Pir Ghaib : A Story of the Travels of a Monument that Changed Its Identity.

Near the Delhi University, is the Pir Ghaib complex. This complex consists of the ruins of a building and a baoli, and is located in the residential area of the Hindu Rao Hospital complex. The building, called Pir Ghaib, is double-storied and rectangular in shape with battered walls. It is a massive, rubble-built structure. To the south-west of this buibblelding a little distance away is the baoli, a deep but massive, rubble-built structure and a tunnel lead from its north wall towards the plain in the north. Both these structures were built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq around AD 1380 and are known as the Khushk-i Shikar (Hunting Palace) or Khushk-i Jahan Numa (World Showing Palace). In this paper I will explore the ways in which people's perception of these monuments have changed over time, and consequently the ways in which these monuments have been reconstructed differently in different periods. I hope this will contribute to a better understanding of the ever changing relationship between a monument and the society around it.

Today Pir Ghaib is not a very well-known site. Very rarely do tourists come to visit the monuments. Children play inside the compound of the Pir Ghaib and the local ruffians play card and gamble on the first floor. Pir Ghaib has a religious significance to it as is clearly evident from its name. The building is used as a kind of a Dargah of the Vanished Pir. A Baba comes here every Thursday. Though the hospital authorities are against such activities, the Pir Ghaib has been used as an unofficial Dargah for ages. The inability of the authorities to curb this practice can be linked to the high regard the residents have for the Baba. Something around 25 to 30 people come for his blessings and advice every Thursday. These people mostly belong to the lower strata of the society. In the residential area around Pir Ghaib, it is only the guards and the karamcharis who have a high regard for the Baba. The doctors who reside here are very cynical about him. One such doctor told me that there used to be a good Baba but the present one is a fraud even though he claims descent from the earlier one. He is here only to earn a living. Even though these doctors have no regard for the Baba, they consider the Pir Ghaib to be a religious building.

Whatever be their attitude, the residents are least bothered about the monument, irrespective of their social stratification. All that the residents know is that a Pir lived here who suddenly vanished and so it is called Pir Ghaib. They do not even know who built it. Their oblivion to the presence of these structures and their ignorance is very evident from the garbage dumped in the baoli and the unbearable stink that emits from the area around it. And yet they are proud of these monuments! Many residents have told me that they are proud of having two historical monuments in their midst and show these off to the guests who pay them a visit.

Many mysteries, legends and rumours are prevalent about the Pir Gahib.. The most recent one has been circulating after the Archaeological Survey of India took the pains to repair these structures. According to the residents, the tunnel from the baoli leads to the Red Fort and then on to Agra.

The Baba, Rehmat Ali, who at present visits Pir Ghaib has told me why Pir Ghaib is so called. According to him, Firoz Shah Tughlaq had built this structure as his hunting lodge. After the construction was over, he paid it a visit. When he climbed up the stairs to the first floor, he saw a fakir praying there. The Emperor looked back and when he turned around the fakir had vanished. The thought of this incident troubled him so much that he could neither eat nor sleep. One night he got a dream. In his dream the Pir appeared and asked him to build a cenotaph at the place where he had seen the Pir and he would get back his peace of mind and the Pir's blessings. Thus, Firoz Shah built the cenotaph and changed the hunting lodge into a place of worship. But since the cenotaph was not placed according to Islamic rules, it was later removed. The marks of the cenotaph can be seen in the northern room of the first floor. Now, as it happened, several Babas came here to worship the Pir. After the 1857 revolution, a Baba by the name of Mastan came here to worship. The present Baba traces his lineage to this Baba. Rehmat Ali's grandfather, Ashraf Ali, became the Baba after 1947, followed by his father Shahdat Ali. After Rehmat, his son is going to be the Baba.

