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Photo of the Day: Headstone of Shrine of Shah Ghulam Ali Qudus Sarah
03 Friday Oct 2014
03 Friday Oct 2014
10 Wednesday Sep 2014
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inBy Dr. dushka h. saiyid
Raza Rumi’s book, Delhi by Heart, is an ode to a civilization and culture that flourished in Delhi from the time of the Sultanate and the arrival of the Sufi saints in the 13th century, till its final denouement in 1857, when the British ferociously crushed the revolt against their usurpation of power in the Indian sub-continent. It was a death knell not only for Delhi, but also for the Indo-Islamic culture that had flowered since the Sultanate period.
Rumi’s canvas is wide and buttressed by diligent research, as he explores the rich tapestry of Delhi’s past: Sufi saints, rulers, poets, architecture and the urban development of the city. Dehli was the nursery and home, of what he has described as the Ganga/Jamna culture, and he points out that the, “north Indian cuisine, language and manners evolved within the precincts of Delhi”. The richness and inclusiveness of the Indo-Islamic culture, and its’ fading away with the demise of the Mughal empire, is the theme of the book. Continue reading
28 Friday Mar 2014
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inVENKY VEMBU
In his novel The Shadow Lines, Amitav Ghosh writes of the imagined cartographic lines that divide people in the Indian subcontinent and cleave their souls. Many of these “shadow lines” are etched in bitter, hand-me-down memories and imaginations, and for that reason are rather more indelible than lines on a map, which can perhaps be redrawn over time.
Indians and Pakistanis may have shared a civilisational bhai-bhai bonhomie, but the horrors of Partition, compounded by decades of mutual mistrust at the political level, have served to ensure that, outside of the world of the mom batti wallas at the Wagah border, there is little interest in knowing each other beyond a demonisation of ‘the other’.
As Pakistani writer and development professional Raza Rumi observes in this account of his travels to Delhi, although he himself is decidedly of the post-Partition generation, he was born into “textbook nationalism” and grew up in a milieu that conditioned him to resent India. But Rumi’s own family history is illustrative of the interwoven strands of subcontinental social history. His Hindu ancestors from Lahore were on a pilgrimage to Benares when their caravan was looted. They were offered shelter in the khanqah of a wandering Sufi dervish, and were drawn by his magnetism to embrace Islam.
Fusing the personal with the political (and the broader sweep of history), Rumi details his impressions of Delhi with endearing empathy and a willingness to engage the imagined ‘enemy’. Viewing Delhi through many prisms—architecture, dastarkhwan (food), the Sufi tradition, music—Rumi serves up an alternative account of subcontinental history, one that is rooted in real-world interactions. In so doing, and in seeking out the common strands of civilisations, he completes, in a metaphorical sense, the pilgrimage that his ancestors never did.
Rumi offers this fascinating narrative as a “faint voice that wants to transcend boundaries and borders and reject the ills of jingoism spun by nation-state narratives.” In form and spirit, this unusual travelogue is like a jugal bandhi: songs of bhakti tradition fuse seamlessly with qawwali strains from the Nizamuddin dargah. It is an enchanting illustration of how the divisive shadow lines of history can be erased when hearts and minds are opened to new experiences.
24 Monday Mar 2014
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inThe book was released in August 2013 at the Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Prof. Mushir ul Hasan held a conversation with the author. A friend present there made this video. Transcript of the discussion follows.
Introductory Comments by Mushir ul Hasan: I’m delighted to be associated with the launch of this book; however, I believe that the subtitle of the book could have been a touch different. ‘The impressions of a Pakistani traveller’ – immediately creates an image in my mind of the ‘distinct other’, and I think it is this sense that we’re probably trying to do away with here. One of the strengths of this book lies with the fact that it does try to bridge the intellectual and cultural gap that exists, or has been created, since both country’s gained independence in 1947.
