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Indians at Herod's Gate: A Jerusalem Tale
Author Navtej Sarna tells the intriguing story of an age old Indian presence in the heart of the old Jerusalem in the form of an Indian Hospice established centuries ago which has endured the ravages of time, regime changes, wars and destitution. The book focuses on a part of Jerusalem that seems destined to be forever India.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2013
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Navtej Sarna
18 books29 followersNavtej Sarna is an Indian author-columnist, and diplomat, who is the present Indian Ambassador to Israel.
He was born in Jalandhar, India to noted writer in Punjabi, Mohinder Singh Sarna, and passed out of the 1980 Class of Indian Foreign Service. Before holding this post, he was Joint Secretary for external publicity at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) , since October 2002, and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving spokesperson of the ministry, and served two prime ministers, three foreign ministers and four foreign secretaries, till the end of his term in September, 2008.
Previously as a diplomat served in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Teheran and Washington, DC .
He also writes short stories, and book reviews. His first novel published was 'We Weren't Lovers Like That' in 2003, followed by 'The Book of Nanak' in the same year, his latest,' The Exile', published in 2008, is based on the life of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and son Raja Ranjit Singh. Currently, 'Zafarnama', an epistle of victory written to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, has been translated by him into English from Persian.
He was born in Jalandhar, India to noted writer in Punjabi, Mohinder Singh Sarna, and passed out of the 1980 Class of Indian Foreign Service. Before holding this post, he was Joint Secretary for external publicity at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) , since October 2002, and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving spokesperson of the ministry, and served two prime ministers, three foreign ministers and four foreign secretaries, till the end of his term in September, 2008.
Previously as a diplomat served in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Teheran and Washington, DC .
He also writes short stories, and book reviews. His first novel published was 'We Weren't Lovers Like That' in 2003, followed by 'The Book of Nanak' in the same year, his latest,' The Exile', published in 2008, is based on the life of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and son Raja Ranjit Singh. Currently, 'Zafarnama', an epistle of victory written to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, has been translated by him into English from Persian.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 15, 2014
“The door to his hospice was never closed. Silver, food and blessings due to the kindness of the Almighty Creator – all were distributed from there to all corners. Yet no one came to the sheikh for material assistance since he himself possessed nothing. What a marvellous power! What a splendid life! To none of the sons of Adam had such grace been available.”
The words Nizamuddin Auliya wrote of his spiritual master Baba Farid would probably ring true for the generations of the Ansari family – the family that has looked after the Indian hospice of Jerusalem for close to a century.
Wandering through the streets of Jerusalem, Navtej Sarna walks through Herod’s Gate to stumble upon the ‘Zawiya al-Hindiya’ – a solitary Indian presence in the middle of the holy city. This is their story, for what starts off as a personal conversation out of curiosity then develops into a historical narrative of not just the family but modern-day Jerusalem as well.
Written as a rather light yet well-researched account of the Ansari family, Sarna’s mesmerising prose is what allows the reader to glide through the book at an unhurried pace. One watches Sheikh Nazir Hasan Ansari arrive on the instructions of the Muslim leaders of the Khilafat Movement, leaving behind his family in Saharanpur, then proceeding to turn the ‘pile of stones’ into a haven for soldiers and pilgrims alike during the turbulent times of the British Mandate and the Second World War. His eldest son Munir is poised to take over, only to find he has a fight on his hands to lay his rightful claim to becoming the next sheikh of the hospice, amid the trials and travails he’s faced over the years. As the years roll by, Sarna dips into the personal lives of the Ansaris while giving valuable insights into the legacy of the Indian hospice since the times of Baba Farid.
“Indians at Herod’s Gate: A Jerusalem Tale”, according to the author himself, is a story that insisted to be told and one cannot agree more with that. Recommended for anyone who wishes to take a short literary journey into the melange of culture and history that the Holy City embodies in its heart and soul.
The words Nizamuddin Auliya wrote of his spiritual master Baba Farid would probably ring true for the generations of the Ansari family – the family that has looked after the Indian hospice of Jerusalem for close to a century.
Wandering through the streets of Jerusalem, Navtej Sarna walks through Herod’s Gate to stumble upon the ‘Zawiya al-Hindiya’ – a solitary Indian presence in the middle of the holy city. This is their story, for what starts off as a personal conversation out of curiosity then develops into a historical narrative of not just the family but modern-day Jerusalem as well.
Written as a rather light yet well-researched account of the Ansari family, Sarna’s mesmerising prose is what allows the reader to glide through the book at an unhurried pace. One watches Sheikh Nazir Hasan Ansari arrive on the instructions of the Muslim leaders of the Khilafat Movement, leaving behind his family in Saharanpur, then proceeding to turn the ‘pile of stones’ into a haven for soldiers and pilgrims alike during the turbulent times of the British Mandate and the Second World War. His eldest son Munir is poised to take over, only to find he has a fight on his hands to lay his rightful claim to becoming the next sheikh of the hospice, amid the trials and travails he’s faced over the years. As the years roll by, Sarna dips into the personal lives of the Ansaris while giving valuable insights into the legacy of the Indian hospice since the times of Baba Farid.
