By Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan - Delhi Newsline - Express India
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Saeed, the caretaker, pushes his mop across the marble floors and raises his hand in a lazy salaam to Bibi Fatima Mai. Who is reposing, gently, under a purple silk sheet with gold stars on it, which is thrown grandly over her tomb. She is Saeed’s pal, he tells me as I enter, ‘‘We have chats at midnight or one in the morning, where I tell her what everyone wants.’’ It must be a long list though. For Hazrat Bibi Fatima, Sufi saint in her time, is also endowed with that most magical of talents — being able to grant wishes.
A friend of Nizamuddin Aulia, Bibi Fatima was known in her time for her incredible maternal instincts. She loved to feed and nurture several people and even now, while most dargahs are filled with rather strong and strange spirits — certainly no one you’d like to be chatting with at midnight — her spirit is gentler and kinder. And ‘‘has a direct connection to God’’ Saeed tells us, so he is happy working there.
But unlike Nizamuddin’s polished tomb, Bibi Fatima’s is easy to miss unless you’re looking for it. It has high whitewashed walls on all sides, a green plastic shed-like roof, near the higher dome and also, a very imposing message saying, ‘‘Wakf Land, Encroachers Will Be Prosecuted.’’ No wonder the place is a well-kept secret, in a city full of secrets.
According to legend, there was a prophecy made about Bibi Fatima saying that for many years her tomb would be in a state of disrepair until finally it gained recognition and renown again. And, true to this foretelling, her renovated dargah with a chandelier and electric fans and marble flooring was only built a couple of years ago, over the site of the original stone and mud tomb.
But even in the days of stone and mud, Bibi granted wishes and hopeful people lit candles on her tomb and scattered flowers around her. Now this new and probably much more comfortable dwelling has qawwali singers every Saturday night with crowds and crowds of people. But as I leave, there is only Saeed, watering a plant, unhurriedly, despite the fact that he’s already very late for his afternoon namaaz at the mosque. It’s the way he likes it, just him and Bibi and the sound of a koel in the neem tree.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
The patron saint of Kaka Nagar
By Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan - Delhi Newsline - Express India
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Saeed, the caretaker, pushes his mop across the marble floors and raises his hand in a lazy salaam to Bibi Fatima Mai. Who is reposing, gently, under a purple silk sheet with gold stars on it, which is thrown grandly over her tomb. She is Saeed’s pal, he tells me as I enter, ‘‘We have chats at midnight or one in the morning, where I tell her what everyone wants.’’ It must be a long list though. For Hazrat Bibi Fatima, Sufi saint in her time, is also endowed with that most magical of talents — being able to grant wishes.
A friend of Nizamuddin Aulia, Bibi Fatima was known in her time for her incredible maternal instincts. She loved to feed and nurture several people and even now, while most dargahs are filled with rather strong and strange spirits — certainly no one you’d like to be chatting with at midnight — her spirit is gentler and kinder. And ‘‘has a direct connection to God’’ Saeed tells us, so he is happy working there.
But unlike Nizamuddin’s polished tomb, Bibi Fatima’s is easy to miss unless you’re looking for it. It has high whitewashed walls on all sides, a green plastic shed-like roof, near the higher dome and also, a very imposing message saying, ‘‘Wakf Land, Encroachers Will Be Prosecuted.’’ No wonder the place is a well-kept secret, in a city full of secrets.
According to legend, there was a prophecy made about Bibi Fatima saying that for many years her tomb would be in a state of disrepair until finally it gained recognition and renown again. And, true to this foretelling, her renovated dargah with a chandelier and electric fans and marble flooring was only built a couple of years ago, over the site of the original stone and mud tomb.
But even in the days of stone and mud, Bibi granted wishes and hopeful people lit candles on her tomb and scattered flowers around her. Now this new and probably much more comfortable dwelling has qawwali singers every Saturday night with crowds and crowds of people. But as I leave, there is only Saeed, watering a plant, unhurriedly, despite the fact that he’s already very late for his afternoon namaaz at the mosque. It’s the way he likes it, just him and Bibi and the sound of a koel in the neem tree.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Saeed, the caretaker, pushes his mop across the marble floors and raises his hand in a lazy salaam to Bibi Fatima Mai. Who is reposing, gently, under a purple silk sheet with gold stars on it, which is thrown grandly over her tomb. She is Saeed’s pal, he tells me as I enter, ‘‘We have chats at midnight or one in the morning, where I tell her what everyone wants.’’ It must be a long list though. For Hazrat Bibi Fatima, Sufi saint in her time, is also endowed with that most magical of talents — being able to grant wishes.
A friend of Nizamuddin Aulia, Bibi Fatima was known in her time for her incredible maternal instincts. She loved to feed and nurture several people and even now, while most dargahs are filled with rather strong and strange spirits — certainly no one you’d like to be chatting with at midnight — her spirit is gentler and kinder. And ‘‘has a direct connection to God’’ Saeed tells us, so he is happy working there.
But unlike Nizamuddin’s polished tomb, Bibi Fatima’s is easy to miss unless you’re looking for it. It has high whitewashed walls on all sides, a green plastic shed-like roof, near the higher dome and also, a very imposing message saying, ‘‘Wakf Land, Encroachers Will Be Prosecuted.’’ No wonder the place is a well-kept secret, in a city full of secrets.
According to legend, there was a prophecy made about Bibi Fatima saying that for many years her tomb would be in a state of disrepair until finally it gained recognition and renown again. And, true to this foretelling, her renovated dargah with a chandelier and electric fans and marble flooring was only built a couple of years ago, over the site of the original stone and mud tomb.
But even in the days of stone and mud, Bibi granted wishes and hopeful people lit candles on her tomb and scattered flowers around her. Now this new and probably much more comfortable dwelling has qawwali singers every Saturday night with crowds and crowds of people. But as I leave, there is only Saeed, watering a plant, unhurriedly, despite the fact that he’s already very late for his afternoon namaaz at the mosque. It’s the way he likes it, just him and Bibi and the sound of a koel in the neem tree.
2 comments:
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Unknown said...
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iam surprise my father name is saeed pal and he often take this kind of name which i heard from him but how i dont know how to relate this thing to my father kindly contact me ali24pk@hotmail.com my father is very close to sufism
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1:48 PM
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Unknown said...
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i have listen all this thing from my father and my father has same name well iam surprise to listen this but dont know how to relate this secnario with my father kindly email me ali24pk@hotmail.com
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1:50 PM
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2 comments:
iam surprise my father name is saeed pal and he often take this kind of name which i heard from him but how i dont know how to relate this thing to my father kindly contact me ali24pk@hotmail.com my father is very close to sufism
i have listen all this thing from my father and my father has same name well iam surprise to listen this but dont know how to relate this secnario with my father kindly email me ali24pk@hotmail.com
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