5/5 VIJAY A. 5 months ago on Google
HIJRON
KA
KHANQAH
A
dargah
exists
in
the
lanes
of
Mahrauli.
It
houses
the
graves
of
Miyan
Saheb
and
49
other
unidentified
eunuchs.
The
khanqah's
origins
go
back
to
the
15th
century.
Since
then,
it
has
remained
a
sacred
space
for
Delhi’s
eunuch
community.
They
prey
and
celebrate
here
without
any
fear.
As
per
popular
folklore,
once
lived
a
wise
albeit
mysterious
woman
named
Miyan
Saheb.
One
day,
as
she
sat
on
the
steps
of
her
dargah,
a
grand
procession
of
the
King
happened
to
pass
by.
Miyan
Saheb's
eyes
met
the
eyes
of
the
king.
Taken
by
her
beauty,
the
king
ordered
his
guards
to
bring
her.
The
guards
found
only
an
elderly
woman,
walking
with
a
weak
stick.
On
further
inquiry,
she
insisted
that
she
was
the
sole
proprietor
of
the
place.
Taken
aback,
the
king
decided
to
personally
investigate
the
matter.
He
demanded
an
answer
from
the
old
lady.
Looking
straight
into
the
king's
eyes,
she
said,
"0
King,
the
youthful
maiden
you
seek
can
never
be
possessed
by
you.
Marriage
is
not
destined,
ownership
eludes
you."
The
king
pleaded
to
see
the
mysterious
beauty
once
more.
He
pledged
that
he
would
never
marry
her.
At
this,
the
old
woman
underwent
a
miraculous
transformation,
revealing
herself
to
be
the
gorgeous
Miyan
Saheb.
The
king
had
learned
his
lesson
that
some
treasures
are
meant
to
be
cherished
in
bonds
and
these
are
beyond
the
limits
of
marriage.
In
today’s
time,
no
one
knows
the
Miyan
sahib
or
the
King
of
the
story.
Thursday
is
regarded
as
the
most
auspicious
day
to
offer
prayers
at
Miyan
Saheb's
grave.
The
sacred
shrine
becomes
a
vibrant
meeting
point
for
the
community
during
Muharram
and
Shab-e-Baraat.
On
both
these
nights,
the
community
sits
together
and
shares
their
stories
of
life.
On
Shab-e-Baraat,
the
community
organizes
a
grand
langar.
In
it,
30
kilograms
of
mutton,
300
rotis,
and
halwa
are
prepared
and
distributed
among
the
poor.
The
architecture
of
the
building
gives
the
idea
that
it
was
built
during
the
Lodhi
era.
A
relic
here
also
serves
as
a
clue.
Once,
the
eunuchs,
now
often
marginalized,
played
important
roles
in
vital
positions
in
the
royal
courts.
In
the
Mughal
era,
they
held
responsibilities
such
as
guardians
of
the
female
quarters,
administrators,
envoys,
military
commanders,
intelligence
agents,
land
revenue
collectors,
royal
messengers,
etc.
Some
ran
successful
businesses,
attached
directly
to
the
King.
Chronicles
such
as
Babur
Nama
and
Akbar
Nama
provide
compelling
evidence
of
the
acknowledgment
of
hijras
as
a
distinct
third
gender.
These
books
also
mention
their
considerable
political
and
social
influence
within
the
Mughal
Courts.
In
Arundhati
Roy's
The
Ministry
of
Utmost
Happiness,
Ustad
Kulsoom
Bi,
puts
it,
“That
is
us.
That
is
our
ancestry,
our
history,
our
story.
We
were
never
commoners,
you
see,
we
were
members
of
the
staff
of
the
Royal
Palace."