“Indians at Herod’s Gate: A Jerusalem Tale”, according to the author himself, is a story that insisted to be told and one cannot agree more with that. Recommended for anyone who wishes to take a short literary journey into the melange of culture and history that the Holy City embodies in its heart and soul.
August 29, 2020
Jerusalem is a magical place where a stone may hold layers and layers of history. To delve into these layers, to draw a story that you want to tell and to tell it in a manner that will be interesting and intriguing is no mean task. This book talks about an Indian section of the old city which is not known to many Israelis and perhaps many Indians. Read and be enchanted by its stories. For one who thought that he knew a lot, I learnt a lot from this book about a place that he loves and admires.
January 5, 2019
An extremely interesting account of a Indian connection with Jerusalem, one that goes back many centuries. It is a personal account and I enjoyed it as it gave a very intimate and clear picture of one of the most sacred cities in the world, the seat of three major religions - Zionism, Christianity and Islam. It has been fought over, and changed hands many times over the centuries and through this account you gather some of the flavor and the politics of the region.
September 21, 2025
great book on the long spiritual and civilisational ties of India in the region. The only thing I found missing was a more detailed history and account of Jerusalem for those a little unaware about it.
August 19, 2014
Jerusalem, one of the world’s oldest cities and centre of the three Abrahamic religions, has for centuries attracted the devout from all parts of the globe. Neither strife nor privation has deterred the faithful or weakened their determination to maintain a presence in this holiest of cities.
Author Navtej Sarna tells the intriguing story of an age old Indian presence in the heart of the old city in the form of an Indian Hospice established centuries ago which has endured the ravages of time, regime changes, wars and destitution. The book focuses on a part of Jerusalem that seems destined to be forever India.
The story starts with the city itself, its ancient walls, gates and buildings, and leads to the Indian Hospice or Zawiya al-Hindiya erected on the site where the celebrated twelfth century Sufi saint Sheikh Farid ud-din Masud Ganj-i-Shakar popularly known as Baba Farid is believed to have meditated for forty days.
What could have been a boring account of an Indian hospice and its director has been transformed into a magical tale by Sarna, a veteran of many books including The Exile, We Weren’t Lovers Like That, Folk Tales of Poland and The Book of Nanak.
The images of Jerusalem, its old quarters, streets, cafes and mosques captured so skilfully in Sarna’s book will linger along with the story of an unusual family that insists on remaining Indian despite the passage of time and long faded connections to India. The tricolour proudly flutters outside the hospice and Sheikh Munir continues to remind visitors that once inside its walls they are in India.
Author Navtej Sarna tells the intriguing story of an age old Indian presence in the heart of the old city in the form of an Indian Hospice established centuries ago which has endured the ravages of time, regime changes, wars and destitution. The book focuses on a part of Jerusalem that seems destined to be forever India.
The story starts with the city itself, its ancient walls, gates and buildings, and leads to the Indian Hospice or Zawiya al-Hindiya erected on the site where the celebrated twelfth century Sufi saint Sheikh Farid ud-din Masud Ganj-i-Shakar popularly known as Baba Farid is believed to have meditated for forty days.
What could have been a boring account of an Indian hospice and its director has been transformed into a magical tale by Sarna, a veteran of many books including The Exile, We Weren’t Lovers Like That, Folk Tales of Poland and The Book of Nanak.
The images of Jerusalem, its old quarters, streets, cafes and mosques captured so skilfully in Sarna’s book will linger along with the story of an unusual family that insists on remaining Indian despite the passage of time and long faded connections to India. The tricolour proudly flutters outside the hospice and Sheikh Munir continues to remind visitors that once inside its walls they are in India.
August 20, 2016
It's a beautiful journey of discovery taking one back in time, like a forgotten chapter in history prised open. Told very lucidly, it takes one along on the exploration and provides history in easy, chewable bites. It closes beautifully - Navtej Sarna restrains himself from making it overly sentimental, which is easy and tempting. That 'go figure!' end adds to the interminable-ity the story is essentially about.
January 18, 2015
Indians at Herod’s Gate: A Jerusalem Tale is the chef-d’oeuvre work from the Indian author-columnist Navtej Sarna who currently also holds the esteemed office of the Indian ambassador to Israel. Sarna in this non-fiction book writes about....
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/non-ficti...
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/non-ficti...
March 17, 2015
The contents of this book is a surprise to me. A lesson in history, very beautifully told.
Till I read this book, had no clue that Baba Farid Ganj Shakr ever went to Jerusalem, and more so, he has a zawiya there, which is still aive and thriving.
January 23, 2015
An interesting book that is more like a travelogue... There are some intriguing anecdotes in this book and the Author has worked hard to delve into some stories that are enjoyable...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews