Nizamuddin Dargah - A Walk of Peace And Tranquility

Being transported to another world, the environment inside the dargah was something totally different. One can see people, from all walks of life, come here to pay respects, to pray for themselves, their loved ones and to be one with God.

I love it when plans are made impromptu. I love it even more when they are travel plans.

After a rather sleepy day at college, I got a call from a childhood friend of mine asking me if I could accompany her to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's Dargah.

Well, that was all I needed to get me excited and without pondering over it much, I said Yes. But with an hour left for college to get over, and me being very fidgety, I turned over to the Lonely Planet's India Guide to search up on the Dargah.

Using Delhi's Public transport services to its best, ( i.e. an Auto Rickshaw, a metro followed by an e-rickshaw and some walking) I managed to reach the entrance of the dargah, all in one piece. ( Yes, I'm super proud of it! ) Here is where I met my friend.

Before I start off with my story let's get to know a bit about the Dargah itself.

Situated in West Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin is the Dargah of the famous 14­th CE Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Syed Nizamuddin Auliya. Nizamuddin Auliya followed the path of love and humanity and believed in living for others.

The road to the Dargah is dotted with hawkers and street vendors selling some religious and some not-so religious items, not with full gusto, but with a sense of peace.

A system followed here which I found quite amusing was that of bartering your shoes in exchange for the offering which you take to give inside the shrine or Dargah. Paying a small fee of ₹20 after your visit from the Dargah, you ensure the safety of your shoes which in my opinion is awesome.

Walking ahead, I was greeted with a street bustling with restaurants. Though I couldn't taste any of it, here you can have some delicious Delhi food like butter chicken, seekh kebabs, biryani to name a few.

The moment you enter the dargah, a calm sense of tranquility takes over you. Like being transported to another world, the environment inside the dargah is something totally different. One can see people, from all walks of life, come here to pay respects, to pray for themselves, their loved ones and to be one with God.

When in the Dargah, make it a point to see hear and experience the beautiful soul stirring Qawalis that are sung here. Though keep in mind that these performances are held every Thursday after the Maghrib prayer and usually after the sunset.

Walking around its walls, observing and taking in everything the dargah had to offer, the time spent here was amazing which was made even better with friends by my side.

A highly recommend place to visit, sit and be one with yourself when in Delhi.

I leave you with some photos from my trip as I reminisce about my time in the Dargah.