City Heritage: Safdarjung's Tomb

Safdarjung's Tomb (Hindi: सफ़दरजंग का मक़बरा, Urdu: سفدر جنگ کا مقبره Safdarjang ka Maqbara) is a garden tomb in a marble mausoleum in Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the style of late Mughal architecture.

The top story of the edifice houses the Archaeological Survey of India. The garden, in the style evolved by the Mughal Empire that is now known as the Mughal gardens style known as a charbagh, is entered through an ornate gate. Its facade is decorated with elaborate plaster carvings.

The tomb was built for Safdarjung, the powerful prime minister of Muhammad Shah who was the weak Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748.The central tomb has a huge dome. There are four water canals leading to four buildings. One has an ornately decorated gateway while the other three are pavilions, with living quarters built into the walls. Octagonal towers are in the corners. The canals are four oblong tanks, one on each side of the tomb

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Sunday with Ghalib

हैं और भी दुनिया में सुखनवर, बहुत अच्छे,
पर कहतें है की ग़ालिब का है अंदाज़े बयान और.

Inside of Ghalib's house at Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, one of alleys of the oldest street of Delhi, Chandni Chowk (Pic above)
Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان ) was a great classical Urdu and Persian poet of India. Ghalib died in what are known as 'Gulabi Jadey' (rose-tinted mild winter) but this year's freak weather has made it as cold as mid-January and Mirza Nausha would have refrained from exclaiming: अब तो जी मे आता है के मर जाएँगे हम, मर के भी चैन ना पाया तो कहाँ जाएँगे हम(now it seems I'm going to die, but if I don't get rest even after death then were else would I go?). Certainly he wouldn't have liked to die in this sort of weather just as he bemoaned that his brother had passed away at the height of summer during the Mutiny when the British had retaken control of Delhi and a virtual curfew order was in force making it difficult to even bury the dead.

The great poet stayed here during 1865 to 1869 and spent last phase of his life
हमारी सादगी थी इल्तिफ़ाते नाज़ पर मरना,तेरा आना ना था ज़ालिम मगरतमशीद जाने की -ग़ालिब
(It was our simplicity to die for dignity of courtesy, Your coming was nothing but a preparation for your leaving.) The walk from Town Hall, past Ballimaran to Gali Mir Qasim Jan, was not as pleasant as it would have been had it not rained so hard the previous day. For one long familiar with the area, many old places and people were
missing. Mohammad Mian Akbar was not at his Boot House, chain smoking away.

मेहरबान हुए कह बुला लो मुझे. चाहो जिस वक़्त,
मे गया वक़्त नहीं हूँ कह फिर आ भी ना सकूँ -गा़लिब(As a favour call me any time
I am not time that cannot be recalled) Haji Hotel has vanished and so also Hafiz Hotel, where Dr. Zakir Husain used to eat before he became famous. The mianji who told tales of those days is also missing. Bhai Sadiq's shop is there but his grandson manages it.

ज़िंदगी अपनी जब इस शक्ल साए गुज़री ग़ालिब

हम भी क्या याद करेंगे कह खुदा रखते थे.-गा़लिब
(Life when passed in such phases oh GhalibWhat could I console myself as a creature of God.)
He is dead, so is his son and so too Akbar Bhai and the bearded owner of Hafiz Hotel. Bismillah Hotel is not what it used to be and the Kababwallah who sat at the gate of Basti Punjabian is also no more. Nobody else makes such delicious kababs. Uma Sharma, eminent Kathak dancer, who led the walk had to face some embarrassing moments at Ghalib's memorial (the poet would have certainly fallen in love with her) when a woman of the area got nasty. But things smoothened out by the time lunch was served after a Moghul times mushaira at the nearby Rabea Girls School, the erstwhile haveli of Ghalib's wife, Umrao Jan.

The Haveli has been since considerably renovated and was used lately as shops till December 1999 when Delhi Government acquired a portion of the Haveli and set up a memorial museum dedicated to the great poet. You will notice that the acquired portion of the Haveli has been restored to its original splendor. Originally the Haveli consisted of arched corridors on three sides enclosing an open courtyard. Now only the Northern part of the Haveli is open for the tourists. The ASI has put a lot of care and effort to make tourists relive and experience the nineteenth century grandeur. The special features of the Haveli were highlighted in order to give it a feel of 19th century. Mughal Lakhori bricks have been used on walls and the flooring is strictly done with the sandstone. Wooden entrance gate welcomes the visitor and so are the chhajja in the courtyard. Don't skip the museum inside the haveli. The museum houses various important things related to the great poet, which gives an insight into the life. It contains the letters of Ghalib written in his own hand. These are both in Urdu as well as English. There is also a photograph of the poet, which is considered as his last photograph. Besides you can also find chronology of events, selected couplets from his works (in Urdu Only), books and some personal belongings of the poet.

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Crumbling Heritage: Tughlaqabad Fort

Tughlaqabad Fort (Hindi: तुग़लक़ाबाद क़िला, Urdu: تغلق آباد قلعہ Tughlaqabad Qila) is a ruined fort in Delhi, strecthing across 6.5 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321, which was later abandoned in 1327. People of dharchula did not come here because it was cursed

The origin of the historic city of Tughlaqabad and the Tughlaqabad Fort goes to the period of the Delhi Sultanate (AD 1191–1526). The Tughlaqs (AD 1321–1414) who followed the Khiljis (AD 1290–1321) were great builders and the city of Tughlaqabad and Tughlaqabad Fort were their first major architectural achievement.

TOMB OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ : The story behind the foundation of Tughlaqabad is an interesting one. Ghazi Malik, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty,was once a slave of Mubarak Khilji, the last Khilji sultan. One day, while walking by the area where the Tughlaqabad Fort is now located, Ghazi Malik suggested to his master that the rocky prominence would be an ideal site for building a fort.

The Khilji sultan laughed at his slave and suggested that the slave build a fort there when he became a sultan. When Ghazi Malik, as Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, founded the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321, he did just that—Tughlaqabad is Delhi’s most colossal and awesome fort, even in its ruined state.
The fort of Tughlaqabad was completed rapidly in a short span of four years (1321–25). The fort’s massive battlements and bastions (some as high as 15–30 m, built of enormous blocks of stone and walls 10 m thick in places) do not look as if they are the handiwork of mortals. Within its sky-touching walls, double-storied bastions, and gigantic towers were housed grand palaces, splendid mosques, and audience halls. The city lay on the eastern outskirts of the massive fort.
Tughlaqabad is a formidable reminder of Delhi’s embattled past and the terror and valor associated with that period. It was a period of political unrest and the Delhi Sultanate had to face a number of attacks from hoards of marauding Mongols, who descended on it in waves from the north. Ghiyas-ud-din, in order to counter the Mongol threat, repeatedly routed them and raised pyramids of enemy’s heads and used elephants to crush the captives to death. The massive fortifications of Tughlaqabad, with immense circular bastions, were raised by Ghiyas-ud-din to protect his subjects.

TOMB OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ On the southern side of the fort is a causeway that takes one across the (now) dry bed of a lake to the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq. The tomb was built by the ruler himself and is enclosed in a private courtyard with fortified walls. The structure of this simple but elegant building reminds one of the Alai Darwaza—an elegant gateway built by the erstwhile Khilji ruler Ala-ud-din Khilji, near Qutab Minar, in his endeavor to beautify the Qutab complex. The style of the tomb conforms to the Indo-Islamic style of architecture, which was in vogue at that time and was the hallmark of the buildings belonging to the period of the Delhi Sultanate.

LEGENDS OF TUGHLAQABAD There are a number of legends associated with Tughlaqabad. It is often said that the skulls of the killed Mongol marauders were used in the construction material of this awesome fort. The demise of Tughlaqabad was not brought about by any foreign invasion, but to the curse of a Sufi Saint Nizam-ud-din.

The legendary quarrel between the two started when Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq did not allow his people to work for the saint on the construction of a baoli (step well). This angered the saint. A protracted tiff followed, which offended the saint and led to his famous prophecy “Hunuz Dilli dur ast” (Delhi is yet far away), for the sultan was then out in Bengal. He made another ominous reference to the sultan’s fort when he remarked “Ya rahe usar, ya basé Gujjar” (Either it remains deserted or be peopled by men of the Gujjar tribe). Both these prophecies proved true. Ghiyas-ud-din was killed at a place near Delhi when a shamiana (canopy, marquee) collapsed over him during a reception arranged by his son. The sultan could not reach Delhi alive. His successor chose to build his own fort and deserted Tughlaqabad. It soon became a haunt for the Gujjars tending their cattle within the abandoned fort of Ghiyas-ud-din.

