It was neither Eid nor Urs, but Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s abode in Delhi came alive in all its cultural magnificence for the yearly ‘Apni Basti Mela.’Three years ago, at the completion of the restoration work of Humayun’s tomb, PM Manmohan Singh called for a Public-Private partnership to preserve the architectural heritage of the Nizamuddin area. Aga Khan Trust, which had been a part of the former project, got roped in for this initiative too. Working on preservation of monuments here, the Trust realised that the locals are the ultimate caretakers of their heritage, and therefore, they must learn to value their history and identity as Nizamuddin Basti residents. Hence began the annual ‘Apni Basti Mela’ which saw its super successful third edition recently. Archana Saad Akhtar, of Aga Khan Trust says, “Nizamuddin boasts of maximum number of medieval Islamic buildings in Delhi – at least 50 mosques, shrines, step-wells, gardens etc. Besides, it has been the birthplace of several cultural traditions in music, poetry, food, crafts and rituals. Yet today, we see Nizamuddin lost in the cosmopolitan environ of New Delhi.”
Ismailimail 