In The Open Street

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“What is not in the open street is false, derived, that is to say, literature.”
(Henry Miller – American writer, 1891-1980)

This was shot in Old Delhi a few weeks ago, early in the morning.
There was already some heavy traffic in front of gate number three of Jama Masjid, the largest and best-known mosque in India.
This amazing and vibrant part of the city managed to keep a timeless atmosphere.
The footpath to Kinari Bazaar will make anyone fall in love with the soul of the city…

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Friday Call

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“O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know.”
(The Quran – The Congregation, 62.9)

This is picture of Jama Masjid, the largest and best-known mosque in India, which is in in Old Delhi.
It was a Friday morning at the time of the call for prayer when many people gather in front of gate number two in the amazing market which goes to the main gate of the Red Fort.
This is the place where I always buy a few red apples from Cashmere which might be the tastiest I ever had.

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Peace and Harmony

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“May the spirit of Ramadan illuminate the world and show us the way to peace and harmony.”

Today starts Ramzan (Ramadan) in India.
It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn until sunset.
Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality and is a time to fast for the sake of God (Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual.
During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.
Ramadan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

The name “Ramadan” had been the name of the ninth month in Arabian culture long before the arrival of Islam; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like “ramiḍa” or “ar-ramaḍ” denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations.
In the Qu’ran, God proclaims that “fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you”.
According to the earliest hadith, this refers to the Jewish practice of fasting on Yom Kippur.

This is a view of Aurangzeb mosque, also known as the Alamgir Mosque or as Beni Madhav Ka Darera, which is dominating Panchganga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
This square stone building covered with three domes was originally established by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and features a fine combination of Hindu and Mughal art and architecture and indicates the rich artworks of ancient India.
It was built on the site of the Vishnu Temple, the Temple of Bindu Madhava and now reflects the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb culture, a smooth coexistence of the Hindu and the Muslim religions.
The mosque overlooks Panchganga Ghat which is considered to be a sacred bathing place and its lower part still features a Hindu temple.

Ramzan Mubarak to Everyone…

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Patience and Prayer

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“O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient”.
(The Qu’ran – The Cow 2.153)

Today starts Ramzan (Ramadan) in India.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn until sunset.
Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality and is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual.
During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.
Ramadan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

The name “Ramadan” had been the name of the ninth month in Arabian culture long before the arrival of Islam; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like “ramiḍa” or “ar-ramaḍ” denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations.
In the Qu’ran, God proclaims that “fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you”.
According to the earliest hadith, this refers to the Jewish practice of fasting on Yom Kippur.

I take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim friends to live this holy month with great moments of piety, grace and sharing.
May Allah’s blessings be with you on Ramzan and always…

This picture was shot at the upper terrace nearby the Bivi Razaia Masjid, a small mosque located in the chawk of Varanasi (Benaras) and facing Kashi Vishwanath temple (also called the Golden Temple).

Dreaming by Moonlight

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“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
(Oscar Wilde quotes – Irish Poet and Novelist, 1854-1900)

Following the birds which belongs to some kind of ethereal dreams, this is now the Asfi Masjid (mosque) which is one the largest places of worship in India.
It is in the Bara Imambara (also called the Asafi Imambara) complex in Lucknow, the city of Nawabs, built by Asaf-ud-daulah, Nawab of Lucknow, in 1784.
Bara means big, and an imambara is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari.

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Beyond The Golden Rule

 

“No man is a true believer unless he desireth for his brother that which he desireth for himself.” 
(Azizullah, Hadith 150)

Of course it is pretentious to claim that we are true believers however I think that there are no better words than this quote by Prophet Muhammad in order to explain the relationship that I am sharing with mere bhai (my brother in Hindi).
This universal moral principle is called “The Golden Rule”.
I took this picture of my brother Manish in front of Aurangzeb Mosque where there is a terrace over the Ganges with an amazing view of Varanasi (Benaras).

A Legacy of Peace and Hope

 

This is a picture of a minar from a little masjid (mosque) which is in the center of Varanasi (Benaras).
The lines made by the wires are providing a poetic music paper which would be waiting for writing music in the sky… 

Tonight the music will not play any sound, there are no notes to drop there, maybe the muezzin who will call later to prayer will remind us to honor the memory of a righteous man who left our little community.
We are all mourning his beautiful soul…
I never asked his name, over here it is rude to call elders by their name, he was Nishat’s father and this is how we always called him.

Nishat’s father was a Master embroiderer, a kind of magician who knew the finest secrets of the art of Zardozi embroidery, this ancient Persian art which has been passed down for many generations, dating back before the Mughal empire and which reached its zenith under the patronage of Emperor Akbar in the 17th century.

When I met him in his little workshop near the Ganges he was already blind, however he has been opening this art to me.
He was holding my hand, always happy and proud to show me the last masterpieces that his sons and grandsons were working at.
He has been teaching them his knowledge, probably like his own father did before.

He was a believer, sometimes he was praying Allah next to me.
Like everyone I was touched by his grace, by his kindness and by the way he was ajusting with all religions.
It happened that I was sitting next to him while he was in praise in front of an altar showing Jesus and Mary which was manufactured by his sons for the Pope in Rome, just nearby the ghats where an Hindu ceremony was going on.
There was a certain bliss, a lesson of peace and hope which is the legacy that he is leaving for us to share.

 

This is his portrait that I made two years ago.

The echo of God on the human wall

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“Whenever we encounter the Infinite in man, however imperfectly understood, we treat it with respect.
Whether in the synagogue, the mosque, the pagoda, or the wigwam, there is a hideous aspect which we execrate and a sublime aspect which we venerate.
So great a subject for spiritual contemplation, such measureless dreaming — the echo of God on the human wall!”
Victor Hugo (French romantic Poet, Novelist and Dramatist, 1802-1885)

I shot this picture a few hours ago as I was passing by this mosque which is located nearby Sigra in Varanasi (Benaras).
My Indian dreams have oftenly been under the influence of those bulbous domes with slender minarets and cupolas…

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A view of the world

 

This is a picture I took in the courtyard of the Jama Masjid in Delhi while I was visiting this place just before the evening prayor.
The place was almost empty then and I could enjoy the sunset with an amazing view over the old city andthe Red Fort.
A few people started to come, they were washing their feet in this pool and then were walking to the main dome pavillon.
There I met Hasan who recited the Signs of God (Qur’aan) to me…

The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa (Hindi: मस्जिद-ए-जहां नुमा, Urdu: مسجد جھان نمہ), commonly known as Jama Masjid जामिया/जामा मस्जिद of Delhi, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. 
Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is one of the largest and best-known mosques in India. 
It is also at the beginning of a very busy and popular street/center in Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

Masjid-i-Jahan Numa means “the mosque commanding a view of the world”, and the name Jama Masjid is a reference to the weekly congregation observed on Friday (the yaum al-jum`a) at the mosque. 
The courtyard of the mosque can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. 
The mosque also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including a copy of the Qur’an written on deer skin. 

Shah Jahan built several important mosques in Delhi, Agra, Ajmer and Lahore. 
The Jama Masjid’s floorplan is very similar to the Jama Masjid at Agra, but the Jama Masjid is the bigger and more imposing of the two. 
Its majesty is further enhanced because of the high ground that he selected for building this mosque. 
The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid of Lahore built by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb in 1673 is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi.

Talking about Allah

 took this picture in the Jama Masjid of Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: फतेहपूर सिकरी, Urdu: فتحپور سیکری) which is a city located at 36 Km of Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. 
It was the political capital of India’s Mughal Empire under Akbar’s reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly due to lack of water.

This Jama Masjid (mosque) was built in the manner of Indian mosques, with liwans (aisles) around a central courtyard. 
A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatris (small domed pavilions) over the sanctuary.
This grand open mosque was the model for several Mughal mosques.
Flanked by arched cloisters, its vast congregational area has monumental gateways to the east and south.
The spiritual focus of the complex is the tomb of the Sufi mystic, Salim Chishti, as popular today as it was during the time of Akbar.

Last week it was very hot and many people came there in order to enjoy the air which was blowing in those huge corridors.
It was making a real contrast with the rest of the important site which was completely empty.

This picture is for Hasan, whome I met last winter at the Jama Masjid of Delhi and who ever since sends me oftenly beautiful verses from Qur’aan or from Hadith.