Inside Nizamuddin Dargah’s biggest iftar feast

Brut India

For 700 years, devotees have gathered at the Nizamuddin dargah for a grand langar… Brut experienced one such feast during the holy month of Ramzan.

Transcript

00:00When you come here, no one is going to ask your caste, no one is going to ask your religion.

00:15This is the best part.

00:17Thursday and Sunday, there are 5-8,000 people on this day.

00:20Modi ji says, Aditi Devo Baba, I see that here.

00:25This place brings a sense of unity when thousands of people gather around to eat, to socialize

00:32and to seek blessings during the Holi month of Ramzan.

00:36It is also known to organise one of the biggest and one of the oldest Iftar congregations

00:41in Delhi.

00:42Today, Root is here at Nizamuddin Dargah.

00:56The Dargah of the 13th century Sufi saint, Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya serves Langar,

01:03providing food to people every day throughout the year.

01:06The liveliness that you see here, this liveliness has been going on for almost 700 years.

01:12The Langar Khana is of Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, the biggest and the largest Langar Khana.

01:18Langar has been in existence since the time of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

01:24During the time of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, there used to be so much Langar that 70 camels

01:27would go to throw the skins of onions and garlic.

01:29At that time, one Man was called 10 Kilos.

01:34So, 70 Man Namak used to come to your Langar Khana every day.

01:40On the weekends, the Darbar is crowded, there are 5-8,000-10,000 people.

01:46On weekdays, there are 2,000-2,500 people.

01:55Due to a high number of people from non-Muslim communities,

01:58the Dargah specifically serves pure vegetarian food on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

02:05Once when my grandfather was alive, the Langar was going on.

02:09My grandfather saw that some people were standing, but they were not coming.

02:13So, my grandfather offered them to taste the Langar.

02:16They said, we are Jains and we don't even eat onions and garlic and this is a non-vegetarian Langar.

02:21So, my grandfather started pure vegetarian three days a week after that.

02:26The food, however, is not prepared inside the Dargah.

02:30Every day, the Langar is prepared at Hazrat's kitchen in Delhi's Ghiyaspur,

02:35now known as Nizamuddin Basti.

02:37When did you come to Nizamuddin Dargah?

02:39I came here for the first time when I was 13 years old.

02:42And I have been coming here for the next two years.

02:44It feels good to come here.

02:46People come here because we have to go to Ajmer Sharif from here.

02:49Then we have to go back from Ajmer Sharif to come here.

02:51Then we say that your wish is fulfilled.

02:53The wish that you have asked for.

03:02When I go to do something big or when I achieve something big in my life,

03:07I like to salute here.

03:10My elder brother is also a doctor by profession.

03:12So, he used to bring me here whenever he had a big task.

03:15So, from there, it became my routine.

03:17I was abroad, so my flight was also in Delhi.

03:20So, I used to come here before taking the flight.

03:22When you come here, no one is going to ask your caste.

03:25No one will ask you about your religion.

03:28This is the best part.

03:29In the crowded lanes, the Dargahs, Mashaks and Pankhawalas ensure comfort and a cool breeze for all.

03:43This is the Mashak work.

03:45This is for performing ablution.

03:47This is for washing hands.

03:49This is goat skin.

03:51Two years ago, we finished this work.

03:53We took it to our house.

03:55Because there was no Mashak.

03:57So, I asked them to call Mashak people.

03:59I told them that I don't have money.

04:01So, they gave me Rs. 500.

04:03They asked for Mashak.

04:05I told them that I want it.

04:07So, they gave me Rs. 500.

04:09Out of Rs. 500, I got Rs. 5000.

04:21During Ramzan, these Langars transform into Iftar gatherings.

04:25People from all walks of life are invited to join and enjoy the feast for 30 days.

04:31Daily, 3,000 to 5,000 people have Iftar in Dargah Sharif.

04:35On Thursday and Sunday, 5,000 to 8,000 people have Iftar.

04:39Food is not wasted here.

04:41People take whatever is left with them.

04:45When people are distributed, they have a lot of food.

04:47They can't eat everything together.

04:49So, they take it with them.

04:51Each meal includes chips, biscuits, fruits such as melons and bananas, dates, fruit juices, and a samosa.

04:59Apart from these, devotees are also served Biryani with Ruwafza milkshake.

05:17Iftar plates are made in Darbar.

05:19We order Biryani from Old Delhi's famous Hakeem.

05:25We order it and they deliver it to Darbar.

05:27After that, we pack it here and distribute it to everyone.

05:30Sometimes, it weighs more than 100 kgs.

05:33It depends.

05:35On Thursdays, it weighs between 100 and 150 kgs.

05:37And you can see that so many people come that everything is sold out.

05:50These portions, which are funded through donations,

05:54are served in the courtyard outside the mosque

05:57where people sit down in rows to pray and break their fast.

06:00Food boxes are made specially.

06:03Today, we are distributing Iftari packets.

06:06It includes chicken grilled sandwich, Tikka, and spring rolls.

06:12Apart from this, there is a 200 litre milk drink.

06:16For 5000 people, there is Iftari, chicken Biryani, and veg Biryani.

06:21According to Anees, the Dargah is not funded by the government and doesn't have an official trust.

06:27The workers at Hazrat Nizamuddin are daily wage labourers who are paid through donations.

06:33Has Iftar started?

06:35No, it is almost half an hour before Iftar starts.

06:37After Asr prayer, we start distributing the food.

06:45As the number of people increases, we distribute accordingly.

06:48It is a separate arrangement for the ladies.

06:53So that the ladies don't have to worry.

06:55There are a lot of ladies who do purdah.

06:57So, keeping all that in mind, it is a separate arrangement for the ladies.

06:59Tell me, how do you feel after breaking your fast for the first time?

07:02I feel very good.

07:04Do you feel hungry or thirsty?

07:07I feel hungry and thirsty.

07:34Everybody is welcome.

07:36I have come here for Iftar.

07:38I have come for Urus.

07:40So, over the years, I have been again blessed to be part of many special celebrations and functions.

07:49When it was time to break the evening fast, a loud siren was played.

07:54After Iftar, the shrine brims with people from different communities who sit together and enjoy the Qawwali.

08:24At Nizamuddin Dargah, there is no religion.

08:48You are coming here on a spiritual basis and that too to connect with pure love.

08:54Ameen.

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