A Djinn & A Prayer

A motley group of 25 people collected at the entrance of Kotla led by Ramit Mitra and Asif Khan Dehlvi,the operators of Delhi by Foot. As the sun finally began to sink and the walk started in proper,Mitra and Dehlvi began speaking about the unusual reputation Feroze Shah Kotla enjoys as the bastion of “good” djinns in the country,and is in fact regarded as home to the largest number of djinns in Asia.

People,regardless of religion,come and pray and ask for wishes at the complex. The walls of the entrance gate and the catacombs under the main mosque are plastered with flowers,candles,agarbatis and coins,evidence of their faith. They made for an arresting sight,especially in the dark catacombs,filled with bats,the only light coming from proffered candles.

Feroze Shah Kotla has experienced many strange phenomena,all indicating a supernatural,albeit benevolent,presence,said Dehlvi. He had many stories to tell. In 2005,a bull charged at schoolchildren lined up at the entrance to the complex when at the last second before impact,it was inexplicably “stopped and turned around” by invisible hands. In 2012,Dehlvi says he had been unsuccessfully attempting to photograph an eagle at the complex for several days,when he came across an old fakir,who made an unusual gesture and “called” the eagle down,till Asif finished photographing it. The last he saw of him,the old man was disappearing down the catacombs followed by a line of cats and dogs. To this day he believes the man was in fact a djinn.

Though I personally didn’t experience any presence,there was a peculiarly peaceful feeling in the catacombs,suffused with fragrances. Perhaps,it’s no accident that the presence of a djinn is announced by a sweet aroma.