By Jinal Shah - Mumbai Newsline - Mumbai,India
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Thirty years ago, when Mahim police could not get leads on a gruesome murder case involving a dismembered body found at Bandstand, the investigators—as a last resort—made a trip to Maqdoom Shah Baba’s dargah at Mahim, case papers in tow. A near miracle followed: They traced fingerprints and solved the case, now a small Mumbai Police legend known as the Bhutto murder case.
This incident was just a renewal of the Mumbai Police’s 120-year-old faith in the Sufi saint. It’s no wonder, like every year, this year too it will be the Mahim police who’ll first offer a chaddar (silk chawl) at the shrine on the occasion of Urs (annual commemoration), to be celebrated on Wednesday.
“The Urs of the saint starts with the police sandal,” said Senior Police Inspector (Mahim police station) Joseph Gaikwad, also chairman of the police committee, which readies for the event with great gusto each year. The sandal, including sandalwood paste, perfumes or ittar, flowers, silver utensils and a silk chaddar plus other offerings, is carried in a procession to the shrine.
It is only after this event, that other devotees can enter, including people who come from distant places like Mumbra, Kalyan and even Nashik. “If there is a difficult case or if we have to go outstation for investigation, we first go to the dargah to seek blessings,” said Gaikwad.
The procession begins from Mahim police station, which is believed to have been once the residence of the saint, who lived between 1335 and 1360 AD, during the reign of Mughal ruler Ferozeshah Tughlaq.
The otherwise rather drab police station transforms into a colourful site of music—various local groups perform—and prayers, with maulvis chanting and policemen of all rank and religion bowing down before a chair believed to be the Baba’s seat.
In the same room in the police station is also a 71-year-old cupboard that once belonged to Raymond Esquire, a British inspector at Mahim. Labelled ‘Hazrat Maqdoom Feqitali Sahib’, it stores a set of antique artefacts belonging to the saint.
The police committee will flag off a 10-day programme including a fun-fair, qawalis and other cultural events. This year, the Mumbai Police has also launched a book on the Sufi saint.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
City police gear up for Maqdoom Baba’s Urs
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Thirty years ago, when Mahim police could not get leads on a gruesome murder case involving a dismembered body found at Bandstand, the investigators—as a last resort—made a trip to Maqdoom Shah Baba’s dargah at Mahim, case papers in tow. A near miracle followed: They traced fingerprints and solved the case, now a small Mumbai Police legend known as the Bhutto murder case.
This incident was just a renewal of the Mumbai Police’s 120-year-old faith in the Sufi saint. It’s no wonder, like every year, this year too it will be the Mahim police who’ll first offer a chaddar (silk chawl) at the shrine on the occasion of Urs (annual commemoration), to be celebrated on Wednesday.
“The Urs of the saint starts with the police sandal,” said Senior Police Inspector (Mahim police station) Joseph Gaikwad, also chairman of the police committee, which readies for the event with great gusto each year. The sandal, including sandalwood paste, perfumes or ittar, flowers, silver utensils and a silk chaddar plus other offerings, is carried in a procession to the shrine.
It is only after this event, that other devotees can enter, including people who come from distant places like Mumbra, Kalyan and even Nashik. “If there is a difficult case or if we have to go outstation for investigation, we first go to the dargah to seek blessings,” said Gaikwad.
The procession begins from Mahim police station, which is believed to have been once the residence of the saint, who lived between 1335 and 1360 AD, during the reign of Mughal ruler Ferozeshah Tughlaq.
The otherwise rather drab police station transforms into a colourful site of music—various local groups perform—and prayers, with maulvis chanting and policemen of all rank and religion bowing down before a chair believed to be the Baba’s seat.
In the same room in the police station is also a 71-year-old cupboard that once belonged to Raymond Esquire, a British inspector at Mahim. Labelled ‘Hazrat Maqdoom Feqitali Sahib’, it stores a set of antique artefacts belonging to the saint.
The police committee will flag off a 10-day programme including a fun-fair, qawalis and other cultural events. This year, the Mumbai Police has also launched a book on the Sufi saint.
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saints and shrines
By Jinal Shah - Mumbai Newsline - Mumbai,IndiaWednesday, December 6, 2006
Thirty years ago, when Mahim police could not get leads on a gruesome murder case involving a dismembered body found at Bandstand, the investigators—as a last resort—made a trip to Maqdoom Shah Baba’s dargah at Mahim, case papers in tow. A near miracle followed: They traced fingerprints and solved the case, now a small Mumbai Police legend known as the Bhutto murder case.
This incident was just a renewal of the Mumbai Police’s 120-year-old faith in the Sufi saint. It’s no wonder, like every year, this year too it will be the Mahim police who’ll first offer a chaddar (silk chawl) at the shrine on the occasion of Urs (annual commemoration), to be celebrated on Wednesday.
“The Urs of the saint starts with the police sandal,” said Senior Police Inspector (Mahim police station) Joseph Gaikwad, also chairman of the police committee, which readies for the event with great gusto each year. The sandal, including sandalwood paste, perfumes or ittar, flowers, silver utensils and a silk chaddar plus other offerings, is carried in a procession to the shrine.
It is only after this event, that other devotees can enter, including people who come from distant places like Mumbra, Kalyan and even Nashik. “If there is a difficult case or if we have to go outstation for investigation, we first go to the dargah to seek blessings,” said Gaikwad.
The procession begins from Mahim police station, which is believed to have been once the residence of the saint, who lived between 1335 and 1360 AD, during the reign of Mughal ruler Ferozeshah Tughlaq.
The otherwise rather drab police station transforms into a colourful site of music—various local groups perform—and prayers, with maulvis chanting and policemen of all rank and religion bowing down before a chair believed to be the Baba’s seat.
In the same room in the police station is also a 71-year-old cupboard that once belonged to Raymond Esquire, a British inspector at Mahim. Labelled ‘Hazrat Maqdoom Feqitali Sahib’, it stores a set of antique artefacts belonging to the saint.
The police committee will flag off a 10-day programme including a fun-fair, qawalis and other cultural events. This year, the Mumbai Police has also launched a book on the Sufi saint.
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