NEW DELHI (RNS) — Sitting on a rock on the lawns of the sprawling 14th-century Feroz Shah Kotla Fort complex in Delhi, Aarif often writes letters to spirits. His love interest, Neha, sits on the rock opposite him.
“Every Thursday, we tell the djinns (spirits) to help us,” said the 28-year-old Muslim software professional, who’s been in a secret relationship with Neha, who is Hindu, for four years. The Old Delhi resident is being referred to by his first name only due to concerns about his family finding out. “Our families won’t accept our union, so we need divine intervention.”
For Aarif, the red sandstone complex built during the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, the sultan of Delhi from 1351 to 1388, isn’t just a historical monument. He believes it to be a haven of spirits created from smokeless fire.
However, Aarif and other devotees — Muslims and those of other faiths — who once roamed the medieval complex freely have been locked out of some of its spiritually significant spaces after a spate of reforms in the last several years. With it, their connection to the fort that holds a special space in their lives has been jolted. Meanwhile, fort complex authorities say religious rituals of the crowds are harmi …