Beemapally is a region within the city of
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
in the state of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. Beemapally is famous for its mosque, Beemapally Dargah Shareef, which houses the tomb of Syedunnisa Beema Beevi, a woman believed to have divine powers, and her son Syedu Shuhada Maheen Abubacker. Every year there is a festival held to venerate Beema Beevi which attracts thousands of pilgrims from all faiths and castes. The tomb of Beema Beevi, the lady with miraculous powers who is believed to belong to the
Prophet Mohammed
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
’s family, is located at the mosque.
Inauguration
Quaid-E-Millat
M. Muhammad Ismail the first president of
Indian Union Muslim League
The Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the I. U. M. L. or the League) is an Indian political party primarily based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is recognised as a State Party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India.
The fir ...
who has laid the foundation stone of Beemapally Mosque in 1967. The design and construction of the mosque was executed by Gopala Krishnan, a famous architect on making beautiful mosques in the state of Kerala.
Annual Urus
Beemapally Mosque is famous for its annual
urus, which attracts scores of pilgrims from all walks of life. The festival, which marks the death anniversary of Syedunnisa Beema Beevi, starts on the first day of Islamic month Jumada al-Akhir (Arabic:
جُمَادَىٰ ٱلْآخِر, romanized: Jumādā al-ʾĀkhir) and continues for the next ten days.
The celebration begins with the hoisting of the customary flag of the mosque in front of the elders and other devotees. The devotees carry money in pots adorned with flowers and incense sticks. The pot’s opening is swathed in white cloth, and a garland is fastened around the neck. The pots are daubed with sandal paste, which is why the festival is called Chandanakudam (sandal pot). Many religious discussions are held in the mosque, art forms like duffmuttu are performed, and Islamic devotional songs are performed outside the mosque. On the final day of Chandanakudam Mahotsavam, a flag from Beema Bibi’s grave is taken; there is a grand procession with caparisoned elephants and the music of the
panchavadyam
Panchavadyam (Malayalam: പഞ്ചവാദ്യം), literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four — timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka ...
(five instruments).
References
External links
Kerala Tourism
Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram
Suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram
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