If you have ever been to Qutub Minar, you must have noticed this lonely structure across the road. Shrouded in the mystery of its own past, this is the tomb of ‘Akbar’ Azim Khan.
Although, there is not
much written about him, but what we know, tells us that he was a general in the
army of Mughal emperor Jalaaluddin Muhammed Akbar (the Great). After
serving Akbar for many years with his valour and loyalty, Azim was awarded the
title ‘Akbar’ (the magnificent) by the emperor himself.
But after the emperor
died of dysentery in 1605, Azim gave up his rank in the royal court (after
serving Jehangir for a few years), and arrived in Delhi to follow Hazrat
Nizamuddin’s teachings of ‘Chishtiya’ Sufism. From then he began on his path of
spiritual enlightenment and gave up his rich and luxurious lifestyle. And after
several years of following the path of Hazrat Nizamuddin, Azim became a sage
for the people. The locals came to him looking for guidance. Soon, he garnered
a flock of his own devotees who would look upto him as a Sufi Saint. But Azim
never wanted this popularity, and so he decided to go and live at a place where
seldom anyone would come and find him. This was the tomb that we see today.
Constructed on a steep hill, Azim wanted his home/tomb to be less accessible,
so that he could live in peace (alone). Surrounded by pointy and smooth rocks
and shrubbery, sharp enough to give you hundreds of paper cuts, this structure
served Azim just as well how he hoped.
After his death, the
structure remained empty and after the British colonisation, the Sahebs (Englishmen)
used this place as a hang out spot, where they would trek to the tomb, party
and spend the night, looking over the magnificent view.
After independence, the
tomb fell under the jurisdiction of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and
was restored moderately. The graves were repaired and the sharp rocks were cut
into wide steps that now lead to a safe and convenient passage to this tomb
from the road. The tomb is now easily accessible to anyone and has no guard or
supervisor, but you still wont find many visitors here. As if Azim is still
watching his beloved abode and wants it to stay just how he liked it — isolated from the world.
So next time, you see
this structure from the road, just think of this powerful general who turned
his back on the world and became a hermit.
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