Sound of Music/Sacred Space

Musicians performing Kawali and attentive listeners at Nizamuddin Dargah, Delhi. The dargah or mausoleum is considered the resting place of one of the most famous Sufi  saints, Nizamuddin Aruliya (1238-1325). The sound, color and vibrancy of the crowded place is interesting at a time when many religious spaces are being sanitized by powerful puritanical orders, removing in the process numerous local traditions and practices.   

'Antiques'

Designs

Kids

Conversations

Moments could mean anything and many things. When people meet for whatever reasons at a place like Haus-I-Alai in Huas-Khas, Delhi which was originally built between AD 1296-1316, the past of the place as a madrasa and mosque complex is perhaps the last thing in their minds. But they converse, pause and pose; they work and they relax. In the backdrop of the past, the present unfolds in moments. But they might not be the kind of moments that ensured a place like Haus-I-Alai emerged in the first place. They might not be moments that would make history. But they are moments.

දිසි අදිසි දනා

මිහිදුම් සළු අතරින්
මුණගැසෙන තැන අඳුර
දුහුල් ආලෝක දහර,
ඈත අපැහැදිලි ඉමක
ඉපිල වියැකී යන
එ් මායාවී රූ
හමු නොවේ අපට කිසි විටත්;
නන්නාදුනනා එ් රූ
දොඩමළු නොව් අප හා
කෙදිනකවත්.


ඇවිත් නෑවිත්
හෙවනැලි ලොවින් මෙපිටට
දිගන්තයට ඔබ්බෙන්
බොඳවීයන එ් රූ,
වේය උයණ සරනා
දිසි අදිසි දනා.
 

නව දිල්ලිය, 19 දෙසැම්බර් 2011