The Horse's Grave in India: GhoRay ki Mazaar, Guess Where?

The horse's grave in Hyderabad, Deccan

Have you heard about this grave? The mazaar of the horse is not too well-known but once in a while one does hear about it from somewhere.

Though such graves are not common but I have seen the graves of elephants and heard about mazaars of parrots and cats in the past. Still, this one is slightly different.

Here the grave has the horse-shape structure [termed ghoDaa or ghoRaa] built in the midst of the mazaar. At many places where Sufi saints passed way, the local residents also built the mazaar of their pet animals when they later died.

But they are plane platforms with no image. This one is clearly an idol and may raise the heckles of those who fume at the sight of even the dargaahs and mazaars of genuine saints, let alone a mere animal!

When even the normals mazaars are being considered symbols of idolatry by a growing number of Muslims, what will remain of a poor horse. Interestingly, the mazaar is painted green and has a Muslim-ness around it, unlike the Hindu samadhi.

A local resident tells me that this particular horse was a buzurg [perhaps he meant saintly]. Another person said that it was a saint's horse which died here and was laid to rest but couldn't tell anything about the saint. May be I need to do more research.

Whatever. Someone does the upkeep and the flags that aflutter don't appear too old. Must be someone cleans the premises also on a regular basis. These are all examples of the unique cultural and religious fusion of Hinduism, Islam and local faith, and almost in every city you find something that represents neither of the religion or has ingredient of both of them.

Sai Taj durbars: Communal harmony among saints, devotees [Communal Harmony Project-13]

The 'Sai-Taj' durbars seem to be a recent phenomenon. People who have belief in both the saints--Sai Baba and Tajuddin Baba, visit these durbars which now exist in various cities.

These durbars are neither temples nor like samadhis or mazaars. But there are certain rituals that are observed here and the members of different communities with beliefs in the saint, visit these places.

The social gatherings at these durbars may not be too large but there is a camaraderie among visitors of every durbar, which is quite similar to the bonding in a cult.

I have met a number of people who are associated to different durbars. A friend is a staunch devotee of a living saint, who dabbles in tantrik practices.

The devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi comprise members of almost all the communities though he is now more considered a Hindu saint and Sai temples are common across the country.

Tajuddin Baba, a Sufi saint, has a huge following in Maharashtra and neighbouring states, particularly Chhattisgarh. Though the durbar can comprise of any two or three saints' devotees, Sai Baba and Tajuddin Baba share much more in common as they hail from same region and there are tens of thousands who throng to both shrines, in Shirdi and Nagpur.

Thus the existence of such durbars makes more sense. Of course, there is a commercial angle also. But that's the case with most shrines. The growing religiosity, ritualism and even beliefs in cults may worry social scientists and rationalists, one can't dismiss them as they do provide succour to the genuine devotees who have faith in babas and feel that they get mental peace at such places.

At the durbars, the anniversaries are celebrated with great fanfare and on certain week days also there is a big crowd. Otherwise the atmosphere is same--incense sticks around lifesize photographs and portraits of the saint, whom many believers consider divine and even at par with God.

Many Hindus and Muslims disapprove of such practices and are alarmed at the growing number of cults. However, this is a unique aspect of the Indian culture and shows the general devotion among masses many of whom remain attached to a particular religion but are at the same time devoted to saint belonging to another religion with an equal fervour.

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project

#communalharmony #communalharmonyproject #india

The Chillas of Hazrat Ghaus: Islamic shrines in Deccan

A couple of years ago when I first visited Hyderabad, the chillas had caught my eye. In North India, I had never seen them nor heard about them.

But in Hyderabad, I found them virtually at every other corner in the Old part of the City. I asked a friend [who is not a Muslim] and he told me that the 'chilla' is a common Islamic shrine in this region. 

Apart from mosques, if something is perceived as an Islamic shrine, then it's a mazaar, dargah or tomb. Or perhaps a Sufi khanqah (hospice). The chilla was a discovery for me.

I was surprised and asked him to wait for a while so that I could take a look at the chilla. The gate had 'Ya Ghaus dastgir' written in nastaliq Urdu. I sensed that it was Sufi-inspired shrine a la mazaar though of a different kind.

There are dozens of them in dense localities in Old Hyderabad. What I could make sense of a chilla was that wherever there was a green flag aflutter with image of a tiger on the wall other than angels, it has to be a chilla. It doesn't need much space.

Later I asked Hyderabadi Muslims and came to know about chillas. The chillas are spaces in honour of the great Sufi saint of Qadiriah order of  dervishes, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, [also Gilani], who was born in 1078 AD, a venerable figure for Muslims, especially, in Central Asia and South Asia.

On the occasion of the anniversaries of the Saints, a fresh flag is unfurled amid much fanfare. Hundreds of chillas are waqf properties. The earnings in some cases are substantial and there also madarsas and charitable orphanages run on the premises of the chilla.

Also termed Sultan of Saints, he is commonly referred as Ghaus-e-Azam [highest in the hierarchy of Sufi saints] or the supreme helper. He wrote famous texts like Futuh-ul-Ghaib, Malfuzat and Al-Fath ar-Rabbani [or the sublime revelation]. 

He is held in great esteem and the Gyarahvin Sharif is observed amid much fanfare in some parts of the country. There is a famous story about his childhood. While leaving with a caravan, his mother had given him a few gold coins. When the robbers came and everybody hid their valuables, the Sardar of the robbers asked the young boy about his possessions.

Having told by his mother that one should never lie, the young Muhiuddin Abdul Qadir told the robbers that he had the gold coins sewn in his dress. Initially the sardar thought it was a joke but when he tore the coat and found the gold, he was impressed with the boy's truthfulness and returned all the valuables.

In the last couple of decades, there is a marked shift, especially among middle-class upwardly mobile Muslims, who don't believe in intercession..

The visits to mazaars are also seen as idolatory but these are all extreme reactions. It doesn't mean that respect for Sufis has lost favour among the masses. 

In fact, there is also an urban class that looks at Sufism as chic and fashionable and label themselves as followers of Sufism.

There are millions who irrespective of their religious affiliations have respect for the Sufis and follow their path towards God. It's immature to assume that all Muslims who visit mazaars, are idolaters. 

That's an extreme reaction--more due to lack of awareness, getting judgmental about others and sectarianism. These shrines attract devotees of all religious and sects. Many visit the shrines for mental peace. 

Chillas of Gharib Nawaz

Above the Vindhya ranges [in Northern India] I haven't seen the Chillas anywhere. In Southern India, they are common. The flag is unfurled when someone's wish is fulfilled. Others also visit, pay respect at the shrine.

In parts of Southern India, most of the Chillas are that of Hazrat Ghuas and Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz of Ajmer. Apart from the Urs, on the sixth of every month there is a 'taqrib'. During Urs, the new 'sehra' is mounted on the chilla.

The poor folk mostly gather, recite fatiha and the 'tabarruk' is distributed. In short, Chillas are the 'Memorials of Sufi saints'. Sectarian differences apart, they represent another unique, localised and distinct phenomenon that adds to the Indian culture, which is a blend of myriad religious practices.