It is generally believed that the death of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq was engineered and plotted by his son. One story describes that Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Ghiyas-ud-din’s son and successor) killed his father by building a false wooden balcony, which collapsed and killed Ghiyas-ud-din. The son murdered and ascended the throne of Delhi, thus making the prophecies of Saint Nizam-ud-din come true.

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Capital heritage: Feroz Shah Kotla

Feroz Shah Kotla: Located near the famous Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Stadium, off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Firuzabad, the fifth city of Delhi, now known as Kotla Firuz Shah, is a large enclosure of high walls, which then lay along the Yamuna river.
With an entrance through a barb caned main gate on the west, it contained palaces, pillared halls, mosques, a pigeon-tower and a baoli (stepped well) some of which are still in good condition.
The main public mosque, Jami'-Masjid, has a spacious courtyard, the whole structure resting on a series of cells. It is, however, a pyramidal structure with a diminishing covered area in each successive storey, on the top of which, within a stone-railing, the Asokan column is planted, that strikes as a unique edifice

Ashoka pillar at Kotla: Features of Ashokan pillars in Delhi The four lions of the Ashokan Pillar in Delhi are the main features of the historic monument. There are also non-religious interpretations to the symbolism of the pillars, describing the four lions as the symbol of Ashoka's rule over the four directions.The wheels at Ashokan Pillar in Delhi are symbols of enlightened rule (Chakravartin), and the four animals as symbols of four surrounding territories of India: -

The Lion of the north. The Elephant of the east. The Bull of the south.The Horse of the west.

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Sufi's Delhi: Nizamuddin Dargah

Nizamuddin dargah(1562 AD), Delhi, India: How can one explain spiritual progress? What is it? What is it like? Spiritual progress is the changing of the point of view. Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 3 April 1325) (حضرت خواجة نظام الدّین اولیا), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in South Asia, an order that believed in respect for religious traditions and renunciation of worldly powers. He believed that pious action should be favored over religious worship.

Inside of the dargah:He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, Nizamuddin Dargah is located in Delhi and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year, thoughout it becomes a place for special congregation during the death anniversaries, or Urs, of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro, who is also buried at the Nizamuddin Dargah.

Tour of the Dargah: The entry point to Nizamuddin area is marked by a traffic island with a blue-domed tomb known as Sabz Burj (sabz, green; burj, dome). The blue tiles
are reportedly a recent restoration effort, but some of the original green, yellow and blue tiles can still be seen on the walls.

Walls of the dargah: It has high recessed arches on all sides and a double dome covered with coloured tiles which gives it its name. Architecturally, the building probably belongs to the early Mughal period. Reportedly, the British used this building as a police station for many years till the beginning of the last century.

Sabz Burz : Even though it is right in the heart of Delhi, you can easily miss the little alley in the Nizamuddin area, closer to Humayun’s Tomb, where the mausoleums of Hazrat Nizammudin Auliya and his dearest disciple Amir Khusrau are located. We reached Mathura Road and headed for the street leading to the dargah On a working day, the usual throng of visitors was missing.I had arranged with a friend, Shamshad, who lives in the area, to use his contacts so that we could gather the maximum possible information about the shrines. We entered the street leading to the dargah area from New Delhi’s Mathura Road and found a distinctly medieval ambience: labyrinthine alleys, street-vendors, bazaars with cheap eateries, people selling caps, rosaries and religious posters.

The complex houses six important monuments:

1. The dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
2. The tomb of Ataga Khan
3. The tomb of Maham Anga, the wet Nurse of King Akbar
4. The tomb of Amir Khusrau
5. The tomb of Jahanara
6. The Jamaat Khana Mosque.

Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya was born in 1238, in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (East of Delhi), though at age five, after the death of his father, Ahmad Badayuni, he came to Delhi with his mother Bibi Zulekha. His biography finds mention in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak..

At the age of 20, in the year 1269, Nizamuddin went to Ajodhan (the present Pakpattan in Pakistan) and became a disciple of the Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakkar, commonly known as Baba Farid. Nizamuddin did not take up residence in Ajodhan but continued with his theological studies in Delhi while simultaneously starting the Sufi devotional practices and the prescribed litanies. He visited Ajodhan each year to spend the month of Ramadan in the presence of Baba Farid.

