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Nizamuddin: Humayun's Tomb and the Sufi quarter
The Sufi Quarter
Nizamuddin is two worlds across one road: the Mughal garden tomb of Humayun with Sunder Nursery beside it, and the living medieval quarter around the shrine of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya. Do the tombs in the afternoon light, walk into the basti at sunset, and on a Thursday stay for the qawwali.
👥 Who it suits
Thursday qawwali Sufi Delhi Humayun's Tomb
Staying here
Awkward as a base, so come at sunset and stay for the evening.
🌙 In the evening
Thursday after sunset: qawwali at the dargah; keep to the busy lanes.
Getting there
Ⓜ JLN Stadium · Jangpura, then a rickshaw
What to see
Where to eat
Where to stay
👣 From the tombs to the dargah
The route moves from open gardens into narrow lanes, and from daylight into the evening.
- Humayun's Tomb
Start at Humayun's Tomb, the 16th-century mausoleum where Mughal architecture took the shape later seen at the Taj Mahal: red sandstone and white marble, a great dome, symmetrical gardens.
- Sunder Nursery next door
Next to the tomb lies Sunder Nursery, a 90-acre heritage park with restored Mughal-era tombs and an arboretum. Eat at the Zaika-e-Nizamuddin food truck, run by women from the basti (kebabs, biryani, nihari; ask about vegetarian dishes), or at the Carnatic Cafe for South Indian food. At weekends there is an organic market.
- Into Nizamuddin Basti
Towards sunset cross Mathura Road into the basti, the old quarter named after the saint. Flower sellers and kebab grills line the lanes to the shrine (Ghalib Kebab Corner grills seekh and shami kebabs to order; everything on its grill is meat). The poet Mirza Ghalib is buried in this neighbourhood, the other end of the story that begins at his haveli in Old Delhi.
- The dargah and qawwali
At the dargah (shrine) leave your shoes, cover your head and shoulders, and find a place on the marble. Amir Khusrau, the poet tradition credits with the form of qawwali, lies beside his master. On Thursdays after maghrib, the sunset prayer, the qawwals sit down and sing; entry is free and visitors of every faith come. Women may enter the courtyard and see the inner chamber from the veranda through the marble screens. More on qawwali in Delhi.
When to come
Thursday is the day: arrive before sunset and the qawwali follows the prayer, so the clock time moves with the season. Basant, when the qawwals dress in yellow and carry mustard flowers to the shrine, falls on 11 February 2027 (expected). The dargah also keeps a daily langar (free communal meal).
Thursday evenings are crowded: take care of your belongings, and after dark keep to the busy lanes. For a resident's view of the basti, Sair-e-Nizamuddin runs guided walks at weekends (Delhi walking tours).
Nizamuddin and its neighbours
The nearest pairing is Lodhi Colony with Lodhi Garden to the west: more tombs, fewer people, murals instead of bazaar lanes. Khan Market is the place for coffee and books on the same Violet Line. The Old City in the north is the other great Muslim quarter, bigger and louder.
Nizamuddin is awkward as a base, but two stays sit here: The Oberoi, which looks over the golf course and Humayun's Tomb (its Cirrus 9 rooftop bar faces the same view), and B Nineteen, an art-filled B&B in Nizamuddin East near Humayun's Tomb. Compare on where to stay in Delhi.
Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, where the Agra trains start, is close to the dargah. For the metro, JLN Stadium or Jangpura and then a rickshaw.
❓ FAQ
Who is buried in Hazrat Nizamuddin?
The Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325) of the Chishti order. His disciple, the poet Amir Khusrau, is buried beside him, and Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's daughter, is buried in the same compound.
What time is qawwali at Nizamuddin?
On Thursdays after maghrib, the sunset prayer, so the clock time shifts through the year. Arrive before sunset to find a place.
Where is Nizamuddin?
South-east of India Gate, on Mathura Road: Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery on one side, the basti and the dargah on the other.
What should I wear to Nizamuddin Dargah?
Cover shoulders, legs and head; shoes come off at the entrance.
Is there an entry fee for the qawwali?
No, entry and the qawwali are free.
Sources (3)
Facts checked: 8 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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