I particularly noticed the fact that Raza doesn’t actually look at Delhi, its cultural profile and its social profile as an outsider or someone who hails from Pakistan. He demonstrates empathy and respect for the city and has knowledge of the city’s development and its growth. According to me, he relied on skill and intuition to study some of the features of this city – particularly those of you who have read the sections on the Sufi shrines. They’re not only informative to many readers, but evocative at the same time, and yet in a certain sense, they also represent, the true character and complexion of this diverse city. I would like to thank Mr. Raza for writing a book about ‘our city’; as it is a very lively, vivid and comprehensive narrative.
I would also want to bring to the attention of academicians, that in order to understand the book, one needs to draw a distinction between academic and journalistic writing. The thin line that divides the two is blurred nowadays, which is why I would be glad to recommend your book to my students to understand what eloquent and comprehensive writing is all about. The book has a considerable amount of interesting insights, with the exception of certain sections.
The book is incisive from the outset and it looks at a city through a holistic lens. To eloquently describe its history, its past and its present without having lived here is a commendable effort and I am lending my voice and my views, to the number of reviews that have already appeared in the newspapers, regarding the book. Almost all the reviews that I have read are very interesting and I do hope that this book will go a long way in familiarizing Raza’s countrymen and our countrymen with the vibrancy of this city, its multifaceted personality and the manner in which Delhi has grown over the centuries. Thank you once again, for writing such a good book.
24 Monday Mar 2014
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inTags
Lodi Gardens is a park in Delhi, India. Spread over 90 acres it contains, Mohammed Shah’s Tomb, Sikander Lodi’s Tomb, Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad, architectural works of the 15th century Sayyid and Lodhis, an Afghan dynasty, that ruled parts of northern India and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of modern day Pakistan, from 1451 to 1526.
The tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi dynasty, dating back to the 15th and 16th century, once stood in a village on the outskirts of Delhi. In 1936, the British resettled the villagers to create a lush-green park around the tombs. The British even named the park as Lady Willington Park. The park was renamed after independence as Lodhi Gardens. In 1968, it was again re-landscaped by JA Stein and Garrett Eckbo.
The main attractions of the park are the historical tombs. The tomb of the last Sayyid ruler, Mohammad Shah, is the oldest tomb. It was built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Shah as a tribute to Mohammed Shah. Another attraction of the garden is the tomb of Sikander Lodhi built by his son Ibrahim Lodi.
Another historical structure in the garden is the Athpula Bridge, which was built by Nawab Bahadur in the 16th century during the rule of Emperor Akbar. Beside the tombs and bridge, one should also visit the National Bonsai Park that has a sizeable collection of Bonsais.
The park is home to several trees and plants like Chir, Deodar, Chinar, Neem and Eucalyptus, etc. It is also the best place to spot variety of birds like babblers, parakeets, kites and kingfishers.
“This article contains information from Wikipedia and Travel India”
21 Friday Mar 2014
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inDear Raza,
We met in Sharjah last year when you came for the book fair.
Just finished reading Delhi by heart. I am pre-partition Delhiite, left Delhi in august 1947, at the age of seven. “We will come again to visit”, said my parents,but it was never to be!. Never reconciled that will never go again. Reading this book has brought back memories of my childhood and so much I did know about the place I loved and cherished, yearned to visit again. It is an excellent biography of a city.
Thank you for making me so nostalgic and bringing back wonderful memories!
It is a wonderfully written book and definitely written “by heart”.
Thank you beta… God bless you!
Love and dua,
Saeeda Alvie, Sharjah
21 Friday Mar 2014
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inI am a huge admirer of your book ” Delhi by heart”. It is a wonderfully written book which gives an interesting account of the life and celebrations of Delhi. I came to know about your book through Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar , as I work with him. In fact, I feel it should have been titled as The Tale of Two cities, with the similar starting lines,;
21 Friday Mar 2014
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inDear Mr Raza Rumi,
Enjoyed your book on Delhi.
