March 09, 2013

Prayer Time At Delhi’s Jama Masjid



As the clock struck 4, a barely perceptible crackle over the public address system soon turned into a mellifluous call to prayer at Delhi's Jama Masjid.


I sat on a raised platform facing the historic masjid in old Delhi. The platform ran east-west along the length of the quadrangle enclosing a large courtyard where visitors milled about and joyous children scattered hundreds of feeding pigeons into the sky to watch them circle overhead before settling down once again among the grains an old Muslim man in a skull cap had spread in the middle of the courtyard.


Click Play to listen to the muezzin at prayer time in Delhi's Jama Masjid 

Visitors continued to stream in through the towering southern entrance. I let the muezzin’s magic work over me. After hours on foot through Delhi’s crowded gallis here was a voice that made space I could meander in without leaving my seat on the platform.



Behind me, framed in ornamented arches that looked out to the Red Fort in the distance two Muslim women in burqa sat cross-legged on the stone floor offering prayers from their holy book. The Urdu letters were visible from where I sat several feet away. Not once did they look up from the book in the time I was there.

The soft afternoon Sun slanted across the platform, echoing the warmth the muezzin's call to prayer lent the vanishing day.

9 comments:

Connie said...

Nice pictures. Your words described very well the scene there too. I felt like I could see it happening.

Neeraj said...

The second photo with the flying pigeons is a classic jama masjid photo. Great shot!

The women quietly reading their holy book... that's how it should be. Instead, what we have are the annoying loudspeakers.

Riot Kitty said...

Those are beautiful. You really manage to capture the scene without anyone seeing you, how do you do that?

Charukesi said...

as always, a lovely post, Anil. It's one of my favourite places too - love the peace - and it's great for photography!

Susan Scheid said...

You've captured the moment beautifully. Thank you for bringing us into the scene.

Anu said...

The silhouetted images of the mosque during dusk is beautifully captured!

Indian Bazaars said...

Listening to the recording of the Muezzin's call whilst continuing to read the post, was quite like being there ourselves...

Edge Bender said...

@Anil P
Once visit for Taz-ul-Masajid of Bhopal.It is really nice place & you will find more place too.

kankana saha said...

The bustling gallis near the gate no. 3 of the mosque beckons you for food, books and a short escape to study the buried 18th century old city of Shahjanabad ...when you go for the mosque, just dont visit the interior, try to visit the surrounding narrow lanes too.. every lane has a history