It was purchased by the head of the family two days before Eid ul Zuha, or the feast of sacrifice, also known…
City Faith – Eid ul Fitr, Chitli Qabar Chowk
Praying in the street. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There were no women to be seen. (They probably remained inside their homes.) The men filled up the mosques and also the streets to perform the prayers of Eid…
City Faith – Sehri Feast, Gosht Walli Pahari
Feasting and fasting in Ramzan. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The kaleji and korma are done. The khajla has been left to soak in milk. As her daughter-in-law Sumaiya slices onions for the salad, Rashida Qureshi, 50, adds rice to yakhni….
City Notice – Urs, Mai Sahiba Dargah
Celebrating a woman Sufi. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Urs, or the death anniversary celebrations, of Bibi Zulekha, the mother of Delhi’s 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, will be celebrated on April 22 and 23,…
City Faith – Dargah Sabri, Daryaganj
Alone with a Sufi. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Tamarind tree. Chess board floor. White arches. Blue lamps. Green dome. The dargah of Shah Sabir Bakhsh Chishti in Daryaganj, central Delhi, has a marble courtyard, a mosque and…
City Travel – The Heart of Sufism, Ajmer Sharif
The soul of Delhi. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is the city of Sufis. It is traditionally known as ‘Bais khwaja ki chaukhat’, the threshold of 22 Sufis. To understand the soul of this city, you must…
City Faith – Chehlum Procession, Matia Mahal
End of a mourning. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Today is chehlum, the ceremony commemorating the 40th day after the death anniversary of the Prophet Muhammed’s grandson Imam Husain Ibn Ali. Centuries ago, he and his 72 followers…
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