It was on his third visit to Ajodhan that Baba Farid made him his successor. Shortly after that, when Nizamuddin returned to Delhi, he received news that Baba Farid had expired.
Nizamuddin lived at various places in Delhi, before finally settling down in Ghyaspur, a neighborhood in Delhi undisturbed by the noise and hustle of city life. He built his Khanqah here, a place where people from all walks of life were fed, where he imparted spiritual education to others and he had his own quarters. Before long, the khanqah became a place thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.

Many of his disciples achieved spiritual height, including Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Delhi, and Amir Khusro, noted scholar/musician, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate. He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, Nizamuddin Dargah is located in Delhi , and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year,

Besides believing in the traditional Sufi ideas of embracing God within this life (as opposed to the idea that such partial merger with God is possible only after death), by destroying the ego and cleansing the soul, and that this is possible through considerable efforts involving Sufi practices, Nizamuddin also expanded and practised the unique features introduced by past saints of the Chisti Sufi order in India.

These included:
Emphasis on renunciation and having complete trust in God.
The unity of mankind and shunning distinctions based on social, economic, religious status.
Helping the needy, feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.
Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and the nobles.
Exhortation in making close contact with the poor and the downtrodden

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Humayu Tomb

Humayu Tomb at sunset Delhi

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Red fort- Delhi

In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. It is enclosed by a rubble stone wall, with bastions, gates and wickets at intervals. Of its fourteen gates, the important ones are the Mori, Lahori, Ajmeri, Turkman, Kashmiri and Delhi gates, some of which have already been demolished. His famous citadel, the Lal-Qila, or the Red Fort, lying at the town's northern end on the right bank or the Yamuna and south of Salimgarh, was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years. The Red Fort is different from the Agra fort and is better planned, because at its back lies the experience gained by Shahjahan at Agra, and because it was the work of one hand. It is an irregular octagon, with two long sides on the east and west, and with two main gates, one on the west and the other on the south, called Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. While the walls, gates and a few other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, marble has been largely used in the palaces.

From the western gateway after passing through the vaulted arcade, called Chhatta-Chowk, one reaches the Naubat- or Naqqar-Khana ('Drum-house'), where ceremonial music was played and which also served as the entrance to the Diwan-i-'Am. Its upper storey is now occupied by the Indian War Memorial Museum.

.The Diwan-i-' Am ('Hall of Public Audience') is a rectangular hall, three aisle deep, with a façade of nine arches. At the back of the hall is an alcove, where the royal throne stood under a marble canopy, with an inlaid marble dias below it for the prime minister. The wall behind the throne is ornamented with beautiful panels of pietra dura work, said to have been executed by Austin de Bordeaux, a Florentine artist. Orpheus with his lute is represented in one of the panels here. Originally there were six marble palaces along the eastern water front. Behind the Diwan-i-' Am but separated by a court is the Rang-Mahal ('Painted Palace'), so called owing to coloured decoration on its interior. It consists of a main hall with an arched front, with vaulted chambers on either end. A water-channel, called the Nahr-i-Bihisht ('Stream of Paradise'), ran down through it, with a central marble basin fitted with an ivory fountain. The Mumtaz-Mahal, originally an important apartment in the imperial seraglio, now houses the Delhi Fort Museum.

The Diwan-i-Khass ('Hall of Private Audience') is a highly-ornamented pillared hall, with a flat ceiling supported on engrailed arches. The lower portion of its piers is ornamented with floral pietra dura panels, while the upper portion was originally gilded and painted. Its marble dias is said to have supported the famous Peacock Throne, carried away by the Persian invader Nadir Shah.

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Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam) Masjid

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid can be a bewildering experience for those unfamiliar with its history. On one hand there is the beautiful, curvaceous Islamic calligraphy, the arabesque designs and then there are pillars with clearly pre-Islamic Hindu motifs. The reason is of course quite simple; the pillars were taken from the 27 temples of Qila Rai Pithora, the city of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. This in fact has been recorded by Qutub-ud-din in his inscriptions, who calls it the Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque) in his inscriptions.

The Construction of The Mosque The mosque was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty (called so because the founder was once a royal slave). It was finished four years later. However the masjid, much like the Qutub complex itself, never stopped growing and many subsequent rulers, like Altamash in 1230 and Alauddin Khalji in 1315, added their own bits to it.

