Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah
Overview:
French President recently visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah in south Delhi.
About Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah:
- It is located in Delhi's Nizamuddin West area.
- It is the mausoleum of the famous Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 CE).
- It was built in the 14th Century C.E.
- Features:
o It consists of a square chamber surrounded by verandahs, which are pierced by arched openings, while its roof is surmounted by a dome pringing from an octagonal drum.
o The dome is ornamented by vertical stripes of black marble and is crowned by a lotus-cresting.
o Inside the dargah complex, one can find the tombs of Nizamuddin Auliya's saints: Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan’s favorite daughter, and poet Amir Khusru.
o Towards the north side of Dargah, there is a stepwell.
o On the north-eastern side, there is a 16th-century tomb of Atgah Khan, who was a powerful minister in Emperor Akbar’s court.
o The site is also known for its evening qawwali devotional music sessions.
Who was Nizamuddin Auliya?
- Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya was one of the most famous Sufi saints from the Indian subcontinent region.
- Also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin and Mahbub-e-Ilahi (Beloved of God), he was a Sunni Muslim scholar and Sufi saint of the Chishti Order.
- Like most of the Chishti Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya stressed love as a means of realising God. He believed the love of God implied a love of humanity.
· Some of the famous disciples of Nizamuddin include Shaikh Nasiruddin Chirag Delhavi, Amir Khusro, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q1: What is Sufism?
Sufism represents the inward-looking, mystical dimension of Islam. Often thought erroneously to be its own sect or denomination – such as Sunni Islam – Sufism is better understood as an approach that mixes mainstream religious observances, such as prescribed daily prayers, with a range of supplementary spiritual practices, such as the ritual chanting of God’s attributes (zhikr) or the veneration of saints.
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