I know very little of Delhi and so can’t comment on on what you said about its history, its monuments and Darghas.
What I liked most about your book is how the spiritual tradition of India is interwoven with strands of Hinduism and Islam and how we have lost it as a result of politicisation of religion. It appears to me that the decline of Delhi is only a reflection of the disappearance of Hindu-Muslim composite culture.
I have been reading a lot about Partition, Islam and Jinnah ever since I read Wajahat Habibulla, IAS, Chief Information Commissioner, India wrote a few years ago that in a corner of his heart every Hindu hates Muslims and every Muslim hates Hindus. Being a south-Indian and an agnostic, I was unaware of this animosity.
You said that as a Pakistani you believe in the necessity of Partition but that the violence that followed was an enigma. To me Partition itself is an enigma. Not that I want it reversed, but how did ten years efface thousand years of living together and sharing the same space? Why did not other non-Hindus feel that they would be overpowered by Hindus and therefore need a separate ‘homeland’. I know that they were not a ‘major minority” like the Muslims, but still doesn’t explain. The enigma of Partition still eludes me. And, the aftermath of Partition has given rise to Hindutva zealots and marginalisation of Indian Muslims and Wahabinisation of Pakistani Muslims.
I know that your book is about Delhi, not about Partition but a few thoughts on the subject would not have been out of place. Similarly, you quote Irfan Habib approvingly about the need for ‘rethinking in Islam’ (page 299) but you don’t say where you stand. May be you are reserving these matters for another book.
I hope I have not offended you by my comments.
21 Friday Mar 2014
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inDear Mr. Raza,
Let me introduce myself. I am N. Jain. I am a Jain by religion and Baniya by caste. My Great Great Great Grandfather moved to Delhi from nearby Farrukhnagar town. I belong to the class of people whose family was not at all effected by Partition except being witness to it.
I have just finished reading your book Delhi by Heart and found it very nice and charming.
It was interesting to know so much about my city which I really did not know. But I would like to point out that your book has focused mostly on the so called Muslim Delhi but you have totally ignored the Baniya Delhi or for that matter there were many Delhi’s in the times of Mughals also which you might not be aware of.
I think this is due to the fact you are viewing Delhi through the eyes of the Muslim elite which moved to Pakistan. I am not sure when my forefathers moved to Delhi but I assume I would be just around the time of the rebellion. They came and settled in the area called Pahari Dhiraj/Sadar Bazar, just outside the walled city. This area existed even before the rebellion. Probably we were considered migrants then. Till recently I was living there only before moving to Hauz-e-Khas about an year back.
Maybe I am not aware of the history shared in your book as my family has been part of the Baniya Delhi which was a world apart from the walled city. maybe our area was a suburb of Delhi in those times.
I was totally enchanted with the way you have described the culture of the Shahjahanabad area and the Sufi culture of which I was totally and completely unaware of. I don’t think anyone in my family has ever been to a Sufi shrine accept out of curiosity. I will look at Delhi with a new outlook now thanks to your book.
At some places in your book I senses a lament which you or some people in Pakistan feel for having left so much behind, not merely money or wealth but something more maybe a part of your history, culture or feeling of belonging. In your book I sense your regret on the loss of Muslim and Sufi culture in Delhi. But I am afraid to say the torch bearers of those traditions left for Pakistan. Your reaction is somehow familiar to the reaction of Non Residents Indians who bring up their children on a regular dose of lecturing on their so called Indian Culture and decadent Western culture but when they come here they are shocked to see the change which India has gone through. I just want to say that it is natural. Things change over time they always do, I am sure Pakistan has changed too since partition.
While reading your book all sorts of thoughts were coming to my mind some I have written but I am sure I have forgotten some. Please don’t take my letter as a criticism at all but just the opposite. I am glad I picked up your book.
Regards
N Jain
21 Friday Mar 2014
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in