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Nagore Dargah (also called Nagoor Dargah or Syed Shahul Hameed Dargah or Nagore Andavar dargah) is a
dargah A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...
built over the tomb of the
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saint
Shahul Hameed Shahul Hameed (Tamil: சாகுல் ஹமீது; 1953-1998) was an Indian playback singer who sang predominantly in Tamil cinema under the music direction of the Academy winner A. R. Rahman. His association with the composer dates bac ...
(1490–1579 CE). It is located in
Nagore Nagore is a town in the Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located approximately 12 km North of Karaikal and 5 km South of Nagapattinam. Nearby towns are Karaikal, Tiruvarur, and Velankanni. It has a population of appr ...
, a coastal town in the
South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
n state of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. The outer doors of the dargah are kept open always, while the internal doors are open from 4:00 am to 06:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. On Fridays, the doors are additionally kept open between 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Shahul Hamid is believed to have performed many miracles in Nagore, and cured the physical affliction of king
Achuthappa Nayak Achuthappa Nayak was the Thanjavur Nayak king who ruled from 1560 to 1614. From 1560 to 1580, he was co-monarch along with his father and from 1580 to 1614, he ruled on his own. His reign is generally regarded as one of peace and stability. Pe ...
, a 16th-century Hindu ruler of
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
. He is locally referred to as ''Nagore Andavar'', meaning the "Ruler of Nagore". Nagore dargah as it stands now, is believed to have been built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, with major contribution from Hindus. There are five minarets in the dargah, with the Hindu
Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), building the tallest minaret. The dargah is a major pilgrimage centre that attracts pilgrims from both
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, symbolizing peaceful coexistence between the two religions. The most prominent event celebrated at Nagore dargah is the Kanduri festival, a fourteen-day commemoration of the death anniversary of Shahul Hamid. Common worship practices at Nagore dargah include the presentation of offerings, accompanied by the playing of musical instruments like ''
nadaswaram The Nagaswaram (nādḥasvaram) is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. This instrument is "among the world's loudes ...
'', typical of Hindu religious tradition. The ''Shifa Gunta'', a pool within the precincts of the dargah, is considered sacred; pilgrims take a holy dip in it. The hereditary ''
Khalifa Khalifa or Khalifah (Arabic: خليفة) is a name or title which means "successor", "ruler" or "leader". It most commonly refers to the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups and others. Khalifa ...
'' (Sufi saint) performs all the official and religious duties of the dargah. The administration and maintenance of the dargah is governed by a committee which operates under a scheme decreed by the
Madras High Court The Madras High Court is a High Court in India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is located in Chennai, and is the third oldest high court of India after the Calcutta High C ...
.


About the saint

Shahul Hameedd Nagoori was born to Syed Hassan Kuthos Baba Kaadiri and Bibi Fathima at Manikpur, in Pratapgarh district of
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
. He was a 13th-generation descendant of the renowned Sufi saint, Muhiyudin Abd al-Qadir al-Jalani. Raj 2006, p. 69 He had his
Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
education at
Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
under the guidance of Mohammad Ghouse. He left on a pilgrimage to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
and then moved to
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
and Tamil Nadu with his spiritual team. Historians Sayyid and Qadir Hussain (1957) place the date of his birth on 10 November 1504, death on 10 November 1570 and arrival in Nagore during 1533–34. Werbner 1998, pp. 58–60 Other sources mention the year of death as 1558, 1570 or 1579. He is believed to have led a simple and pious life, performing a lot of miracles, giving him the name ''Nagore Andavar'' (meaning ruler of Nagore). Mohammada 2007, p. 224 His popularity grew outside Tanjore region during the period. He was also called Meera Saheb, Qadir Wali and Ganj-e-Sawai. According to local legend, hagiographical texts and historical records, Shahul Hamid is believed to have cured a Hindu ruler of
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
, king Achutappa Nayak (1529–1542 CE), of his physical affliction caused by sorcery. Raj 2006, p. 65 Shahul Hamid found a needled pigeon in the palace believed to be the cause of the misery. He removed the pins from the pigeon, resulting in the king's health improvement. In remembrance of the event, the practice of setting pigeons free in the premises of the dargah is continued by worshipers in modern times.


