Nagore Dargah, Nagapattinam
Nagore
Dargah (also called Nagoor Dargah or Hazrat Syed Shahul
Hameed Dargah) is a dargah built over the tomb of the Sufi saint Hazrath Nagore Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE). It is located in Nagore, a coastal town in the South
Indian state of Tamilnadu. Outer doors kept open always. Internal doors opening
time is from 4:30 am to 07:00 am and 6:25 pm to 9:30 pm. Friday alone
additionally kept open from 12 noon to 2:30 pm also. Shahul Hamid is believed
to have performed many miracles in Nagore, and cured the physical affliction of
King Achuthappa Nayak, a 16th-century Hindu ruler of Thanjavur. He is locally referred to as Nagore Andavar,
meaning the "god 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 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 and Hinduism, 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, a 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 (Sufi saint), selected from among the
descendants of saint Yusuf, 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.
Sufi Saint Hazrath Nagore Shahul Hamid
Hazrath
Shahul Hamid Badusha Kaadiri was born to Hazrath Syed Hassan Kuthos Baba
Kaadiri and Bibi Fathima at Manikpur, in Pratapgarh district of Uttar
Pradesh. He was a 13th
generation descendant of the renowned Sufi saint, Hazrath Muhiyudin Abd al-Qadir
al-Jalani. He had his Islamic education at Gwalior under the guidance of Hazrat Mohammad Ghouse. He
left on a pilgrimage to Mecca and then moved to Maldives, Sri
Lanka and Tamilnadu 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. 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 god of
Nagore). His popularity grew outside Tanjore region during the
period. He was also called Meera Saheb, Qadir Wali and Ganj-e-Sawai.
As per
local legend, hagiographical texts and historical records, Shahul Hamid is believed
to have cured a Hindu ruler of Thanjavur, King Achuthappa Nayak (1529–1542 A.D.), of his
physical affliction caused by sorcery. 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
Achuthappa
Nayak, the king of Thanjavur during the 16th century, donated 200
acres (81 ha) 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 & gradually gained
prominence. Pratap Singh (1739–1763 A.D.), 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 131 ft. (40 m) once his wish
was fulfilled.
The Marathas of the later period were patrons to the dargah, with
the Maratha king Thuljaji, the son of Pratap Singh, donating 4,000 acres
(1,600 ha) 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 Maratha kings and Tipu
Sultan of Mysore over Thanjavur region, the dargah was considered
strategically important by all of them.
Architecture
The
Nagore Dargah covers an area of 5 acres (2.0 ha) 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 60 per
cent Hindus. There are five minarets with different heights and the
tallest one has a height of 131 ft. (40 m). 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 77 ft. (23 m) tall Sahib Minara,
93.5 ft. (28.5 m) tall Thalaimattu Minara, 93.25 ft.
(28.42 m) tall Muthubaq Minara and 80 ft (24 m) tall Ottu
Minara, each constructed in four cardinal points around the dome. As a mark of
respect, devotees venerate the sandals 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 Alaihis
Salam and Abdel Khader Gilani, each located in different chambers. The
adjoining portion of the complex is called Peer Mandap, the Trusty's
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 an
underground cave located 2 km (1.2 mi) 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 1 km (0.62 mi) 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 (Malaysia) and Singapore. The Singapore dargah, built during 1827, has been
declared a national monument. These two shrines along with the Masjid
Jamae 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 (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 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 Quaranic
verses and observance
of Fatiha (it includes; recitation of Al-Fatiha an essential part of daily prayer and Durood). The main attraction of the festival is the
presence of Fakhir
Jamas (mendicant priests)
and Qalandars—the disciples of the saint who witness the festival.
On the
9th day of Jamathul Akhir month in the Islamic
calendar, 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, Burma and Gulf
countries, attend the
festival.
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 & 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, sweetmeats and food, the way of conducting worship, and
playing musical instruments like Nadaswaram (a type of pipe instrument commonly used in Tamilnadu)
are a 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.
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. 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.
Literary
Mention
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. Nakaiyanthathi, a Tamil devotional poem, mentions the tank as "a
haven of sweetness and comfort bedecked with the auspicious lotus".
Connectivity
Nagore
is located near the Sea-Shore of Bay of Bengal near Nagapattinam Town in
Nagapattinam District. Nagoor is 325 Kms
from Chennai (Madras), 275 Kms from Madurai, 145 Kms from Trichy, 135 Kms from
Pondicherry and 85 Kms from Thanjavur. Nearest Railway Station is located at
Nagore itself and Nearest Airport is located at Trichy.