After the Chishtiyya Shrine in Ajmer this is the most important Muslim shrine in India, attracting thousands of worshippers (Muslim and Hindu) every day. Nizamudin Auliya, a Sufi shaikh of the Chishtiyya order, lived the latter part of his life during the reign of the brutal Sultan Muhammad ibn Tughluq (1325-1351), whom he infuriated by refusing to acknowledge his authority, using a Persian expression which has become a byword in India "Hanuz Dilli dur ast" (Delhi is yet far away).
The shrine also contains the marble tomb of Amir Khusro, the great Persian poet of Delhi, and a number of fine Mughal buildings. On Thursday evenings Qawal (devotional music) is sung, from about 6.00-7.30pm.
Nizamuddin is a Muslim enclave in south Delhi, near the railway station of the same name. Once you enter its narrow alleys (where you can get superb kebabs and other muslim dishes) just follow the stream of people heading for the shrine, which lies down several long and twisting passage-ways. You don't need to take off your shoes until you get to the entrance, despite what the shopkeepers along the route may say. Just look at what the pilgrims are doing
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