History of the dargah

Achutappa Nayak, the king of Thanjavur during the 16th century, donated of land to the entourage of Shahul, after the saint cured the king's affliction. The dargah was built on a part of the land donated by Nayak. Shahul Hamid is believed to have predicted his death and advised his adopted son Yusuf about his burial location and rites to be performed after his death. Yusuf performed the rites as per the instructions and decided to stay there for the rest of his life. A mausoleum was constructed over the grave. Devotees of Shahul, who continued to believe in his powers after his death, venerated the site of the burial. The shrine was initially a smaller one and gradually gained prominence. Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), the Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur prayed for a son and built the tallest of the five minarets (called ''Periya Manara'' locally) with a height of once his wish was fulfilled. The
Marathas The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
of the later period were patrons to the dargah, with the Maratha king
Thuljaji Thuljaji Bhonsle (Marathi: तुळजाजी, also known as Tullasu Rasa) (1738–1787) was the eldest son of Pratap singh and the ruler of Thanjavur Bhonsle dynasty from 1763 to 1773 and 1776 to 1787. He was a weak-hearted ruler despite ...
, the son of Pratap Singh, donating of agricultural land to the dargah. During the last quarter of 18th century, when there was conflict between European powers, the
Nawab of Arcot The Carnatic Sultanate was a kingdom in South India between about 1690 and 1855, and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until their demise. They initially had their capital at Arcot in the present-day Indian state of Tamil N ...
, the Maratha kings and
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
of
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
over Thanjavur region, the dargah was considered strategically important by all of them.


Architecture

The Nagore Dargah covers an area of enclosed by a compound wall. The main complex has four entrances in each direction. The dargah is believed to have been built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, who are 95 per cent Hindus. There are five minarets with different heights and the tallest one has a height of . It was erected during the 195th death anniversary of Shahul. The dargah has a gold-plated dome located on the west face outside the main entrance over the tombs of Shahul, his son Yusuf and his daughter-in-law Saeeda Sultana Biwi. The other four minarets are tall ''Sahib Minara'', tall ''Thalaimattu Minara'', tall Muthubaq Minara and tall ''Ottu Minara'', each constructed in four cardinal points around the dome. As a mark of respect, devotees venerate the
sandals Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can some ...
of the saint which are preserved in the shrine. The central part of the dargah is the tomb of the saint Shahul Hamid, which is approached through seven thresholds. Four of these doorways are made of silver and the remaining three of gold. The other tombs in the shrines are the ones for Shahul's grandson Hassan and Abdel Khader Gilani, each located in different chambers. The adjoining portion of the complex is called ''Peer Mandap'', the ''Trustys place of fasting during the annual festival. A mosque is located next to the ''Peer Mandap'', where daily prayers are offered. ''Shifa Gunta'' is a holy tank with stepped sides, located within the precincts of the dargah. As per a local legend, Shahul Hamid is believed to have brought an iron chain with him to Nagore to bind himself during severe austerities. The distinctive chain is identified as the one hanging from the ceiling above the tomb of Yusuf. Vanjur shrine and Silladi shrine, located outside the main complex, are associated with the Nagore Dargah. The Vanjur shrine is a cave located north of the main complex at Nagore. It is the place where Shahul is believed to have meditated for 40 days. Silladi shrine is located towards the east of main complex, facing the Bay of Bengal, where Shahul is believed to have offered daily prayers. There are similar shrines built in Shahul Hamid's honour in
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
(
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
) and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. The Singapore dargah, built during 1827, has been declared a national monument. These two shrines along with the
Masjid Jamae Jamae Mosque ( ms, Masjid Jamae, Jawi: , ta, மஸ்ஜித் ஜாமிஆ, Masjit Jāmi'ā) is one of the earliest mosques in Singapore, and is located on South Bridge Road in the Chinatown district within the Central Area. The mosqu ...
at Chulia in Singapore and the Keramat Data Koya in Penang are influenced by the architectural style of Nagore dargah.


Festivals

Kanduri festival is a 14-day annual event celebrated during the ''
urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc ...
'' (death anniversary) of the saint. The festival is celebrated in commemoration of the anniversary of the saint's death, and pilgrims participate in the rituals and rites. The word ''kanduri'' is derived from the
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word for table cloth. The festival is also called ''Qadir Wali Ke Fande'' festival. A saffron flag-carrying ceremony is also observed, during which a flag is carried from a devotee's house to the dargah, accompanied by a procession in streets. The flag is hoisted on a tree known as ''Fande ka Fahad'' by a ''Sirang'' (hereditary trustee) who is assisted by twenty assistants. The Islamic rites performed during the festival include the recitation of
Quranic verses The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
and observance of ''Fatiha'' (it includes; recitation of
Al-Fatiha Al-Fatiha (alternatively transliterated Al-Fātiḥa or Al-Fātiḥah; ar, ألْفَاتِحَة, ; ), is the first ''surah'' (chapter) of the Quran. It consists of 7 '' ayah'' (verses) which are a prayer for guidance and mercy. Al-Fatiha i ...
an essential part of daily prayer and ''
Durood ''Salawat'' ( ar, صَلَوَات, ' ''salat''; also referred to as ''divine blessings on Muhammad'', ''durood shareef'' or ''durood-e-Ibrahim'') is an Islamic complimentary Arabic phrase, which contains the salutation upon Muhammad. This ph ...
''). Mohammada 2007, p. 226 The main attraction of the festival is the presence of '' Fakhir Jamas'' (mendicant priests) and ''
Qalandar Qalandar may refer to: * Qalandariyya, a Sufi mystic order * Qalandar (title), a title for Sufi saints * Qalandar (clan), a Muslim community found in North India and Pakistan * Qalandar (tribe), a Hazara tribe found in Afghanistan Places in Ir ...
s''—the disciples of the saint who witness the festival. On the 9th day of '' Jamathul Akhir'' month in the
Islamic calendar The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or ...
, at 10 p.m., a '' pir'' (one of the disciples) is chosen for the spiritual exercise of offering prayers to the saint. The disciple throws lemons at the end of the prayers on devotees, which is believed to provide miraculous relief to worldly sorrows. The festival is also seen as a sacred exchange between Hindus and Muslims expressing solidarity of mixed faith in the region. Pilgrims from both the religions from the state and also from
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
,
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and
Gulf countries The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...
, attend the festival. Werbner 1998, pp. 61–62 In the evening of the ninth day of ''Akhir'' month in the Islamic calendar, a chariot containing sandal paste (locally called ''santhanakoodu'') is pulled across the streets of Nagore by pilgrims and devotees, accompanied by banging of instruments. The sandal paste is received by the saint's descendants and used to anoint the ''Rowla Sharif'' (sanctum) of the saint by the ''Khalifa'' of the dargah.


