Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s 723rd Urs: Justice Katju and Kapil Sibal Visit Delhi Dargah, Highlighting Sufi Values of Love and Communal Harmony
Justice Markandey Katju and senior advocate and MP Kapil Sibal visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah in Delhi on October 3, 2026, during the 723rd Urs of the renowned Sufi saint. Received by Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami, Sajjada Nashin of the dargah, they paid their respects at the shrines of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and his celebrated disciple Amir Khusro. In his account, Justice Katju reflects on Sufi traditions of love, compassion, tolerance and brotherhood, and connects them with Akbar’s principle of Suleh-e-Kul—equal respect for all religions and communities. The visit also highlights the role of dargahs as shared spaces of faith and social harmony in India.
 |
Hazrat
Nizamuddin Auliya’s 723rd Urs: Justice Katju and Kapil Sibal Visit Delhi
Dargah. |
A visit to the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia on 3rd October 2026 on his 723rd Urs
By Justice Markandey Katju
India is a country of tremendous diversity, so the only way to keep it united and on the path of progress is the policy of Suleh-e-Kul or giving equal respect to all religions and communities, proclaimed by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar ( 1542-1605 ).
The Sufi saints of India, who were Muslims, preached love, compassion, tolerance, and brotherhood among all human beings, irrespective of their religion, which is in accordance with the policy of Suleh-e-Kul.
Dargahs are shrines built on the graves of these sufi saints. Usually Hindus do not go to Muslim mosques, and Muslims do not go to Hindu temples. But all go to dargahs ( often there are more Hindus than Muslims visiting dargahs ). So dargahs unite us, and I love whatever unites us, and I often go to dargahs.
Urs is the death anniversary of the Sufi saint buried in a dargah. It is celebrated instead of being mourned, because it is believed that the saint was united with God on his death. On this occasion, qawwali music is sung in the dargah, and other forms of celebration are done
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya ( 1238-1325 ) was a famous Sufi saint, whose dargah is in Delhi
He preached love and brotherhood among all human beings, irrespective of their religion. Here is a story about him and his chief disciple, Amir Khusro :
Last year, on 12th October 2025, on the 722nd Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, I went to his dargah with my friend Salman Khursheed, former Union Foreign Minister, about which I wrote the article below :
This year, on 3rd October 2026, my friend Kapil Sibal, MP, former Union Minister and senior advocate, Supreme Court, and I visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah, Delhi, during the 723rd Urs of the saint.
We were received by Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami, the Sajjada Nashin and President of the managing committee of the Dargah. He first took us to a room and offered us tea and some snacks, and related to us some stories about the saint. One of these stories was that Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya had given strict instructions to his aides never to ask the religion of any visitor, but instead to first offer him/her food and water, and then ask if he/she had any problem, and try to help him/her.
Farid saheb then took us first to the dargah of Amir Khusro, the chief disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, and then to that of the latter ( which are next to each other ). There we showered flowers on the maqbara ( grave ) of each, and laid 'chaadar' on them ( as is the custom ).
Amir Khusro, the chief disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, whose dargah is next to that of the latter, is often described as the Michelangelo of India, in view of his manifold contributions to Indian art and culture
(Justice Markandey Katju is former Chairman, Press Council of India and former Judge, Supreme Court of India.)
FAQs
1. Who visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah during the 723rd Urs in 2026?
Justice Markandey Katju and senior advocate and MP Kapil Sibal visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah in Delhi on October 3, 2026, during the saint’s 723rd Urs.
2. What is the Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya?
Urs is the commemoration of a Sufi saint’s death anniversary. In Sufi tradition, it is regarded as the saint’s union with God and is therefore observed as a celebration rather than solely as a mourning occasion.
3. Who was Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya?
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325) was one of the most renowned Sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent. His teachings emphasised love, compassion, spiritual devotion and fellowship among human beings.
4. Where is Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Dargah located?
The dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is located in Nizamuddin, Delhi. The shrine of his celebrated disciple and poet Amir Khusro is located nearby.
5. Who is Amir Khusro?
Amir Khusro was a celebrated poet, musician and cultural figure of medieval India and the chief disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. His contributions played an important role in the development of Indian literary and musical culture.
6. What is Suleh-e-Kul?
Suleh-e-Kul, meaning “peace with all” or universal peace, is associated with the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s policy of religious tolerance and equal respect toward different religious communities.
7. Why does Justice Markandey Katju regard dargahs as symbols of social harmony?
Justice Katju argues that dargahs have historically attracted visitors from different religious communities. He regards these shared spaces as places where people of diverse faiths can come together, reflecting values of tolerance, fellowship and communal harmony.
8. What happened during Justice Katju and Kapil Sibal’s visit to the dargah?
They were received by Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami, the Sajjada Nashin and president of the dargah’s managing committee. They heard stories associated with Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, visited the shrines of Amir Khusro and Nizamuddin Auliya, offered flowers and placed chaadars on the graves according to the custom.
9. What teaching of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is highlighted by Justice Katju?
The article recounts a tradition that Nizamuddin Auliya instructed his aides not to ask a visitor’s religion first, but to offer food and water and ask whether the visitor had a problem that could be helped.
10. Why is the 723rd Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya significant?
The 723rd Urs provides an occasion to remember Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s spiritual legacy and the broader Sufi traditions of compassion, tolerance and fellowship, while also reflecting on India’s long history of religious and cultural diversity.
