History

Nizam ud-Din Awliya was born in 1238 and is regarded as one of the most influential Sufi Saints of the Chishti order[1]. He lived during the reign of the Mughal Empire, but was an anti-establishment figure who was quoted as saying “The house of this humble one has two doors, if the Sultan enters through one, I shall go out by the other,”[2] displaying a disregard for the political power of the ruling class. The devotes of the Saint established his shrine following his death in 1325 C.E. to create space of commemoration and an area where people could pray to the physical body of the saint. Thought his teachings and actions, Nizam ud-Din Awliya is considered an integral part to the expansion of Chishti Sufism in Northern India, especially in the areas surrounding Delhi. He was highly regarded by the ruling Mughal Emperor of his time and of later Mughal rulers, demonstrating the level of respect that was given to Chishti Sufis by the ruling class, despite their anti-establishment views. Many other shrines in the same vicinity lost their importance and influence following the forced migration of people from Delhi to Daulatabad by the Mughals during the 14th century. The Shrine of Nizam ud-Din Awliya, however, did not suffer any of these loses because of its dedicated supporters and the level of respect given to it by Mughal Sultans, who would regularly visit the shrine.[3]

People

The Shrine to Nizam ud-Din Awliya was founded by the disciples of the Sufi Saint in Delhi, India shortly after his death in 1325 C.E. and is one of the largest located in India. It is also very welcoming to people all of religious views, with Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs joining Muslims during their pilgrimage to the shrine.[4] Throughout the shrine’s lifetime, it has been supported by the noble members of society, which Mughal Sultans supplying funds to construct mosques and other buildings to make life easier for the devotees living at the shrine and adherents making the long pilgrimage to the site.[5] The shrine is maintained by members of the pirzada, with the duties of care delegated to them and no one else, unless they wish to anger the eternal presence of the saint.[6] With the shrine being located in India, the population surrounding it is predominantly Hindu, with Muslims making up the minority. While the caretakers of the shrine believe in an all-inclusive religious abode, the Muslims that live in the area surrounding the shrine have had a turbulent relationship with the Hindu population, with each group holding a misshapen view of the other. These preconceived notions have led to the deaths of both Muslims and Hindus and a belief that Hindus are trying to encroach upon sacred Muslim land, desecrating the holiness of the land and limiting the Muslims presence in the area.[7]

Features

When the shrine dedicated to Nizam ud-Din Awliya was first constructed it was very modest and humble in appearance. As the site grew in popularity and its wealth began to increase, the aesthetic features of the shrine began to grow and became more grandiose. Mosques, minor shrines, graveyards, and other buildings were built with funds provided by wealthy donors. In particular, the Mughal Emperor Firuz Shah, who reigned from 1351-88 and would regularly visit the shrine ordered the construction of an the opulent  Jama’at Khanah mosque.[8] The modern shrine dedicated to Nizam ud-Din Awliya holds a diverse collection of monuments, tombs, and other minor shrines which have been built to surround the main dargah over the last seven centuries.[9] The surrounding area of the site is known as the Nizam ud-Din Basti and is an integral piece of the shrine. Following the partition of Pakistan and India in 1947, numerous Muslim refugees fled from the Punjab and other contested areas, resettling in Nizam ud-Din Basti.[10]

Beliefs

While the dominant belief system surrounding this sacred site is  connect with Islam, the shrine is visited as a place of pilgrimage for many different religious groups. The physical body of the saint is extremely important in validating the sanctity of the site. The eternal presence of saint is felt at the site because his humanly body is buried there. While the holiness of the saint and his extreme relationship with the divine are highly regarded by many Muslims and other religious adherents who travel to the shrine, the only way to receive spiritual aid is to be in the presence of the physical body of the saint. Without his physical body, the site would have no sacred valued assigned to it and would not have the ability to cure spiritual or physical aliments plaguing the pilgrims who visit the site. [11]

The pilgrims to the shrine believe deeply in the teachings of Nizam ud-Din Awliya. They follow the guidance he preached concerning how to become closer with Allah and that the main barrier between developing this close relationship is a person’s inflated ego. Once a person is able to overcome an inflated sense of self, they can truly love and learn from their spiritual master and initiate a closer relationship with the divine.[12]

Practices

Some of the practices conducted by pilgrims at the shrine are viewed as unIslamic by their orthodox Muslims counterparts because they are viewed as promoting a falsification of the teachings of Islam. When pilgrims travel to the Shrine of Nizam ud-Din Awliya, they are there to offer prays, pay respect, and ask for favor from the body of the saint. Before they reach they tomb containing the body of Nizam ud-Din Awliya, they first stop and pay respect at the tomb of his disciple Amir Khusrau, who is believed to have served as the gatekeeper of the shrine.[13] One of the most popular annual festivals at the shrine is the celebration of the anniversary of the death of the saint, also know as the ‘urs. In Sufism death is not viewed as a time of mourning, but as a time of celebration because the saint has left the earthly world and been reunited with their divine creator, Allah.[14] Another celebration practiced at the Shrine of Nizam ud-Din Awliya is the Basant Panchami. This is a remembrance of when Amir Khursau brought the saint of a depressed sate following the death of his nephew. Amir Khursau dressed in a similar way to women he had seen in the village and this action brought a smile to the face of the saint. His small action established an annual celebration that has been practiced at the dargah for over seven centuries and is one of the most passionately celebrated celebrations at the shrine.[15] On an average day devotional music, called qawwali, can be heard throughout the shrine. An example of this music is available in the video below.

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Notes

[1]“About the Dargah” Nizamuddin Auliya, accessed April 17, 2016, http://nizamuddinauliya.com

[2] Ibn Battuta, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press), 207-208.

[3] Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, “The Early Chishti Dargahs” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 18-20.

[4] Arthur Saniotis. “Contesting the Sacred at Muslim Shrines in India: Conflict and Retrieval in the “Spiritual” Arena.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 33, no. 1 (2013):142.

[5] Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, “The Early Chishti Dargahs” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 19.

[6] Desiderio Pinto, “The Mystery if the Nizamuddin Dargah: The Accounts of the Pilgrims” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 116-119.

[7] Arthur Saniotis. “Contesting the Sacred at Muslim Shrines in India: Conflict and Retrieval in the “Spiritual” Arena.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 33, no. 1 (2013): 143.

[8] Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, “The Early Chishti Dargahs” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 18-20.

[9] Arthur Saniotis. “Contesting the Sacred at Muslim Shrines in India: Conflict and Retrieval in the “Spiritual” Arena.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 33, no. 1 (2013):140.

[10] Arthur Saniotis. “Contesting the Sacred at Muslim Shrines in India: Conflict and Retrieval in the “Spiritual” Arena.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 33, no. 1 (2013):141-142.

[11] Desiderio Pinto, “The Mystery if the Nizamuddin Dargah: The Accounts of the Pilgrims” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 122.

[12]“About the Dargah” Nizamuddin Auliya, accessed April 17, 2016, http://nizamuddinauliya.com

[13] Desiderio Pinto, “The Mystery if the Nizamuddin Dargah: The Accounts of the Pilgrims” ed. Charles W. Troll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 113.

[14] Raza Rumi, Delhi by Heart: Impressions of a Pakistani Traveller (Noida: Harper Collins India).

[15]Prerna Lidhoo, “Delhi’s Nizamuddin dargah embraces yellow to celebrate Sufi Basant” Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India) Feb. 12, 2016.