What are the gestures that Jahanara records to indicate her devotion to the Shaikh? How does she suggest that the dargah was a special place?
Jahanara records several gestures to indicate her devotion. She rubbed her pale face with the dust of the threshold and walked barefoot from the doorway, kissing the ground. She circumambulated the light-filled tomb seven times, applied itar (perfume) on it, and placed her rose scarf on the tomb. She also refrained from sleeping on a leopard skin, extending her feet towards the sanctuary, or turning her back towards the Shaikh.
She suggests the dargah was a special place by describing it with reverence as an “illuminated and perfumed tomb” and a “holy sanctuary”. She refers to it as the “blessed sanctuary” of the revered master. By calling the tomb “light-filled” and treating the threshold as sacred, she emphasizes its spiritual significance.
Explanation
The answer is derived directly from the excerpt provided in the text, specifically Jahanara's biography of Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti. Part (i) lists the physical acts of humility (kissing ground, walking barefoot) and the ritual offerings (scarf, itar) mentioned in the text. Part (ii) focuses on the adjectives and specific terminology Jahanara uses to describe the shrine, highlighting its sanctity.