Flags, flowers and festoons lent Manek Burj an ambience of heightened festivity when the place was decorated lavishly to celebrate the city’s 603rd foundation day on Tuesday. The monument, which still stands tall as Ahmedabad fort’s last sentinel, marks the place where Ahmed Shah, the ruler after whom the city is named, laid the city’s foundation.
Descendants of Manek Nath Baba performed a prayer ceremony to mark the anniversary celebrations. Ghanshyam Nath, the 12th mahant of the Nath family, Chandan Nath and his son, the 13th mahant, along with other members of the clan, kept the tradition of holding a prayer ceremony at the Burj alive even on the 603rd foundation day. “It was a nostalgic moment for the family as we remembered Manek Baba. He was the one who advised Ahmed Shah to lay the first foundation stone of Manek Burj,” said Chandan Nath.
The history of the Burj dates back to 1411 when Ahmed Shah ordered construction of a fort wall. Work kicked off intensively during the day, when the wall would come up brick by brick. However, during the night, the wall would collapse. “It is said that Manek Baba had magical powers. He wove a mat around the bricks during the day and let the fort walls soar up. But at night, he pulled the strands of the mat apart and the walls would tumble down,” said Chandan.
The ruler put up with it for a month and then sought the advice of a Sufi saint in Sarkhej who advised him to seek the blessings of Manek Baba. Construction then began with baba’s approval, and the bastion was named Manek Burj as a tribute to the saint.
Crying for restoration
If only for a day, Manek Burj gets to wear a festive look only once a year, all spruced up and decorated for the grand occasion. “The entrance gate which was installed a year ago by the civic body was pulled apart and stolen. It was only a few days back that the Burj got a new gate,” reported Subodh, the younger brother of Ghanshyam Nath. He also added that people were using the periphery as an open toilet. A notice board had to be put up stating that the monument was pious and should not be soiled. The family wants to restore the monument and is in talks with the civic body for a plan of action.
