Nizamuddin Tomb

Shiver me Timbers

For some great Quaawali music, plus a special Sufi night on Thursdays, Lahore is the place to be. No hassle, the locals are delightd to see a few tourists, and it's a very authentic experience.....

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bijapuri

Sometimes they do not play Thursdays, for various reasons, so best to check if one is going for the music. NO idea how to do so . . .

Aside to Conor- I'm working on a trip to Pakistan myself, as we speak, and Lahore (where in 1973 I got ripped off, &$#^!!!!!) is a focal point, along with KKH. would love to hear more about the sufi music scene there. Thanx for even more motivation!!!

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shashank.aggarwal

I am not knowledgeable enough in Music..but I do listen to Kailash Kher...who is told to be sufi singer...

and this man has potential to bring happiness in life and tears to eyes...

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Shiver me Timbers

Well Bij, don't miss a Thursday in Lahore.

In the afternoon, around 2pm, there is great Qawwali music at the Shrine of Data Sahib

Then at night, much later on, there is Sufi dances, beats etc. at Baba Shah Jamal's shrine. Here is a taste. This is exactly what I saw there, a great night, if a bit crowded.....

The owner of the Regale Internet Inn (famous in Lahore), Malik, organises trips to both events for all guests staying at the inn.

proxyindian

Thanks for the sugestion of going to Lahore, but that is not in our plans. There are a lot of beautiful things to see there but with American/Pakistan relations on a thread, it isn't going to happen soon. Sorry.

However, back to Nizamuddin. I found some pictures at Flickr, including this one, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayanka...ofi/335727883/, that paints all the hassles in a different light. He links to a blog post of his in which he finds the Sufi music to be very moving.

We won't be in Delhi on Thursday so won't be going hearing the music, but we're still going to Nizamuddin despite mixed reviews. And we're going for the Kakori Kababs (John says, "Yum, I've always wanted to try that.") When we get back, I'll try to remember to update everyone.

bijapuri

"the boys are back in town . . ."


I think if there isn't a civil war or massive revolt that this year is as good as any for
Great Satinists to visit Pakistan. Byronic and I are greenlighted as of this writing!

( So glad I didn't get that Shiva tattoo the last time I took acid)

KKH Chalo!!!

patrickgill

Oh but you must go, all the more so if it's not on a Thursday.
I live in Nizamuddin basti, a short walk from the dargah, and am a little heartbroken to read about visitors' disappointing experience because it's just about my favourite place in Delhi - even without the music, the little dargah itself is such a pretty little bauble, and I've never seen two colours complement each other more perfectly than in the silver Persian calligraphy that trills around the nosebleed-red sandstone cliffwall of the mosque that abuts the complex.
Firstly, it is NOT correct that the music only happens Thursday, despite the guidebooks' insistence. In fact, Thursday and Friday evenings are the worst time to go - the qawwals are way too distracted in keeping the crowds from blocking the dargah's entrance that the music never really takes off.
Go some other evening when its quieter and more atmospheric and there are much fewer tourists -- the qawwals all live in or near the complex, and shuffle out seemingly whenever they feel like it. They're often there around 7ish, and often on weekend afternoons, but there's a bit of luck involved. I wander down two or three times a month, and it's a rare occasion when they don't turn up within an hour or so (you could always check with one of the infamous Nizami brothers). Some of them have beautiful voices, and there's nothing quite like beautiful voices singing beautiful songs, so it's really worth the gamble.
The shoe-shouters are all safely ignored until you get to one of the defunct airport metal-detector things. Similarly, I find the rose-sellers a little less annoying and menacing than walking past sloganscreaming ads on the London underground.
Once you're in the complex, you can sit without being bothered. True, if you stroll around there are plenty of poor people slumped hungrily around the edges who will desperately plead for some of your money -- but, as has been said plenty of times before, its not you who's really got the raw end of this particular deal.
The Nizami brothers can sometimes -- but by no means always -- be a bit forward in asking for a donation, but I think this is again mostly a Thursday-night thing.
I suggest going on a weekend late afternoon an hour or two before sundown -- right now its kite-flying season, and Nizamu-kids LOVE kites, so you'll see hundreds above you, especially if you hang around the stepwell at the back of the complex -- the latter is also a great place to spot Nizamuddin basti's incredible fearless highdiving somersault children. Listen to the music. Then have a kebab. Aap ki khatir's are pretty good, but the place is stuck on a electrical store facing a rather forlorn stretch of main road, which detracts a little from the flavour. Why not go to the absurdly ornate Nizamuddin branch of Karim's?