The Exquisite Interiors As soon as you passing through the entrance (watch out for the steep steps) of the poetically beautiful Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque the intricately carved temple ceiling catches your eye. In front of you will be the spectacular courtyard of the mosque which is lined by the rows of the profusely adorned pillars talked about earlier on both sides. Hindu motifs, like tasseled ropes, bells, tendrils, cows and leaves, frolic all over the mosque. The very first indication of the Islamic character of the building come from the elegant pointed arches with curvaceous and serpentine calligraphy of texts from Quran in Arabic crowning them, towards the west of the mosque.

The Extension of The Structure Later Qutub-ud-din's son-in-law and successor, Altamash had the prayer hall screen extended, and added three more arches besides the original five. The difference between the two arches is interesting: the earlier arches are not really the 'true' arch which is such a hallmark of Islamic architecture, Altamash's arches were built by workmen from Afghanistan and are stylistically quite distinct. They use Islamic motifs such as geometrical shapes rather than naturalistic designs (which were frowned upon by the Muslim clergy) that Hindus used. Ala-ud-din Khalji added a courtyard to the mosquethe entrance to which is the amazing Alai Darwaza.In the mosque compound is the small but pretty tomb of Imam Zamim, who was the Imam (head priest) of the mosque during Sikander Lodi's (1488-1517) reign.

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Visit to Shakti Peeth/ Adya Katyayani

Delhi, the seat of power of consecutive dynasties, has inherited a majestic legacy of some of the most astounding architectural edifices in the form of temples, mosques, gurdwaras, churches, monuments, etc. As the capital of India this multi cultural city, is looked upon as a complete confluence of the traditional and the modern.Although all religious places have an equal reverence, there is something distinctive about the Shree Adya Katyayani Shaktipeeth Mandir, popularly known as Chattarpur Mandir, which is located four kms away from the famous Qutab Minar in South Delhi. The Shaktipeeth was established to pay homage to the omnipotent and omniscient Bhagwati Maa Katyayani (Goddess Katyayani is the sixth avtaar of Goddess Durga) and its architectural splendour blends harmoniously with the religious activity on its premises. The construction of the Chattarpur Temple, one of the most visited temples and a wonder of architecture was started in 1974. The Shaktipeeth designed to the last detail under the passionate and skilful guidance of Baba, started taking shape and devotees started gathering around him. Baba’s charismatic personality and compassionate nature aided by his straight forward message of removing the veil of superstition and ignorance from the minds of the common man had a great effect on the masses of the area. Baba’s mission to reveal to them the Sanaatan Dharma in its true and undistorted form with a view to spread the message of brotherhood, tolerance and patriotism attracted more and more people, who were willing to provide not only the financial support but also the physical labour required for building of the temple.

With The Divine Mother’s grace, plots were purchased in phases (in some cases, some of the devotees gifted their small land holdings), all charges paid for along with requisite registration.
While the construction of the temple complex was progressing, Baba’s “Matri Parivar”, as he called the devotees, grew at a phenomenal pace. The Shaktipeeth soon became a popular place of pilgrimage, which devotees from all over the world started visiting and this tiny unknown village soon became a mini temple - town.Baba was totally averse to personal glorification of any kind. As a result, nowhere in the temple precincts can one find any placard, label or indication mentioning any individual for contributions. Narrow considerations of colour, caste, creed, region, social and economic status, etc have no place in the temple precincts. The rich, the mighty, the poor, the down trodden all sit together, worship and eat together, as children of the Benevolent Mother.

The architecture of the temple bears the stamp of the South Indian style of construction which is distinticvtively attractive. The priest on duty very kindly tied an ‘angrakshak” thread around our wrists and after passing through a huge hall ornamented with some awesome architectural designs, we reached close to the deities made of silver, paid our obeisance and were taken to the massive dining hall, where thousands of the devotees are seated and fed at one time. We were also shown the spacious kitchens, where food is cooked, first offered to Maa Annapurna and then distributed amongst the devotees as “prasada”. We were told that on the days of full moon (Purnima), all the days of Navratras, festival days (Shivratri, Janamashtami, Guru Purnima, etc) and on some special occasions, free meals are served in the dining hall. Don’t be surprised if I tell you that on each day of the Navratras, more than one lac visitors are served food. You can imagine the magnanimity of the stupendous effort behind these arrangements.