Another legend believed by the locals is that, once when Hindoo Rao lived in his haveli, which is now in Azad Market in Bara Hindoo Rao, his daughter of 5 or 6 months was sleeping on a cradle made of silver. Two thieves stole the cradle along with the baby and escaped to the present site of the 'Pir Ghaib' which was then a densely forested area. A fakir named Syed Baba used to live in this area. On hearing the cries of the baby he came to her rescue and cursed the two thieves who became blind. He then returned the child to Hindoo Rao. Hindoo Rao was very eager to show his gratitude and do something for the Baba and so Syed Baba asked him to build a Dargah. Hindoo Rao first built the baoli whose water was used to build the Pir Ghaib and then to serve it. After this, the British came to India. By that time Syed Baba had already died. During the revolt of 1857, since the building was the highest point around Delhi, the British mounted an artillery on top of the building from where they shelled Red Fort and Purana Qila. As the bombing and firing was going on, there suddenly appeared in front of the soldiers manning the artillery on top of Pir Ghaib, an old man with flowing white beard and hair, wearing a white robe. When everyone saw him, they exclaimed that he was a Pir. Then, in front of their eyes the Pir vanished. From then on the building has been called Pir Ghaib. The locals are quite sure of its authenticity.

Looking closely at the two prevalent legends it is clear that both have associated the building with the Pir. Both of them give the Pir Ghaib a religious definition by providing a spiritual atmosphere for the legends. The legend narrated by the Baba is evidently more authentic than the other, but a conscious effort has been made through the legend to legitimize the Babas who come to pray here.

We can find several historical accounts mentioning Pir Ghaib. These are spread over a period of time stretching from the Sultanate period till the British period. But after its mention by Fanshawe in 1902, we have no proper mention of Pir Ghaib in any article other than its description in various books on the monuments of Delhi. This may be because of the fact that the attention of the common people have been taken up by the more prominent monuments in and around Delhi. The Pir Ghaib has been neglected over a long period of time. Even last year, when I first visited these monuments, the plaster on the outer wall of the Pir Ghaib was falling off and the whole compound was overgrown with weeds. The baoli also was overgrown with dense shrubs, so much so that neither the bottom, nor the stairs could be seen. It was used as a toilet and dustbin and the whole place was stinking.

The most recent account, just preceding the legends of today is an account in the book "Delhi Past and Present" written by H. C. Fanshawe in 1902.

"The observatory which stands on the highest point of the ridge, was in all probability the tower upon which a chiming clock was erected by the king. It is popularly known as the Pir Ghaib, or the Hidden Saint, perhaps from the underground galleries which connected it with the plain to the West, and of which vestiges may be seen throughout the slope on that side. On this side too, near the south corner of the area round Hindu Rao's house and at the level of the plain, is a fine baoli, with a very long flight of steps, belonging to the same period as the Khushk-i Shikar."

It is only in Fanshawe's account that we find the Pir Ghaid being referred to as an observatory. This may be due to the presence of holes in the roof and floor of the southern room on the first floor. The sky can be seen through these holes from the ground floor. It is also the only account where Pir Ghaib is said to mean 'Hidden Saint'. But I have not been able to find out why he thinks that a chiming clock was placed on top of this building.

Mention of the Pir Ghaib is also found in the accounts of Padre Tieffenthaler, who resided in India between AD 1743 and 1786. William Finch, in the memoirs of his travels as far as Lahore around A.D. 1611, specially mentions this site in the following terms :

"A little beyond Delhy are the relicks of a stately hunting house, built by an ancient Indian king, which has great curiosities of stone work about it."

It is notable that Finch in his account does not refer to this building as Pir Ghaib butt only as a hunting house. Thus, it is evident that the hunting lodge became associated with a Pir only after AD 1611.

During the Mughal period, we find mention of the baoli in Abul Fazal's account, where he says that the subterranean passage leading from the north wall of the baoli: "was wide enough to admit of Firuz Shah's passing along in mounted procession with the ladies of his harem." This is obviously an exaggerated account but it clearly shows how colourful the legends had been that surrounded the Pir Ghaib in the Mughal period.

The earliest account of the Pir Ghaib is found in Malfuzati Timuri by Sharfuddin Ali Yazdi who refers to it as Khushk-i Jahan Numa and says that Timur visited it when he invaded Delhi. Shams-i Siraj Afif also mentions it in Tarikh-i Firoz Shahi. But a detailed account of how the Pir Ghaib or Khushk-i Shikar came into being can be found in the accounts of an annalist of Firoz Shah.

