- Delhi, India
- Srinagar surroundings, Kashmir
- Srinagar City, Kashmir
On one of our trips through Doha, we went to India, starting with a few days in Delhi followed by a longer stay in Kashmir.
Dilshad wanted to shop a little in Delhi, and while in Delhi, we always check out the Qawwali night at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah.
A little about the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah; it is the dargah and mosque complex of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, located in the Nizamuddin West area of Delhi, India. The dargah, or mausoleum, is a Sufi shrine and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every week The site is also known for its evening qawwali devotional music sessions. The complex, also known as Nizamuddin Basti, comprises the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, including several tombs, the Jamat Khana Masjid (or Khilji Mosque), and a baoli (traditional step well). Many of the structures are Monuments of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India. The tombs of Amir Khusrau, Nizamuddin’s disciple, and Jehan Ara Begum, Shah Jahan‘s daughter, are located at the entrance to the complex. Overall, the dargah complex has more than 70 graves. The complex was renovated and restored in 2010 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Below are some scenes from the Qawwali night at the dargah
Qawwali in full session
I love these Qawwali’s
In Delhi, we stayed at the Marriott hotel in Aerocity; which is an upscale neighborhood near Delhi airport. There were many upscale hotels in this area catering to foreigners and locals alike.
We always come across some wedding or event; this time a barat (wedding) procession in Aerocity. The procession makes its way along the road to the bride’s house, and stops frequently to allows for some spirited dancing, with the groom on his horse drawn carriage
We also checked out the Sunder Nursery in Delhi, across the road from the Nizamuddin Dargah. This complex consists not only of gardens as the name implies, but also has some interesting Mughal era monuments and garden tombs. Some scenes from Sunder Nursery below
Inside the Sunder Burj
View around Sunder Nursery
After a nice few days in Delhi, it was time to fly to Srinagar, in Indian Kashmir.
Thoughts on Delhi. Though it is a very populous city, it does have some nice wide-open spaces, and many interesting old Mughal era monuments and structures that are slowly getting restored. We were fortunate that we did not get any pollution (or little pollution) since I have heard that Delhi gets very bad particularly in the winter. We got around everywhere in Delhi using Ubers, which were plentiful and cheap. Taxis and auto-rickshaws are all converetd to using CNG (compressed natural gas) to help reduce pollution. This trip through Delhi was a very short one, so it only covers a few areas of Delhi. I am sure there are many other great places to see & visit in Delhi that we were not able to make it to given our short time in Delhi.
Srinagar surroundings, Kashmir, India next
- 2022
- Barat
- Dargah
- Delhi
- India
- June 2022
- Nizamuddin Auliya
- Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah
- qawwali
- Sufi shrine
- Sunder Nursery
Dear Karim,
It is always great to see you and talk about travels.
I have visited Nizamdin Basti, mosque and tombs restored by AKTC.
We have missed the Qawali. I will surely check it out this time around.
Thank you for being such an awesome travel blogger.
Catch you soon!
Almas
Hi Almas; so glad you enjoyed the Delhi blogpost.
Thanks so much for the nice feedback.
Take care and have fun
Ali Karim: I really enjoyed your detailed blogs – specially Delhi as it brought lots of wonderful memories when we visited Delhi few years ago.
We enjoyed the variety of dishes at breakfast.
Lots of effort and energy input in your entire journey blog.
Keep safe and be protected. Take care.
Regards,
Shamim.
Thanks so much for the feedback Shamim.
So glad you enjoyed Delhi. Kashmir is next :); I think you will enjoy that also
Thanks again
Hi Ali what a wonderful surprise when I got your email as we are currently in New Delhi
Amin
Wow; what a coincidence. Enjoy Delhi; lots to see; wonderful place.
How can you be so skinny after eating the fresh puri’s and paratha’s daily? -:))
A nice take from Burger King to Burger Singh!!
Thanks for sharing.
🙂 I am blessed to have a metabolism where I can stay trim and enjoy all kinds of foods 🙂
THanks for the feedback; glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for sharing Ali ji . This is a wonderful blog.
Thanks,
Varuna
Thanks Varuna, for the feedback.
Glad you liked it
Dear Ali
I really enjoyed your blog. Your journey through Delhi brought back wonderful memories, and I loved reading about your experiences.
Thank you for sharing — looking forward to the next post…Love to Dilshad
Love, Light & Cheers
Muslim Harji
Thanks for the feedback; so glad you enjoyed the travel blog.
Next ones on Indian Kashmir will also be very interesting.
Beautiful Qawalis. was there actually a Jamatkhana in that durgah.
Been to delhi many times-i should have read your blog as the durgah seemed amazing.
So nice to hear from you.
Be sure to visit the Durgah next time you are in Delhi for the Qawali night.
Its heartwarming
The Jamat Khana is called Jamat Khana Masjid (or Khilji Mosque) & is the earliest mosque in Delhi that continues to be used for worship. Built by Khizr Khan, son of Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Khilji Dynasty) in 1315-1325 AD.
And yes, we do visit it evertime we are in Nizamuddin dargah.
Thanks
So much history and culture to witness for sure. Take care!
Thanks Zameer,
Yes, so much beauty in this world to witness and admire
Thanks for your feedback
Ali,
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful written stories in pictorial and video form.
Plus, you take so much time out to take photos and videos, then sort them into a blog presentation.
Thank you, It’s beautiful.
Thanks so much Iqbal, for this heart-warming feedback.
So happy you enjoyed the blog post.
Appreciate the feedback
Great work/capture of images and details.
Thanks for sharing your journeys with us!
Perwaiz,
Many thanks for the feedback;
Glad you enjoyed the journey with us.
Hi Ali,
Always enjoy your posts.
Have a safe and wonderful trip.
Mubina
Hi Mubina,
Thanks so much for the feedback and the kind words.
Glad you enjoyed the blogpost
Pictures look amazing! Thank you sharing ?
Thanks Salimah for the feedback.
Glad you enjoyed the blog
Thanks. Nice pics as usual… Delhi is in our bucket list… hope to get there… BUT INDIA is filthy dirty now… my friend just flew back from there.. Kanpur.. the north mainly she says… ah well.
Take care.
Thanks Benita, glad you liked the blog.
Over the past few trips to India, I have been coming away with the impression that India is actually getting cleaner over time.
So this is contrary; we’ll know better on our next trip there.
Ali,
Great post. Delhi is an awesome city. So much to see so little time. Several years ago we went to Jama Masjid and the surrounding area. There is a very famous Karim’s restaurant in that area – if you ever go back – it is a must try. They do have a newer branch of Karim’s restaurant in New Delhi – but not as historic as the one in Old Delhi.
Looking forward to your next post on Kashmir.
Sudarshan Singh
Thanks for the feedback Sudarshan; so glad you enjoyed the blog on Delhi.
On a previous trip, we did go to Old Delhi and visited the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, and we did indeed eat at Karim’s restaurant 🙂
What a coincidence. The ambience there is something else.
Kashmir blog coming soon.
Thanks again Sudarshan