Sunnie and I walked past the Ek Minar and followed maps which led to some graveyard like place. While we stood there looking confused a young autowallah showed up and wanted to know if we wanted a ride to the dargah. When we told him we would rather walk he showed us the way from the main road which he said was better accessible. There was also a small gully from where we stood from where we could access it.
Yousufain Dargah
Walked down and turned right into the famous Yousufain dargah famous of the tomb of the sufi saint Yousuf Baba Sharif.
Its a huge complex and obviously quite popular as we saw many people there early in the morning.
 |
| Yousufain dargah from the main entrance |
We walked past a rather large graveyard - to the left and the right, a small, cramped road and we ended up at the side entrance to the dargah. A shopkeeper selling flowers asked us if we wanted to buy flowers. We did not. He told us to remove our shoes and go in.
We entered the entrance and there were small shops to the right and left, all shut at the early hour, but selling all kinds of stuff for those who may have come from faraway to the dargah. Food stalls and stuff. Some devotees were sleeping. Some women were cleaning up the place. We walked in and spent some time at the tomb. Sunnie told me that he felt an incredible calm come over him when he meditated near the tomb. We walked out from the front side and walked back in and then went out the way we came in.
 |
| Heading out - people sleeping on the sides |
Yousuf Baba Sharif or Dargah Yousufain is the place where two Sufi saints Syed Shah Yousufuddin and Syed Shah Sharfuddin are buried. Both saints, Yousuf from Egypt and Sharfuddin from Palestine, were at the Haj, where they apparently met Sheikh Kaleem-ullah Jahanabadi, became his disciples and followed him to Delhi. Since most of his followers were in the army the two saints also joined the armed forces. After the Deccan conquest, the two saints left the army and stayed back in Hyderabad.
 |
| Old gateway |
The dome of the dargah was constructed during the Nizam's times. The burial ground next to the dargah has tombs of notable people including that of Daagh Dehlvi, a famous Urdu poet and court musician.
Hazrat Shah Khamosh Dargah
We wore our shoes and were pottering about when we saw an old gateway leading into a small gated community - the old types. So private it looked that we asked a person standing near the gate if we could go in and access another beautiful dargah behind. He said we could and we walked past the old houses.
 |
| The door and gateway |
 |
| Above the door |
 |
| The dargah visible behind the gated community |
At the other end we came upon a beautiful, peaceful dargah right behind the Yousufain dargah. Very quiet and very beautiful. This is the dargah of Hazrat Shah Khamosh, a Sufi saint from Bidar. In 1204 he went to Ajmer Sharif and became the disciple of the famous Sufi saint from Ajmer Moinuddin Chisti. The Bab was known to speak very little and hence the title, Khamosh Dargah. It is a quiet place with very few people.
 |
| The Hazrat Shah Khamosh dargah |
 |
| Another view |
Road to Begum Bazar I checked Google maps and it showed a path to Moazzam Jahi Market via Darussalam and Begum Bazaar. I never walked or drove through these streets much and any driving here when the city wake sup requires complete attention. So it was a pleasure to walk along and chance upon an old structure here and there, some old deodis, tombs and such.
Though I had no clue where we were by the end of the road i saw a couple of signs that said we were in Begum Bazar. I saw a beautiful Ram temple there on the way. Didn't explore much - some other day I guess.
 |
| Ram temple |
Lovely place.
Further up we saw some more old structures and turned left on to Begum Bazar and then landed up near Moazzam Jahi market.
Moazzam Jahi Market
We ended up near Moazzam Jahi market which is a beautiful sight to behold any day but I think we were too tired to walk around and poke and explore. We saw some wedding photo shoots happening and tried to keep ourselves out of their albums.
The structure looked magnificent in the morning sun but since the traffic had picked up I could not get a good pic of it. Some other time.
 |
| Moazzam Jahi market |
Moazzam Jahi market (1935) is a granite structure built by the City Improvement Board which was mooted by the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan in 1912 to plan the city in a proper manner. The market was named after his elder son Prince Moazzam Jah. The architecture was kept secular and was drawn from Kakatiya, Qutb Shah, Mughal and Asaf Jah architectural styles.
 |
| Photoshoots going on near Famous Ice Cream |
We took some pics and then legged it all the way back to IDBI, a good two hours on the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment