It’s very early on a Friday morning. I’m sitting alone in the office, reminiscing about the time I’ve spent at Delhi’s Nizamuddin dargah.
Through my laptop’s speakers, the Wadali Brothers remind me once again why I love qawwali and transport me to the shrine of the Sufi saint, where I fell in love with what I once called “prayer disguised as song.”
The Mumbai sky yesterday reminded me of an afternoon in August 2008, when I visited the dargah. Normally, there is qawwali at the dargah on Thursday evenings, but that Tuesday morning, as I walked in, the crests and troughs of a seasoned singing voice wafted across the courtyard. It was Gulam Hussain Sabri.
I sat mesmerised as he sang: Auron ko jo mila hai muqaddar se mila hai… Hum ko toh muqaddar bhi tere dum se mila hai…
A small crowd gathered, some circled the grave of Nizamuddin Auliya and lay flowers upon it, others tied strings to the marble mesh that demarcates the sanctum sanctorum, many lit joss sticks, everybody prayed.
And then, someone up there conjured up some magic.
As Sabri and his troupe sang, the clouds gathered, a wind blew and wall of water came down. I felt wonder and I felt cleansed.
Over the years, I have visited the dargah repeatedly, and I’ve always left feeling touched by something special.
It’s been almost a year since I’ve visited the shrine – an unusually long gap for me since I used to visit Delhi often for several years till the beginning of 2011, and would go to the dargah on virtually every visit.
The elders in my family say you visit a shrine only when the holy person resting there calls. I’m reminded of these lines in Sabri’s qawwali:
Jab girte hue maine tera naam liya hai,
Tab manzil ne wahi badh ke mujhe thaam liya hai…
I wish to visit Nizamuddin again. And I’m waiting for his call.
Gulam Hussain Sabri (centre) at the Nizamuddin dargah.
Ashraf Engineer
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December 23, 2011 at 4:59 am
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Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 5:04 am
Sure, go ahead.
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December 24, 2011 at 4:43 am
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rahconteur said,
December 23, 2011 at 5:22 am
Nice… Should I call you religious or spiritual? I remember my first song on stage (in college annual bash) was a qawwali, but of the filmi kind with a comic-romantic twist…
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 5:24 am
I prefer spiritual
Dilnaz said,
December 23, 2011 at 6:11 am
I remember, i took a morning flight to Delhi and this song was playing on my ipod after we took off… I spotted 8 shades of orange as the sun rose. Was soooooo grateful to be alive
)) i used to go to haji ali at 7 am just to hear them sing.
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 6:13 am
Listening to the song, Dil. Beautiful. It’s Nusrat, isn’t it?
Neelesh Misra said,
December 23, 2011 at 6:12 am
So well said, Ashraf … there is truly something timess about the qawwali at the dargah …
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 6:13 am
Thanks, Neelesh. Yes, there is!
Kenks said,
December 23, 2011 at 7:42 am
Nizamuddin apart, Mumbai (Bombay) had a Qawwali culture in the 70’s with artists like Jani Babu, Shakila Bano Bhopali and many others whose shows I remember attending at Birla (Marine Drive), Bhavan’s and pother auditoriums. Will be interesting to recount the names of the other artists – there used to be sawal/jawab and competition between ace Qawwals… If I’m not mistaken, “Mehengai Maar Gayi,” the film song was sung by Jani Babu…
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 7:45 am
Yes, he did sing that. Just looked it up.
Mitali Kalyanpur said,
December 23, 2011 at 8:02 am
That’s such a nice one Ashraf! I have never had the chance to experience a qawwali except the ones composed by Rehman
But your post inspires me to hear more!
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 8:21 am
Thanks, Mitali. You can look on YouTube. Search for qawwali at Nizamuddin or simply listen to Nusrat — he’s magic.
Hiren Kotwani said,
December 23, 2011 at 8:30 am
Makes me want to visit the Nizamuddin Dargah and experience the Qawwali there
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:28 am
You must! It will be the experience of a lifetime.
Beryl said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:05 am
Reading this transports you back to your own experiences. A great way to fruitfully daydream while at work!
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:28 am
Ha ha ha…
Shashi said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:25 am
Makes me want to listen to khwaja khwaja from jodhaa akbar.. that does it from me
Shashi said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:26 am
sorry… khwaja mere khwaja
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 23, 2011 at 9:29 am
Kavita Nair said,
December 23, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Beautiful! I haven’t heard a live qawaali performance ever….love that you shared your experience.
shabana said,
December 23, 2011 at 5:00 pm
It’s a nice piece. Qawwali’s always have a mesmerising & a spiritual effect on all.
Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi Qawwali Video | MastiNetwork.com said,
December 25, 2011 at 11:43 am
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swatchat said,
December 26, 2011 at 6:56 am
have been in delhi all my life but surprisingly my first live quwwali at a dargah was in Haji Ali…. have been there many times juts to hear them sing. it just touches you heart like nothing else can…
Ashraf Engineer said,
December 28, 2011 at 3:31 am
Yes, it does. I recommend a trip to Nizamuddin the next time you’re in Delhi.
Lubna said,
January 29, 2012 at 10:23 am
It is a beautiful place.
Ashraf Engineer said,
January 30, 2012 at 5:21 am
Yes, it means a lot to me, Lubna. Just saw that you’ve sent me a couple of mails. Checking them out.