Wl-1310-Demolition of Dargahs and Desire

Sufi shrines and traditions point towards the syncretic and pluralistic traditions of the country- from the Nath Yogis to Malamati pirs, from the fluidity of Bulle Shah kafis to the twentieth-century idea of yukta sadhana. An exploration of religious pluralism through India’s history shows that ideas of desire, asceticism, devotion, and formlessness of god- were some of the concepts that were widely shared among the various religious traditions. Indeed, it is impossible to imagine the religious landscape without the contributions of Muslim saints. The recent demolition of Sufi shrines in Delhi in the name of ‘land jihad’ runs contrary to the traditions of shared faith in India. The question of religion continues to be of immense importance in contemporary politics and culture- and Islamic shrines continue to be sacred spaces of harmony, healing and history. As the ‘othering’ of Muslim signs becomes increasingly common, what can we learn from history to retain the social fabric of the country?