The Nizamuddin Dargah is close to the imposing Humayun’s Tomb in Dilli, which shoots into limelight during high profile visits, lays a humble marbled tomb of the 14th century saint, Nizamuddin Auliya. He lived in Dilli through the realms of 13 sultans. However, the palaces, forts and resorts built by his contemporary monarchs are now a wilderness of ruins. Yet, people from different walks of life throng the Sufi saint’s shrine. The purpose of their visit is diverse, but the cosmic attraction of the place brings in hundreds of people every day from around the world.
Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya, better known as Hazrat Nizamuddin (1238 – 1325) or the people’s saint. Nizamuddin Auliya was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. He is one of the great saints of the Chishti order in India. His predecessors were Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Bakhtiyar Kaki and Moinuddin Chishti. In that sequence, they constitute the initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chisti order, which is widely prevalent in India and Pakistan.
His mausoleum the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah is situated in the Nizamuddin West area of Saddi Dilli, the dargah is visited by thousands of Muslims every week, and sees a fair share of Hindus, Christians and people from other religions. The tombs of poet Amir Khusro and Mughal princess Jehan Ara Begum are also located within the Nizamuddin Dargah complex, and Inayat Khan’s tomb is also just around the corner.
Nizamuddin Auliya, like his predecessors, stressed upon the element of love as a means of realisation of God. For him his love of God implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and kindness. It is claimed by the 14th century historiographer Ziauddin Barani that his influence on the Muslims of Delhi was such that a paradigm shift was affected in their outlook towards worldly matters. People began to be inclined towards mysticism and prayers and remaining aloof from the world.
The neighborhood surrounding the dargah is named after the saint, and is divided into two parts along the Mathura Road, Nizamuddin West where the Dargah complex and a lively market dominated by Muslim vendors is located, and Nizamuddin East, an upper-class residential area situated between Humayun’s Tomb and the Nizamuddin Railway Station.
The other important monuments in the Nizamuddin heritage area include Humayun’s Tomb, Chausath Khamba, Mirza Ghalib’s tomb, Barakhamba, Sabz Burj (Blue Gumbad) at the Nizamuddin Circle and Lal Mahal.
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