"During the year 776 H (AD 1375), on the 12th of Safar, the king was plunged into affliction by the death of his favourite son, Fatah Khan, a prince of great promise, and the back of his strength was bent by the burden of grief. Finding no remedy, except in patience and resignation, he buried him in his own garden (now the Kadam Sharif) and performed the customary ceremonies upon the occasion. On account of the excess of his grief, the shadow of his regard was withdrawn from the cares of state, and he abandoned himself entirely to his sorrows. His nobles and councellors placed their heads on the ground, and represented that there was no course left but to submit to the divine will, and that he should not show further repugnance to administer the affairs of the kingdom. The wise king acceded to the supplications of his friends and well-wishers and, in order to dispel his sorrows, devoted himself to sport, and in the vicinity of New Delhi he built a wall of two or three parasangs in circumference, planted within the enclosure shady trees and converted it into a hunting park. The remains of it remain to this day."

I think this is quite an authentic account of how the Pir Ghaib came into being because even though the writer is an annalist of Firoz Shah and has been commissioned by someone to write it, this account does not give him much scope to glorify the emperor and thus he may not have manipulated the facts.

The Pir Ghaib is located on the highest point in the Ridge. This has given it a strategic importance. The surrounding area has been favoured by many for waging wars, the first being Timur's attack on Delhi. According to Shams-i Siraj, Timur, after storming the Fort of Loni came to this place, the Jahan Numa Palace of Firuz Shah as he thought the topography advantageous for his battle and while inspecting the area was attacked by Mallu Khan, a minister of Mohammad Tughlaq. Timur returned to his camp and a battle ensued in which Mallu Khan was killed. Again during the revolt of 1857, this area was a scene of battle. The Flagstaff Tower marks the place where the British ladies and children gathered on the 11th of May 1857, before they fled to Karnal. The Indian troops under Bahadur Shah Zafar made their last stand here on the 8th of June 1857 before falling back behind the city walls. Remains of artillery batteries can be found along the ridge. This event has a bearing on the present popular legend that a piece of artillery was mounted on top of Pir Ghaib.

The sporadic mention of Pir Ghaib in various accounts can also be linked to the shifting population in Delhi due to it being comprised of seven cities. During the Tughlaq period, since this area was a royal estate and the site of battle, it got mention. During the late Mughal period when the British came and started gaining political power in India, they settled around this area as it was outside the walled city of Shahjahanabad and offered a large area for their sprawling estates. It also became the seat of administration till it was shifted to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Thus, we get a lot of accounts of this area from that time. At present, it is inside a residential complex and thus is associated with various legends and mysteries. But these are restricted to local circulation as this area has lost its importance due to the shift in importance to South Delhi and the attention of people to the more important monuments in and around Delhi.

Comparison of the accounts of Pir Ghaib that I have mentioned shows a gradual change in the people's perception of the Pir Ghaib and the baoli. The Pir Ghaib was used as a hunting lodge during the Tughlug period. After that it fell into disuse as the population of Delhi shifted away and this area became only a marginal area. Till the Mughal Period or rather AD 1611, it was believed that Pir Ghaib was primarily built as a hunting lodge. It is only in the accounts after 1857 that mention is made of a Pir and a religious identify is attached to the building which is evident even in the name Pir Ghaib. At present it is the unofficial Dargah of this vanished Pir. The local people no longer associate it with a hunting lodge but with a Pir who vanished. The tunnel from the baoli, previously believed to have been a passage for Firuz Shah's processions is now regarded as an escape route and short-cut to the Red Fort and Agra. It is also very evident from these comparisons that as time has passed, the various legends have incorporated various events that occurred subsequently in the region. The present day legend, thus, incorporates Hindoo Rao and the British even though they have no direct connection with the building. There is also a marked absence of the sense of chronology in these legends. This is one of the main problems with oral tradition.

The meaning of the monuments has been changing over time and these monuments have been reconstructed differently in different periods and has been influenced by the society around it. And if you think I am not talking sense, pay these monuments a visit. It is worth it.

N.B. - I presented this paper in college and was published in the History Society Journal.