India’s 800-year-old connection with Jerusalem

India’s 800-year-old connection with Jerusalem

Subject: History

Section: Medieval India

Context: India’s 800-year-old connection with Jerusalem i.e Baba Farid’s lodge

More about the news:

• In the ancient city of Jerusalem, India’s presence dates back to the 12th century, with an Indian Hospice bearing a plaque commemorating this connection.
• In October 2021, India’s External Affairs Minister emphasized this 800-year relationship with a new plaque.

How did this connection come to be:

• Baba Farid, a Sufi saint from Punjab, is said to have meditated at a place in Jerusalem for 40 days.
• Indian Muslims on their way to Mecca started coming to the walled city of Jerusalem to pray at this location.
• Over time, this spot transformed into a shrine and a hospice for Indian travelers, becoming a significant historical and religious site.

 Baba Farid and the lodge:

• Baba Farid, a Sufi saint from Punjab was born in 1173 CE, was part of the Chishti order and one of the first Sufi saints to write his verses in Punjabi, some of which are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs.
• During his travels, Baba Farid visited Jerusalem, prayed at the Al-Aqsa mosque, and composed verses.
• He found a lodge within one of the gates of Old Jerusalem, known as Bab-az-Zahra among Muslims and Herod’s Gate among Christians.
• This lodge was part of a khanqah, which is a structure for Sufi orders, serving as both seminaries and hospices for travelers, located on a hillock within Herod’s Gate.
• After Baba Farid’s departure, the khanqah evolved into a hospice for travelers from India and was named Zawiya Al-Hindiya, meaning “the Lodge of Hind.”
• Despite changing rulers, including Christian crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottoman rulers, the lodge maintained its association with India.
• The lodge, known as Zawiya Al-Hindiya, was described by the medieval traveler Evliya Chelebi as one of the largest Zawiyas in the city in 1671.
• Leadership disputes and expansion of facilities at the lodge are documented in the historical record.
• During the Ottoman rule, sheikhs from South Asia played a significant role in the lodge’s prominence.
• With the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1919, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin Al-Husayni, took charge and initiated extensive renovations with support from Muslim patrons worldwide, including Indian princely states.
• In 1921, the Grand Mufti informed leaders of the Indian Khilafat Movement about the ‘Indian Lodge’ in need of repair, and Khwaja Nazir Hasan Ansari from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, took on the task.
• By 1924, the lodge was fully renovated and provided sanctuary to travelers and pilgrims from British India for the next 15 years.
• During World War II in 1939, the lodge served as a refuge for soldiers from British India fighting in North Africa.

How did the lodge get associated with independent India:

• After India gained independence, Nazir Ansari sought official recognition for the lodge from the Indian embassy in Egypt, solidifying its Indian identity.
• The lodge faced conflicts, enduring rocket strikes in 1952 and the Six-Day War in 1967, but it expanded over time to its current size of 7,000 square meters.
• The lodge also houses the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Jerusalem Health Centre.
• In 2000, the lodge was the site of a meeting between former Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini.
• The Indian Hospice is a must-visit for Indian diplomats and visiting dignitaries.
• Sheikh Mohammad Munir Ansari, born in Jerusalem in 1928, serves as the lodge’s administrator and received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2011, the highest honor given by the Government of India to overseas Indians.
• Despite regional turmoil, the Indian flags proudly fly at the lodge, and the Ansaris celebrate Independence Day every August 15.
• The property is owned by the Waqf Board of India and is accessible only to individuals of Indian citizenship or heritage.
• The hospice offers six guest rooms, a small mosque, a library, a dining hall, and a kitchen, where guests are encouraged to take care of their own cooking and laundry using provided supplies and equipment.
• The Ansari family continues to maintain the hospice, providing hospitality and a connection to India in Jerusalem.