Any commercial activity or profit motive in any of the activities or services in the Shaktipeeth were totally banned by Baba. The worshippers are not required to pay any thing for devotional service (Pooja), nor are the priests permitted to accept anything for themselves or for the temple. The authorities encourage voluntary donations only in the form of cheques, drafts or credit card transfers. No one is authorised to take cash. Those who wish to give offerings in cash have to drop them in the donation boxes kept at various places to ensure the voluntary character and anonymity. These boxes are opened in the presence of a specified number of committee members and duly accounted for. I was amazed to learn that despite the fact that large sums were required for the construction and upkeep of the Shaktipeeth, just before the commencement of Navratras, Baba used to send offerings to other temples for construction, renovation work. We were told that Baba provided financial and technical help not only to the temples like Jwala ji, The Chintpoorni Temple, Kangra ji, Baijnath, but also sent contributions to some of the well known Muslim places of worship. No wonder then Baba was revered not only by the Hindus but also by the followers of other faiths.
While the construction of temple was progressing and the throng of devotees was multiplying, the unending hard work started telling on Baba’s health. I was told that by the beginning of 1993, Baba had to be given oxygen for long durations and thereafter constantly. It was only through Ma Durga’s grace that despite such serious ailments, Baba, moving about a wheel chair, kept on monitoring the growth of the temple, till he breathed his last on mid night between December 15 and 16, 1998.The architecture of the temple bears the stamp of the South Indian style of construction which is distinticvtively attractive. The priest on duty very kindly tied an ‘angrakshak” thread around our wrists and after passing through a huge hall ornamented with some awesome architectural designs, we reached close to the deities made of silver, paid our obeisance and were taken to the massive dining hall, where thousands of the devotees are seated and fed at one time. We were also shown the spacious kitchens, where food is cooked, first offered to Maa Annapurna and then distributed amongst the devotees as “prasada”. We were told that on the days of full moon (Purnima), all the days of Navratras, festival days (Shivratri, Janamashtami, Guru Purnima, etc) and on some special occasions, free meals are served in the dining hall. Don’t be surprised if I tell you that on each day of the Navratras, more than one lac visitors are served food. You can imagine the magnanimity of the stupendous effort behind these arrangements.
After passing through the “Yagyashala” (perhaps the biggest I have seen), where havans are performed everyday during the Navratras and on all the Sundays, we went to the main temple complex. At the entrance, there is a “Kalpa Vriksha”, planted by Baba at the time of Bhoomi Poojan. Devotees tie colored threads and bangles on the branches of this colorful and decorated tree. The common belief is that by tying threads and bangles the desires of the individuals will be fulfilled. A small information–cum-reception centre is located by the side of decorated tree. Seeing the huge marvel of architecture in front of us, reflecting different architectural styles of the various regions of the country and not knowing where to start, we decided to take the help of the Reception Officer. He very kindly briefed us about the various temples and at our request agreed to send a volunteer, who would take us around and provide the requisite information. We were heading towards the white marble buildings offset by lush greenery, which transported us to a different realm altogether. The main shrine, with its ‘vimanas’ and ‘gopurams’ appeared to be transmitting poetry in stone.
We entered a large hall in the Shiva Mandir, which houses the statues of Shree Sankatmochan Hanuman, Ram Darbar consisting of Lord Shree Ram along with his consort, Sita and younger brother Lakshman and their inseparable devotee Shree Hanuman ji sitting at his feet. The last section mounted the deities of Lord Krishna and Radha ji. After paying our obeisance there, we climbed up the spiral stair case to enter the magnificent white marbled temple of Mother Goddess Maa Durga in the form of Ma Katyayani. The attending priest told the devotees the various forms of Shakti, the Mother Goddess, who was commonly referred to as Sati, Parvati, Devi, Kali, Durga and Katyayani. Shakti was the wife of Lord Shiva and the goddess of wisdom. She helped guide Shiva in his sacred tasks and decisions. While the priest was describing the powers of the goddess, for a minute a thought came to my mind relating to the contribution of the women in most of the Indian households, where their guidance and support alone is virtually responsible for the smooth running of the household affairs.
Although it would be relevant to talk about the various forms of Divine Mother, owing to space constraints, I will restrict my description to Ma Katyayani only. According to the legend, there was a great sage called Kata. His son was known as Katya. In his lineage, Katyayana became a sage of worldwide repute. He practised austere penance for several years in order to propitiate the Mother Goddess. He cherished a keen desire to have the Goddess in the form of his daughter. The Divine Mother was pleased to accede to his request.
After sometime when the high-handedness of a demon called, Mahishasura became unbearable, the Trinity of gods – Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva got infuriated and they created a goddess by apportioning to her some part of their splendour with a view to destroy the demon. The popular belief is that since the sage Katyayana had the first privilege to worship her, she was called Katyayani.In the temple, two forms of Goddess Durga are commemorated. One shrine, located on the first floor, is dedicated to Maha Gauri (form of Durga), which is open for ‘darshan’ every day. Another shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani (also known as Mahishasur-mardini), where the devotees are allowed only on the day of ‘ashtami’ in each month. It is only during the Navratras that the ‘darshan’ of Goddess Katyayani can be had throughout the nine days.
During the time of Navratras, housands of people throng the temple. To control such massive crowds of devotees, Markandeya Mandapam serves as a holding area for the large crowds who pour in round the clock to have the darshan of the Divine Mother. From the parking lot itself they form into a line that passes through the Mandapam in channelized pathways and then to the subway (to safely cross the crowded main road) from where they enter the main Temple complex.
The image of Katyayani Devi is placed in a big hall, which can also be reached from the hall of prayers. The gilded image of Goddess Katyayani is always dressed in rich clothes with striking jewellery and elaborate garland of flowers. The golden image of Katyayani attracts the attention of devotees with its huge size and sheer divinity
Beside of the temple of Katyayani Devi, there are two rooms that are meant to be the Goddess’ rooms. The magnificent living room has tables and chairs made of silver, while the other room regarded as the ‘Shayan Kaksha’ (Bed Room), has a bed, dressing table and table, all made of silver. Besides their contribution in the field of education and medical facilities, the Shaktipeeth has contributed generously towards social causes during the Kargil war and other national catastrophes. earby attractions include Alai-Darwaza, Quwwatul-Islam Mosque - built by Qutubuddin Aibak, in the Qutub Minar complex right in front of the Minar, the famous 1500 years old Iron Pillar, located in the same complex, Alai Minar - a victory tower made of red sandstone, the mosque and the tomb of Iltutmish - built in 1235 by Shamsu’d-Din Iltutmish. On a clear day, on the way back from the temple, these places are well worth a visit.

