Dargah Mai Sahiba

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Dargah Mai Sahab
Adhchini Dargah (cropped).jpg
Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Mai Sahiba in Adhchini, Delhi
Religion
Affiliation Sunni Islam
Sect Sufism
Festival Urs (29th Jumada al-Thani)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Dargah and Masjid
Ownership Trust
Leadership Delhi Waqf Board
StatusActive
Location
LocationAdhchini, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi - 110017
CountryIndia Flag of India.svg
Location map India Delhi EN.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the dargah and mosque complex in Delhi
Geographic coordinates 28°32′15″N77°11′50″E / 28.53750°N 77.19722°E / 28.53750; 77.19722
Architecture
Type Islamic architecture
Style Tughlaq
Date established1250 (circa)
Specifications
Direction of façadeWest
Materials Marble, metal, concrete, plaster, paint, red stone, rubble stone and modern brick

Dargah Mai Sahiba is a Sufi mausoleum (Dargah) situated in Adhchini village of South Delhi district. It is the shrine of "Mai Sahiba" Bibi Zulekha, mother of 14th-century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

Contents

The Dargah is popular among women because they are allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine, unlike the majority of Dargahs in India.

The Dargah complex also includes a mosque, Jama Masjid Bibi Fatima Zahra.

History

Bibi Zulekha's parents migrated to the Indian subcontinent due to the Mongol invasions that affected their hometown of Bukhara in Central Asia. They settled in Badayun, located approximately 150 miles northwest of Delhi. Bibi Zulekha was married to Khwaja Syed Ahmad, and together they had a daughter and a son. Following the death of her husband when their son was two years old, Bibi Zulekha relocated to Delhi with her children a few years later. [1] [2]

Shajra Mubarak (Silsila) (Spiritual lineage of Chishti Order) at Dargah Hazrat Mai Sahiba Shajra Mubarak at Dargah (cropped).jpg
Shajra Mubarak (Silsila) (Spiritual lineage of Chishti Order) at Dargah Hazrat Mai Sahiba

Mai Sahiba passed away in 1250, long before her son became recognised as a great mystic. She and her daughter Bibi Zainab are buried in the same room where they lived. [3]

The lamping area at Dargah Sharif Lamp area of Dargah (cropped).jpg
The lamping area at Dargah Sharif

On the 29th of each month in the Islamic calendar, when the moon is new, Hazrat Nizamuddin would visit his mother and pray. He lived at Chilla Sharif, located behind Humayun's Tomb, with the Yamuna River flowing alongside his home in Ghiyaspur. [3]

Culture

The shrine attracts hundreds of devotees from all religions particularly women, who believe that Mai Sahiba cannot endure the sorrow of women and grants them her blessings. Wednesdays are regarded as Mai Sahiba's favourite days, drawing over 5,000 devotees each week. [3] [4] [2]

Iftar at Mai Saheba Dargah Breaking Fast at Mai Saheba Dargah.jpg
Iftar at Mai Saheba Dargah

Annual Urs

Each year, on the 29th of Jamad al Thani month of the Islamic calendar, the three-day annual Urs celebrations commence with special prayers, during which qawwals from around the world participate in an overnight recital to commemorate the death anniversary of the great woman. [2]

Devotees are served vegetarian food, along with Mai Sahiba's favourite dishes, chanaa and aloo pulao, known as tehri. [3]

Dastarkhan at Dargah Dastarkhwan at Dargah.jpg
Dastarkhān at Dargah

Structure

Graves of Mai Sahiba (bigger) and her daughter (smaller). Dargah Sharif of Mai Sahab.jpg
Graves of Mai Sahiba (bigger) and her daughter (smaller).

The burial chamber or the central sanctorum has the graves of Mai Sahab Bibi Zulekha and her daughter, Bibi Zainab alias Bibi Jannat. [3] [5]

The metal latticework and the interior dome of the holy grave. Internal structure Dargah Mai Sahiba.jpg
The metal latticework and the interior dome of the holy grave.

The main grave is situated on a raised platform measuring approximately 1.7 meters by 0.88 meters and stands 0.5 meters high. The grave is enclosed within a modern double structure, with one wall situated inside the other, featuring doorways on the east side. To the southeast, there was a now-ruined Baoli, of which no traces remain. [2]

The grave itself is surrounded by metal latticework and is floored with marble cladding. The original inscription remains visible. The original foundation is constructed of rubble masonry up to the plinth level, while the remaining structure is made of concrete and marble. Decorative elements include reinforced concrete (RCC) jali, and the site is finished with plaster and paint. Modern brick masonry has been utilised in various additions and extensions, with marble and red sandstone used for roofing and parts of the flooring, while the rest of the floor is also marble. [2]

Mosque

Jama Masjid Bibi Fatima Zahra at Dargah Mai Sahiba Mosque at Dargah.jpg
Jama Masjid Bibi Fatima Zahra at Dargah Mai Sahiba

The dargah features a covered verandah and a mosque, Jama Masjid Bibi Fatima Zahra, that contains a framed picture of Gunbad-e-Khazra and the Kaaba. [3]

The mosque also contains the graves of Bibi Hoor and Bibi Noor, the daughters of Sheikh Najibuddin Mutawakkil (Baba Farid’s brother), who were the owners of the house where Mai Sahiba resided. It is within this context that the dargah and mosque were constructed. [6] [7]

Location

Signboard at Sri Aurobindo Marg Outside view of Dargah.jpg
Signboard at Sri Aurobindo Marg

Located behind the shops of the Adhchini market on Sri Aurobindo Marg, in South Delhi, the dargah was once visible from Mehrauli when the area was primarily farmland, historically referred to as Sarai Namak. [3] [8] [2]

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References

  1. Soofi, Mayank Austen (2016-09-08). "Ladies are allowed inside". mint. Archived from the original on 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities". nmma.nic.in. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Dargah to mark Urs of Nizamuddin Auliya's mother". Hindustan Times. 2016-03-07. Archived from the original on 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  4. Team, DNA Video. "Dargah of Mai Sahiba in New Delhi serves as a symbol of religious harmony". DNA India. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  5. https://zikredilli.com/delhi-depository/f/sufi-%E2%80%9Csilsila%E2%80%9D-e-dilli-bibi-fatima-and-mai-sahiba
  6. Wajid, Syed (2020-02-16). "Sufi shrines in the wraps of Delhi". National Herald. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  7. "The other Sufis". The Indian Express. 2009-11-15. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  8. "VIDEO: Dargah of Mai Sahiba in New Delhi serves as a symbol of religious harmony". India Tv . 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2025-01-20.