Panchmai Pir 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 ...

of pir (Muslim

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, ...

) in the

Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch (alternately spelled as Kuchchh) is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located in Gujarat (primarily the Kutch district), India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It is divided into t ...

area of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It has a famous legend associated with it. This legend has the roots of the custom of feeding jackals by those willing to start a journey to cross the great desert. __TOC__

Legend

According to a legend, over hundred years ago, a reclusive pir named panchmai walked across these salt wastes, his only companion a jackal. This was the origin of the tradition of feeding the local jackals.

Custom

Anyone who wants to start a journey to cross the great desert, first pays homage to the footprints of the panchmai pir on the hilltop. Then, he leaves some food there and starts to beat his thali. If the jackals turn up and eat up the food, it is considered auspicious. If they do not turn up, the ill-effects of the omen are considered serious enough to cancel the journey.

In popular culture

This legend is quite famous in the popular Indian culture. KN Daruwala's short story ''Love Across the Salt Desert'' is based on it. This story was later filmed into

Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...

's film ''

Refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

''.

References

Sufi shrines in India {{Sufism-stub