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Heritage week

In line with World Heritage Week, celebrated worldwide from November 19-25 to protect and promote heritage monuments of religious, historical and cultural significance, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in association with NGO Svayam, inaugurated the celebrations on Wednesday at Qutab Minar — India’s only “accessible” world heritage site. Entry for visitors on the occasion was made free and as a result the heritage site was flooded with tourists and students. The theme this time round was to showcase the accessibility aspect of monuments and also encourage children to bring their grandparents to heritage sites. As a part of this, chief guest Sminu Jindal, founder, Svayam, administered an oath to over 300 students from different schools of Delhi to preserve heritage and protect monuments from defacement and other damage. Sminu Jindal, founder, Svayam said, “It’s a cause to celebrate and heartening to see ASI’s initiatives in carrying out Svayam’s audit reports to make Qutub Minar — the very first world heritage site in the country accessible to people with reduced mobility. I look forward to making all heritage sites accessible with ASI support. Svayam plans to work on Red Fort and Taj Mahal next. Today, there are five access ramps all across the heritage site and a person confined to a wheel chair can move around the complex independently. Said K K Muhammed, superintending archaeologist, Delhi circle: “Of the three World Heritage monuments in the Capital, Qutab Minar is the first freely accessible one.”

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MOTH KI MASJID

Moth ki Masjid is situated between Uday Park and the plush South Extension Part 2 area of New Delhi. An interesting legend is attached to the origin of the Moth ki Masjid, or the Lentil Mosque, of India. About 500 years old, it was built by Sikander Lodi. According to the legend, one day Sikandar Lodi gave a grain of moth (a type of lentil) to his loyal minister Miyan Bhuwa as a reward for fun. The witty minister planted the seed carefully years after years until it multiplied so many times that it could finally finance the construction of the mosque. He then went to the sovereign to ask his permission to build the mosque.

