Hazrat Shah Sabir Piya – Kaliyar Sharif (RoorKee-North Delhi)

Image Credit : Salman Chishty

Hazrat Sheikh Alauddin Ali Ahmed As-Sabir was an Islamic Sufi.He was a Sufi of Great Stature and is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. The place where he is taking rest is Kaliyar,in Roorkee town of Uttarakhand India.The famous Dargah Kaliyar Sharif is now in existence for about 800 years. The arrival of Khwaja Makhdoom Alauddin Ahmed Sabir Pak popularly known as “Baba Sabir” at Kaliyar.He was in the Chisti Silsila of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz Ajmeri,The son of Ghous Pak, Hazrat Saif-ud-din Abdul Wahab, was born on the 17th Shahban 512 Hijri in between the two evening prayers Maghrib and Isha.In eleven years he acquired and completed all the worldly and spiritual knowledge from Ghous Pak and started teaching himself later. His followers are also called Sabri. His Urs is celebrated by millions of people every year in Kaliyar.

The History of Kaliyar sharif Dargah Always inspire more and more peoples to visit Sabir piya.In 1435, another saint, Qutbe-Alam-Shah was born. It is believed that one day when Qutbe-Alam was sweeping the floor of his grandfather’s graveyard, an old man passed by and said: “Please sweep my graveyard also.” This old man was none other than Baba Sabir’s image. Alam realised that it was time for him to go to Kaliyar. But before leaving for Kaliyar, Qutbe-Alam prayed for 40 days. It is said that Baba Sabir’s soul was so impressed with his austere reverence and humility that he withdrew his curse, shunned his wrath and allowed everyone to visit Kaliyar.

The Sultan of Delhi, Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, hearing the news of Kaliyar’s devastation, was so scared that he pleaded Baba Farid for protection.Baba Farid consoled him but instructed him to stay twelve kos away from Kaliyar.F or 12 years, Baba Sabir stood under the Guler tree which is still there in Kaliyar.People who visit Kaliyar light candles around this tree.

Image Credit : Imran Sheikh

From this day onwards, Kaliyar Sharif became a famous pilgrim spot. Qutbe-Alam built Baba Sabir’s grave and a mosque at Kaliyar and visited it every month. Today Qutbe-Alam’s descendant, Shah Mansoor Aijaz Sabri is the religious head of Kaliyar Sharif.

A 15-day urs celebration is held each year at the shrine,in the month of Rabi’ al-awwal (May–June), and the dargah has become a symbol of national integrationEvery Urs is celebrated with a lot of fanfare in the month of May-June in Kaliyar Sharif. After a glimpse of the moon of Rabi-ul-awwal, the head priest goes to his old house (in Kaliyar village). Inside the room, he reads Khatam Sharif and walks out with a plate on his head. The plate has mehndi and dori in it. Next he goes to the dargah and reads the Fatiha. After this the dori is distributed to everyone. Mushaira and Qawwali take place at the dargah and the mood is festive.

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The dargah of Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari is Piran Kaliyar Sharif, seven kilometres from Roorkee, in Haridwar district, besides the Ganges canal, and Roorkee is approximately 160 km north of Delhi,and is approachable by a metalled road. By Rail Shatabdi Express is the best option, from Delhi to Dehradun via Saharanpur. or By Road Delhi via Meerut and Muzzafarnagar to Roorkee.

Moti Masjid (Delhi)

To the west of the Hammam lies the small mosque, the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) is a large white marble mosque built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, for his personal use, at the Red Fort complex in Delhi, India, from 1659-1660. A mosque by the same name was also built in 1645 CE by Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb’s father, inside the Lahore Fort in Lahore, Pakistan.

image credit : east med wanderer

The personal mosque of Aurungzeb, Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque lies to the west of Hamam. Situated on a higher level than courtyards, the prayer-hall of the mosque has inlaid black-marble outlines of ‘musallas’ (small carpets for prayers) and is surmounted by three bulbous domes. It is said that these domes were originally copper plated and even the eastern door is plated with copper leaves. The ladies of the seraglio also used the mosque to offer their prayers to God.

The prayer-hall of the mosque is inlaid with outlines of musallas (small carpets for prayers) in black marble, and it stands at a higher level than the courtyard. The hall is surmounted by three bulbous domes, originally copper-plated, which appear to be too constricted at the neck. The eastern door is provided with copper-plated leaves. The mosque was also used by the ladies of the seraglio.

image credit : Peter Crawford 1946

Another small mosque by the same name, was built for private prayer, by Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah I (r. 1707-1712) and Aurangzeb’s son, close to the Ajmere Gate of the dargah of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, and is an imitation of the one inside the Red Fort of Delhi.

Nakhoda Mosque ( Kolkata )

image credit : -=KuBa=-

Kolkata is a place where people of diverse religion and culture exist and their religious fervor is expressed by various festivals and rituals. The Muslim community exists along with others and The Nakhoda Mosque is an important place of worship for the Muslims. It is located in Jacquaria Street, near the junction of Chitpore Road, and Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata. Abdar Rahim Osman, a resident of Cutch, founded the mosque in 1926. A board of trustees governs the mosque. The total expense incurred for the construction of the mosque was Rs. 15 lakhs.

The Nakhoda Mosque looks magnificent with its architectural brilliance. The whole mosque was constructed of red sand stone following the tradition of Akbar`s Tomb in Sikandra Agra. The mosque is dome shaped and has two minarets each about 151ft. high and twenty-five tiny pillars all around, which are 100ft. to 117ft. tall. It has a huge prayer hall that has the capacity to hold up to 10,000 men performing the `Namaaz` at one time. A prayer hall forms an integral part and is contained in each of the floor of the mosque. Since the Mosque has traces of Moghul architecture, the gateway of the Mosque, is a duplication of the famous Buland Darwaza, which is located at Fatehpur Sikri. It is extravagant in its artistic portrayal and the style resembles the Indo-Saracenic school of architecture. The Indo- Saracenic School of architecture was developed further by the erstwhile British East India Company, which actually replaced the Moghul style of architecture that was prevalent. This school of architecture is an interesting mix of the European, Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. The basic idea behind the flourishing of those trends was actually to lend a native touch to the British public buildings.

The Nakhoda Mosque is among the heritage sites in India but it has fallen in the group of the endangered monuments. There are many measures taken to restore the glory of the Mosque, in the past few years. The Geneva based Aga Khan Trust for Culture, has expressed their concern to preserve and refurbish this historical mosque which is unique in its style, which has a pleasant blend of the different styles of architecture, namely, Hindu, Mughal, colonial and Greek architectural patterns.

Muslim festivals instill life into the Mosque during the festive seasons of Id and Ramzan. The mosque is then beautifully decorated with neon lights and flowers, this also provides for an occasion for Muslims all over Kolkata to unite and offer prayers in harmony. Therefore the Nakhoda Mosque is an important mosque, which has been a part of the religious life of the Muslims for many years. Situated in the Chitpur area the mosque has witnessed the changes that has occurred around the place, which was much down trodden and has transformed greatly in the present times. Developments have touched this remote place and here we get a glimpse of newest technology the boon of the civilized life.