Ther's an old Persian proverb about Delhi, "Hanuz Dilli Door Ast", which came down in Hindi as, "Dilli Abhi Door Hai". Today we use it in the sense of - One's destination is yet far away!
However, the old proverb has come down since 1320 AD and hides within it's folds a piece of lesser known History related to Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Oliya.
In those days Ghiyasuddin Tughlak ruled over Delhi but the city was better known for it's Sufi saint Nizamuddin Oliya and his disciple Amir Khusro.
The ruler Ghiyasuddin Tughlak was very fond of the great poet and philosopher Amir Khusro who happened to be his courtier. But the Sultan was suspicious of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin and believed that he and the people hanging around in his reverence were plotting against the ruler himself.
The Sultan was once on his way back to Delhi after a war with West Bengal.On his way back he sent out a decree for Nizamuddin to leave Delhi before his return! Amir Khusro who deeply revered Nizamuddin was very disturbed by the farmaan and went to Oliya voicing his concern.
Nizamuddin was most unperturbed and said, "Hunuz Dilli door ast"- Which means Delhi is yet very far away! It so happened that as Sultan Ghiyasuddin was on his way back to Delhi after victory at war, a special celebration was held for him at a camp where a platform was erected for the king. In an ensuing storm the podium fell down and with it the Sultan himself had a fall and died. Indeed the Sultan never reached Delhi and Nizamuddin's words became proverbial- Dilli Abhi Door Hai."
