At a meeting of the dargah trustees, organised on December 4, a decision was taken to send letters to all the qawwals and groups who participate in the 12-day fair.
The trustees at the Mahim Dargah this year intend to follow anti-Shariah (Islamic laws) activities more pro-actively at this year’s fair than it did last year. At a meeting of the dargah trustees, organised on December 4, a decision was taken to send letters to all the qawwals and groups who participate in the 12-day fair.
They have been informed that they should not play the music loud and in particular ‘filmi music’, and should not indulge in ‘dance’.
“These activities are anti-Shariah, they should not be happening.
We have decided that besides putting up a notice, we will take this issue more pro-actively this year,” said Suhail Khandwani, managing trustee of the Hazrat Makhdum Fakih Ali Mahimi Trust, which manages the dargah. He added, “An official letter will also be sent after our Thursday meeting. We will request them to recite Nath Shariat (poems in praise of the prophet) instead. Loud music also disturbs neighbours, which is also against the religion.”
When asked about the liberal attitudes for which Sufi saints are known, Khandwani said, “Sufism allows qawwalis and not filmi music and dance. That is against Shariah.”
Mahim fair, which begins from December 20 is a 12-day festival that witnesses almost half million devotees. It happens to be among the few gazetted festivals. Members of all the communities participate in the celebration. More than 300 stalls of eateries and toys are set up and qawwalis played at the dargah by people who come there. A qawwali programme is also arranged by the Mumbai police.
The Mumbai police offers the first sandal at the fair followed by the one offered by the dargah trustees before it is thrown open to the public.
The sandal consists of scent, sandalwood paste and incense sticks.
“It is tradition that the police has been observing,” he added. The sandal committee, which organises the events stated that this time they will be having qawwals from Hyderabad and Bangalore.
“On December 23, we will have programmes in Marathi and then qawwalis in Hindi at the Mahim police compound,” said LB Shaikh, secretary of the sandal committee, which looks after the fair celebrations.
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