Worship, rituals and administration

Nagore dargah is a common place of worship for devotees of various religious faiths. According to the administration of the dargah, about 50–75 per cent of pilgrims visiting the dargah everyday are Hindus. The practise of offering flowers, sweatmeats and food, the way of conducting worship, and playing musical instruments like ''
nadaswaram The Nagaswaram (nādḥasvaram) is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. This instrument is "among the world's loudes ...
'' (a type of pipe instrument commonly used in Tamil Nadu) are typical of Hindu tradition. Other worship practises include offering flags and lighting lamps of ghee at the saint's tomb. Devotees shave their heads near the tank and offer tin or silver-plated facsimiles of body parts, houses, sailboats matching their material needs. Raj 2006, p. 83 Since Shahul Hamid was a celibate, he is offered a '' Sehra'' (head dress), and not the customary flowers as at other dargahs. As per a local legend, he was approached by a childless couple who informed them that they would be blessed with children but the first offspring would be presented to him to adopt. Following the tradition, many childless couple worship in the dargah. While the dargah is open throughout the day, the doors of the shrines are open only during early morning and evening. ''Shifa Gunta'', the tank within the precincts of the dargah, is considered sacred. It is believed that a dip in the tank cures physical ailments. Bayly 2003, p. 134 There is a hereditary ''Khalifa'', from among the descendants of saint Yusuf. He performs all the religious duties of the dargah. A central parliamentary committee deputed to verify the implementation of the Wakf Act of 1995 was informed in 2008 that the Nagore Dargah was not administered as per the provisions of the Act. The committee found that it is against the spirit of the provisions of the Act as the dargah is a surveyed and notified body under the Tamil Nadu Wakf board. The administration and maintenance of the dargah was henceforth governed by a committee which operates under a scheme decreed by the
Madras High Court The Madras High Court is a High Court in India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is located in Chennai, and is the third oldest high court of India after the Calcutta High C ...
. Shahul Hamid and the dargah are revered in Tamil religious literature across different centuries. The most important among them is ''Tirukkarana Puranam'' (1812) by Ceyk Aptul Kaatiru Nayinar Leppai Alim (also called Cekuna Pulavar) that details the life of the saint. The ''Nakur Puranam'', written by Kulam Katiru Navalar in 1893, describes the miracles performed by Shahul in the dargah after his death. A prose biography ''Kanjul Kaaramattu'', by Kulam Katiru Navalar, is also very popular. Raj 2006, p. 67 ''Nakaiyanthathi'', a
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
devotional poem, mentions the tank as "a haven of sweetness and comfort bedecked with the auspicious lotus".


See also

* Dargahs in Tamil Nadu


Notes


Footnotes

* Sufis are Muslim mystics, believed to embrace god based on a personal relationship in contrast to submission to god based on stipulated practises specified by religion. The word ''sufi'' is derived from Arabic word ''surf'' meaning wool, as the first practitioners of Sufism during the 9th century wore a coarse woolen garment. Some of the Sufi rituals drew inspiration from other religions and the geography where it was practised. Sufism is often referred as a mystic model in Islam and genuine Sufis "share an inner light and awakening and an outer courtesy and service to humanity". * Historically, Hindu
yogis A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 T ...
and Sufis have interacted amicably to find mutual ways of understanding the gap between the religions. Islam is believed to have arrived in South Asia through traders and Sufis and has blended with other religions practised in the region. * ''Khalifa'' in Sufism is commonly referred to the lead follower in Sufi order. His office is called ''khilafat''.


Citations


References

* * * * * *


External links

{{Commons category, Nagore Dargah
Nagore Dargah Shareef Official WebsiteNagore Awliya Baiths
Dargahs in India Mosques in Tamil Nadu Buildings and structures in Nagapattinam district