Harshini Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)
Udupi, Jun 15: Eid is a festival celebrated by the Muslim community where all members of families get together. They observe fast for a month and give up the fast on the last day by celebrating Eid.
The song, ‘Mahe Ramzan Aaya Hamara…Rosedaronka Chamka Sitara, Utho Utho...’ can be usually heard in the wee hours in the month of Ramadan in the areas where Muslims reside in large numbers.
Muslims observe a month of fast in Ramadan. They get up early in the mornings and have breakfast. It is called ‘Sehri’, the pre-dawn meal. It is an important part of the fast. ‘Sehri’is as important as the Ifthar to those who fast during the month. Fakirs go from house to house of Muslims and help them wake up in the morning.
There were no telephones, alarm clocks or mobile phones in the olden days. Fakirs used to wake up early in the mornings, visit houses and beat drums made of animal's skin called ‘Dayira’, sing and wake the residents saying it is ‘Sehri’.
However, we rarely see fakirs these days as there are mobiles, phones and alarms. However, some of the fakir brothers have continued the services during the entire month of Ramadan in places where there is Muslim population. They hail from Andhra Pradesh.
They wake up early in the mornings, hold a lamp in their hand, visit the houses of Muslims between 2.30 am to 4 pm, sing ‘Dayira’ songs, wake up the residents and help in ‘Sehri’. They later visit specified houses and complete ‘Sehri’. They also have Iftar there on that day. Families wait eagerly for their arrival. The people in villages who see the service of fakirs, help them as much as they can. They accept with a smile any amount that is given to them. They pray to the almighty for the people in the house and leave.
The fakirs go back to their hometowns after Ramzan. Some of the fakirs go to famous mosques in the country. Nazirulla Shah Rafai from Vinayak Nagar, Anantpur, Andra Pradesh was conducting the service in Padubidri during the last 45 years. His children Nazeemulla Shah Rafai and Rafai Alam Badshah are doing the same since the last fifteen years. Their brothers Shakir Ulla Sharafi Ahmedul Khazim and Nawazulla Shah Rafai have joined them.
They say that they have continued the service after the death of their father with the intention that the tradition started by their father should not stop. “My brother and I have continued the service for the last several years. Houses were few when we started. Those have increased now,” says one of them.
People call fakirs as Swamy. They remain in the madrasa at Padubidri for 30 days. Three men travel in three different directions during the day, visit the houses of Muslims and pray to the almighty for people residing in the houses they visit.
One hopes that the rare tradition by the brothers may continue.