I'd be glad to hear your impressions.

P.

machadinha

That's one loving write-up PG. Thanks! Beam me over!

It's funny, on a couple of visits to Delhi I never managed to make it out there. One thing that was a concern to me was that I got the impression it was in an out-of-the-way place & I was wondering about the safety and practicality of making it back to town at night. From all these descriptions nothing could be further from the truth! Nothing to stop me a next time I guess (And for all I know there might be a subway around the corner now.) Sounds like a lively area to live in or visit for that matter.

Other than that, the above reminds me of my visit to Ajmer's Dargah. Despite feeling somewhat like Jesus Christ confronting the Temple merchants there -- hey, it's still organized religion after all -- an experience I wouldn't want to have missed. And there, too, once you were settled in having been shown around and asked for a donation or two presumably, you'd be mostly left alone to just observe the goings-on.

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capt_mahajan

True. Nizamuddin is well within the city. Very close (walking distance) to Humayun's Tomb, and a few kilometers from Lodhi Gardens.

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shashank.aggarwal

Thanks a lot Patrick you have enlightened me, fellow IMers, and others who might be reading this...

As unfortunate as it may sound, this thread actually has started me to feel bad that being a resident of Delhi for my entire life, I have not been able to visit the Dargah..and Sufi music makes me curios...I love Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kailash Kher and likes...

And to add to my disappointment there was a small write up in this weeks Outlook's Supplement called 'Delhi City Limits'. I am gonna share this with you and this paints a picture that is hard to resist.

Every Thursday evening music lovers collect at the Nizamuddin dargah and wait for Nizami Khusro Bandhu, a family that has been singing here for 750 years, to settle down with their harmoniums and tablas. As Ustad Meraj, as senior qawwal, leads the group into impassioned song, the mood is electric. Livelier than the ticketed concerts, you sit right alongside the qawwals and watch their hands slicing the air, eyes popping out, nostrils flaring, and faces dissolving into momentary madness. An incredible experience - Priceless and free.

when : 7.45pm-9pm, Thursdays.

capt_mahajan

I lived in Delhi right through my childhood. As children, we used to cycle to Nizamuddin from Defence Colony to hear this.

I still do, minus the cycle, whenever I get a chance.

machadinha

<cross-posting>

Well, what's keeping you Shashank? Guess where you'll be next Thursday!

proxyindian

Okay, I'm pencilling this into my schedule: Saturday, 29 Sept., late afternoon: Humayun's Tomb, Niz complex, kebabs at Aap ki khatir, music, more kebabs at Karim branch.

Last year we went to Humayun's Tomb but it was so hot we practically passed out. It would be nice to get back there and see it without stinging sweat in our eyes. I think if we start around . . er . . um . . . okay, back to doing some more research.... must find out hours of Humayun's Tomb and what time the sun goes down ....

Patrick, thanks for the encouragment. Your kinds of pointers are just what we look for at Indiamike!

jenk

We visiting the Dargah on the very last day of our India Trip, November 1, It was a thursday afternoon and the visit was truly beautiful and magical, with the colors and scent of the rose blossoms, all the activity. It was around, say 2 pm and the place was starting to gear up for the sabbath but it had not reached full force. I felt that people were kicked back and there was a spirit of pleasant anticipation. We moved rapidly in to the center (daughter was really pushing to move quickly), shed our shoes at some point, and followed the path on into shrine area. There was a group gathered for song, and singing took place, which was fascinating. Since my daughter was all over me throughout this trip not to talk to anybody or let anyone catch my eye, and since we didnt linger at any point (other than to sit down to listen to the music) we didnt have any confrontations.

As a woman, definitely make sure to cover up and have a head covering - you will be asked to cover your head if you do not.
I really liked this place. Daughter - 23 - had been there alone a few months earlier and had found the area unpleasant and somewhat menacing. That wasnt our experience at all during this daytime, non-peak hour visit.

edwardseco

Wonderful writeup Patrick..