Nizamuddin dargah to reopen on Sunday

The mausoleum of Muslim saint Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi will reopen for devotees on Sunday with strict social distancing norms in place six months after it was closed as part of sweeping measures of check the Covid-19 pandemic. It will remain open to visitors between 5 am and 10 pm, the shrine’s caretakers said.

The area around the shrine was one of the first containment zones after the nearby Tablighi Jamaat headquarters emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot in March.

The caretakers said the devotees will be required to maintain a minimum six feet distance at the shrine and will not be allowed to spend more than 15 minutes there. They have set up various points, where the devotees will have to sanitise their hands. “Wearing masks inside the dargah is mandatory. No bags or luggage will be allowed...,” the shrine management said in a statement. “No sitting or waiting is allowed...”

The devotees will not be allowed to offer flowers, perfumes, and incense at the shrine or touch any part of the mausoleum. The Thursday night qawwalis at the dargah, which attract hundreds of visitors, will not be organised for now. “Anybody suffering from fever, cough, or cold or any symptoms of Covid-19 will not be allowed inside the dargah,” said a caretaker. Children below 10 and senior citizens above 65 will be discouraged from visiting the shrine.