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Hazrat Nizamuddin

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliyaa Dargah is located in New Delhi, across the road from Humayun's tomb. The 'dargah' of revered Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliyaa has its devotees all over the Islamic world. A settlement has sprung up here, known as 'Nizamuddin' for short. This shrine also houses the tomb of Amir Khusrau, a famous poet and the saint's beloved disciple. Encroachments plaque, the shrine, and the area itself, seem to belong to another century. The shrine was built by Muhammad Tughluq & is one of the sacred places of pilgrimage in India.

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BIRLA TEMPLE

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir is situated near Connaught Place area of New Delhi. It was built by Raja Baldev Das in 1938. Popularly known as Birla Mandir, it is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth and her consort, Lord Vishnu. Built in Orissan style, its walls are adorned with various Hindu symbols and inscriptions from the holy books of the Gita and the Upanishads. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and took six years to complete. According to the conditions placed by him, people of all castes, including the untouchables, were allowed to visit the temple. It is maintained by Birla family, the renowned industrialists of India.

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LODI GARDEN

Established in the 15th-16th century by the Sayyids and Lodis, the vast grounds of Lodi Garden are famous among the joggers of the Delhi city of India. Carefully kept gardens and the medieval monuments lend a charm to these gardens. In 1968, J.A Stein and Garrett Eckbo re-landscaped these gardens giving them their present beautified form. The several tombs situated in the garden belong to the Lodi and Sayyid Era and include Muhammad Shah's Tomb and Sikander Lodi's tomb. Muhammad Shah (1434 - 44) was the third ruler of Sayyid dynasty. His tomb has been built in a typical octagonal pattern with a central octagonal chamber, verandahs, three arched openings on each side and sloping buttress. Inspired by Mubarak Shah's tomb, this tomb has a more compact plan, high dome, matching chhatris and better proportions. Apart from this, there are other tombs, namely Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad. Bara Gumbad or the Big Dome is a square tomb with an imposing dome. Its facades appear to be two storied.

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OLD FORT

Said to be built on the site of Indraprastha, mentioned in Mahabharata - the great Indian epic, Old Fort has been the seat for administration for many emperors. Now in ruins, this citadel had the glory of being the seat of the legendary ruler, Prithviraj Chauhan. Sher Shah Suri built it after he demolished the Humayun's city, Dinpanah. There are bastions on the corners of the western wall of the fort. The 2-km long ramparts of Purana Quila boast of three double-storied main gates sporting 'chhatris' on top. They can be found in north, south and west. The northern one is called the 'Talaqi-Darwaza' (the Forbidden Gate) and has a carving of marble lions engaged in combat with a man in its front. One can still see the remnants of the colored tiles which used to ornament its exteriors. However, it is said that Sher Shah could not complete the construction of Old Fort and it was finished by Humayun. Thus, the southern gate of the fort is known as Humayun Darwaza. There is a wide moat on the northern and western sides of the fortress and a causeway connected the fortress with the main land.

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ISA KHAN'S TOMB

Isa Khan's Tomb is situated just outside the Humayun's tomb precincts in New Delhi. It was built in the honor of Isa Khan, a brave and valiant noble under Sher Shah, the Afghan ruler who had overthrown Humayun. It was built in 1547, in an octagonal pattern. It is an architectural gem in the Islamic art in India and remained a model tomb amongst the ruling families in its time. Said to be inspired by the tomb of Sikandar Lodi, which is 300 years older than the Isa Khan tomb, it can boast of having more graceful proportions. The 'chhatris' or small kiosks and pinnacles around the dome that were introduced here look quite elegant.

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QUILA RAI PITHORA

The Chauhan prince of Sakambhari, Vigraharaja IV captured Delhi from the Tomar Rajputs in the latter half of the 12th century. The grandson of Vigraharaja IV, Prithviraja Chauhan III, built Qila Rai Pithora, the first city of Delhi, by extending the citadel of Lal Kot, and constructing huge ramparts and moats around it. The city derived its name from the title of Prithviraja Chauhan and thus came to be known as Qila Rai Pithora, with Lal Kot as its southwestern base.

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DELHI HAAT

Shri Aurobindo Marg, Opposite INA market, New Delhi. In the hub of South Delhi lies Delhi Haat. The place which has been developed by the Tourist Dept. of Delhi, to enhance the craft manship of our country. This gives them a platform to show their skilled work and launch themselves from here. As the area is filled by tourists who would not miss the sight in the evening which is lovely. One can get goods at a very nominal price. The place has great food stalls with cuisine from different tastes of India, making it a place for everyone.

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