Hazrat Kaki’s Dargah

 

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HAZRAT KHWAJA QUTBUDDIN BAKHTIYAR KAKI, r.a., born in 1173 was an Islamic Dervish (Sufi Mystic) following Chisti Order of Sufism. He was born in Aush in Transoxiana (A region in central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and southwest Kazakhstan) and left his body on 27-11-1235 in Mehrauli, Delhi (INDIA), where he is buried.

Hazrat Sahab was disciple and spiritual successor of Gharib Nawaz Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (r.a.), one of the most famous sufi saints of world. Further, his most famous disciple and spiritual successor was Baba Farid, who in turn became the spiritual master of Delhi’s noted Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya, who himself was the Master of Amir Khusro and Nasiruddin Chirag-e-Delhi. His name was Bakhtiyar and titles were Qutub-Ul-Aqtab (Chief of the great saints) and the Qutub-ul-Islam (Chief of Islam).

According to his biography mentioned in, Ain-i-Akbari , written by Akbar’s vizier, Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, he was the son of Kamalu’ddin Musa, whom he lost at a young age, and came from Ush, a small town in Farghana (present Fergana Province in eastern Uzbekistan, part of historic Transoxania). The name Kaki was attributed to him by virtue of a keramat(miracle) that emanated from him at a later stage of his life in Delhi . He also belonged to the direct lineage of the Prophet Muhammad, descending from Hussain ibn Ali. Khawaja Bakhtiyar Khaki was one and half years old when his father died . His mother arranged for his education.

About the place

Few clicks from the place…

After we took these photos, some noble person from the shrine told us that photos should not be taken at this sacred place. So we stopped with further photography, and uploading only what we clicked.

We went straight from Qutub Minar, and passed small congested streets of Mehrauli. Though the main entrance of Dargah is on other side, we reached the back side of Dargah, which is also known as the Ajmeri Side or the Ajmeri Gate. It is adjacent to Zafar Mahal, built by Akbar Shah II. Also, next to the shrine is Moti Masjid, the private mosque of royal family residing in Zafar Mahal. There are several other graves adjacent to Dargah, including that of Akbar II.

Moti Masjid and other Tombs

 

(left) Tomb of Bahadur Shah I near Moti Masjid, next to Dargah

(right) Other graves in the premise including Akbar Shah II, Shah Alam II and Mirza Fakruddin (son of Bahadur Shah Zafar II), with Moti Masjid in background. The gumbad of Hazrat Kaki’s Dargah is also visible (with ladder)

Moti Masjid (three Gumbads) and Hazrat Kaki’s Dargah (bigger gumbad) is visible from Zafar Mahal with Qutub Minar at Distance (between both). On right side, below that pillar (under renovation), lies the grave of Bahadur Shah I (in marble enclosure) and Bahadur Shah II (outside enclosure). Ruins of walls of Zafar Mahal are also visible.

Moti Masjid, next to Zafar Mahal, and Hazrat Bakhtiyar Kakai’s Dargah

Phoolwalon-ki-sair Festival

The Dargah shrine of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki has also been the venue of the annual Phoolwalon-ki-sair Festival (Festival of flower-sellers) in autumn, which has now become an important inter-faith festivals of Delhi .

The festival has its origins in 1812, when Queen Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II (r. 1806-1837) made a vow to offer a chadar and flower pankha at the Dargah and a pankha at the Yogmaya Mandir, also at Mehrauli, if her son Mirza Jehangir, who after inviting the wrath of Sir Archibald Seton, the then British Resident of the Red Fort, was exiled to Allahabad, returned safely. And as the legend goes he did, and so began the tradition henceforth .

Incidentally, Akbar Shah II is now buried in nearby a marble enclosure, along with other Mughals, Bahadur Shah I (also known as Shah Alam I) and Shah Alam II [1]. An empty grave also known as Sardgah of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, can also be found here, as he had willed to be buried next the famous shrine, as did his previous Mughal predecessors, though unfortunately after his exile to Rangoon in Burma, he never returned and died there, talks of bringing back his remains here have been raised in the past, from time to time .

How to reach…

Go straight from Qutub Minar towards Mehrauli Market, crossing Mehrauli Bus Stand. That straight road leads to Hazrat Kaki’s Dargah.

More stuff coming up…

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