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Know Your Neighbourhood: The story of how Delhi’s Majnu ka Tila got its name
Now a popular Tibetan neighborhood in Delhi, Majnu ka Tila has roots in a 16th-century meeting between Guru Nanak and Sufi mystic Abdulla, known as Majnu.
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To most people visiting Delhi today, Majnu ka Tila (popularly called MKT) is famous as a bustling Tibetan settlement. Located near Delhi University’s North Campus along the Yamuna River, it is officially known as New Aruna Nagar Colony or Samyeling. Colloquially dubbed "Little Tibet," the area transformed into a refugee settlement following the 1959 Tibetan uprising and the Dalai Lama’s exile.
Today, Majnu ka Tila is a beloved neighborhood for students, tourists and locals as well. It is known for its narrow lanes filled with Instagrammable cafes, pocket-friendly fashion and a thriving culinary scene — one can find everything from momos, laphing and thukpa to Korean barbecues and fluffy pancakes.
However, few visitors know that the name Majnu ka Tila (also spelled Majnu ka Tilla) has a history that dates back 500 years.
(Also read: Last orders at Majnu ka Tila: Delhi University's food adda goes on overdrive after High Court's order, Reels go viral)
How Majnu ka Tila got its name
Despite its association with the classic folklore of Laila and Majnu, MKT has nothing to do with the star-crossed lovers. Instead, the area’s name has a completely different historical origin. The story dates back over 500 years to the reign of Sikandar Lodhi in July 1505.
During the reign of Lodhi, a Sufi mystic named Abdulla—originally from Iran or Iraq—lived a solitary, devout life on a hillock (tilla) near the Yamuna River. Absorbed in deep meditation and God's love, locals nicknamed him "Majnu" (meaning "lost in love" or "the crazy one"). As a service to God, Majnu ferried people across the Yamuna River for free.
During his travels, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru, arrived in Delhi and met Majnu. In his book Dilli ki Khoj, Brij Kishan Chandiwala wrote that Nanak Dev ji chose to stay with Majnu when he arrived in Delhi.
Guru Nanak Dev arrived in Delhi as part of his extensive travels known as Udasis. These journeys were integral to his mission to spread the message of Sikhism.
Deeply moved by Guru Nanak's teachings on balancing spiritual renunciation with active life, Majnu became his disciple, and his hermitage became a center of faith.
Impressed by his devotion, Guru Nanak blessed the spot and granted Majnu's wish to name the hillock after him, giving birth to the name Majnu ka Tila.
Later history of Majnu ka Tila
The spiritual legacy of Majnu ka Tila continued to grow over the subsequent centuries.
The sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Gobind Ji, stayed at this spot during his dealings with Mughal Emperor Jahangir, before and after his imprisonment in Gwalior. According to an article on Niyogi Books, decades later, Ram Rai (the eldest son of the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai) stayed here when sent to Emperor Aurangzeb's court.
In 1783, Sikh military leader Sardar Baghel Singh built the Gurudwara Majnu Tilla Sahib to honor Guru Nanak’s visit. Constructed on land later donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century, it stands today as one of Delhi's oldest surviving Sikh shrines.
