Pics: Joshwa D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Jan 31: The annual Uroos of Rahmania Dargah Masjid Shariff located at Nadupalli in Adyar Kannur here attracted thousands of devotees on Sunday January 31. The uniqueness of this Uroos lies in the fact that in order to reach the Dargah, the devotees had to cross a temporary bridge made of tens of boats lined across the picturesque Netravati river.

The Dargah is about 400 years old and sits in the middle of the Netravati river. This year, 64 boats were lined up, over which nearly 50,000 people hobbled their way across the 'bridge' to reach the Dargah.

Abdul Hameed, general secretary of Badriya Hasanatul Islam Masjid expressed his sadness over the sea erosion that has washed away part of the island and said, "Previously there was about 1 acre of land in this island but due to erosion now only 50 cents of land is left. In spite of repeated appeals to the public representatives only temporary walls were built which now have become old and got damaged. We request the government to make efforts to protect this heritage site which has a history of more than 400 years. A permanent protective wall needs to be built so that this can be preserved for the future generation. People from different places and different faiths come here, hence we request the administration to look into the matter and provide a permanent solution."

Normally people use boats to reach the Dargah, but like last time, this year too boats were lined up for the convenience of the devotees, especially women and children. Nevertheless, several boats were also seen making their way to the Dargah.

Tombs of three saints, who had spent their entire lives in providing spiritual guidance to the people, are located at this Dargah. The story goes that bodies of three persons, two brothers and a sister, had flown from west to east to this spot. The bodies were seen to be having some divine powers. The people had arranged to bury them and build their tombs on the right side of the mosque. Since then, people across different religions have made it a practice to visit the Dargah and seek fulfillment of their wishes.

This Dargah is well known for granting the wishes of farmers. There are many instances in which farmers, troubled by lack of rain, came here, made gruel mixed with jaggery as is customary, distributed it among the needy, and prayed for rain. Heavy rain soaked them on their way back. To celebrate these divine powers, every year, Uroos and other religious programmes are organized.

Despite the difficult in access, people have been flocking the Dargah to seek solace and solutions to their problems, be it sickness or loss, from centuries together. The Dargah holds a special place in the hearts of those who believe in its divinity.