Srinagar’s Mosques and Shrines

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Most of Srinagar’s most famous shrines and mosques lie within or close to the old city. The architecture of these monuments is unique, mostly constructed of wood and brick/stone masonry, with multi-levelled sloping roofs and tall spires reminiscent of Hindu and Buddhist religious structures from the western and central Himalayas. They have elaborately and beautifully ornate polychromatic interiors finished with wood and papier-mache. Continue reading →

Thursday Afternoon at Bakhtiyar Kaki’s Dargah

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I visited Bakhtiyar Kaki’s dargah in Mehrauli on a Thursday, the busiest day at Sufi shrines, and here are a few images of the scenes and crowds, to complement the images and descriptions in the main dargah post.

North entrance to the dargah
Passageway leading into the dargah complex
Bakhtiyar Kaki’s tomb
Women are not allowed into the courtyard of Kaki’s tomb, and can only view the tomb through the surrounding screen
The large dargah complex has many courtyards and open spaces, some crowded and some more leisurely, like this one
Makeshift marketplace at the western entrance to the dargah
Food being prepared for pilgrims and visitors to the dargah, in front of the Zafar Mahal gateway

Dilli Darshan: Mehrauli

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Mehrauli is a large urban village that grew around the shrine of the 13th c. Sufi saint Bakhtiyar Kaki, much like Nizamuddin grew around the shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya (also 13th c. though a little later than Bakhtiyar Kaki). Kaki’s shrine was just outside the walls of Lal Kot, the fortified city within which the Qutb Minar is situated, and Mehrauli has grown right up to the edge of the now ruined fortifications. Continue reading →