Syncretic Spaces: Haji Malang

Heritage Sites, Syncretic Spaces and Sectarian Agenda Ram Puniyani On 6th December 1992, the biggest organized attack on a heritage structure, The Babri Mosque, took place in the presence of state forces. The Ram lalla idols were taken out and housed in a makeshift temple. Now Ram temple is being inaugurated with a different idol of Lord Ram. Country wide and also all over the World in nearly 50 countries a hysteria is being created for the Ram Temple inauguration by Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of a formally secular state. Alongside, all the wings of RSS combine are mobilizing the people all over to celebrate the day as Divali, to visit the local temple and organize programs on this day. The whole trajectory, from demolition to the planned inauguration, has yielded rich electoral dividends for the RSS-BJP, wedded to the agenda of Hindu Rashtra. In a way this whole event tells us as to how the crime of demolition, accompanying violence and the consequent inauguration of the temple has been a journey of strengthening polarization along religious lines. Other experiments have also been undertaken on similar lines. In Karnataka we saw that Baba Budan Giri Dargah was made an issue. This syncretic place was visited by Hindus and Muslims both as is the case with most Sufi shrines. We recall that in the 1990s the communal forces raised a campaign that this Dargah is a Hindu shrine and Muslims have occupied it. As such, “The site is mentioned as Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Darga in the government records… The place is also called Baba Budangiri and Dattatreya Peetha. Before 1964, the shrine was revered by both Hindus and Muslims. It symbolized Sufi culture and unity of Hindu and Islam cultures. What was a pilgrimage spot for the two faiths has become a disputed site between Hindus and Muslims.” Now the dispute is in the court, but through this journey BJP succeeded in consolidating its base for the first time in a Southern state, this matter is a constant source for polarization. At another level a small temple abutting the Charminar wall, Bhagyalaxmi temple, has been gradually expanded to sow the seeds of discord. Historic monument of Charminar is being vandalized by putting up renovation of Bhagyalaxmi temple, which is abutting the Charminar. This violates the norms of Archaeological Survey of India. The plea of ASI that the changes in temple may damage the Minar and that this an illegal act is falling on the deaf years and government has been letting the act of desecration of Charminar going on, much to the annoyance of the people of old city of Hyderabad and historic Charminar area. Some skirmishes also took place. Not to be left behind in Maharashtra, near Mumbai the Haji Malang Dargah has been brought into dispute and now the Chief Minister Eknath Rane is reviving the campaign to claim the Dargah as the Hindu place of worship. The agitation was begun by Shinde’s mentor Anand Dighe in 1982. “The first communal tensions over the structure, which signifies the syncretic culture of Maharashtra, occurred in the 1980s when Shiv Sena leader Dighe started a protest, claiming it was located at the site of an old Hindu shrine belonging to Nath Panth, an order of yogis. He claimed the shrine belonged to Hindus as it was the site of a 700-year-old Machindranath temple, according to Indian Express.” The Shiv Sena leaders started visiting the place on the day of the Urs. And that was the beginning of the tension... The matter is also in the court. Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai, sponsored a fact finding team which also interviewed the trustee of the dargah Trust Kashinath Gopal Ketkar, as per whom, "They don't have any sort of proof either documentary or whatsoever" that it was a temple of Nath sect. He stated that "the presence of Muslims is declining during Urs because of this controversy but people come later on all the year round." On being asked what he thought of the renaming, he said "I don't like it and I am rather pained to feel such things are being fomented. It is beyond doubt that the shrine belongs to Muslim Sufis, but His devotees cut across all the countries." He further says "People of forty villages around the hill will continue to say Haji Malang because they have deep rooted devotion towards the shrine but those who have the mischievous intention, will say whatever it suits them." The Hereditary Trustee also stated "Our aim is to provide good services to his devotee without any discomfort” Another research scholar, Rama Shyam, who did her doctoral research on the syncretic traditions of India, with a focus on this Dargah, in an interview to Indian Express (January 8, 2024 Mumbai) tells us that Ketkar family has the records which show their association with Dargah for over 360 years. Regarding the history of the place of Haji Malang baba and various shrines that line the entire path from foothills to the top, there are stories in oral tradition which pass through the generations. It is said that Baba Malang came here all the way from Medina… The oldest reference dates from 1774 (Anglo Maratha war) the 1882, Thane Gazetteer does mention Bawa Malang fair held in Malang Gad Hills. This is also confirmed by the CSSS report cited above. The deliberate attempts to create a dispute around the heritage structures, either to claim that they were Hindu places appropriated by Muslims and need to be reclaimed, is a time tested method by sectarian forces. India is replete with these sacred spaces visited by people of all religions. The interesting story about the pilgrims of Sabrimala temple who first visit St Sebastian Church and then go to the Mosque of Wavar peaks as a point of syncretism in India. This has survived for centuries. Currently due to the menacing form assumed by the sectarian nationalism even Sunehri Bagh Mosque is being targeted in the name of traffic issues. The major strength of India’s religious traditions are these spaces where people from different religions intermix. With the ascendance of communal politics, most of the Dargahs are either being targeted and Sufis are being demonized. Sadly the very traditions of intermixing are being looked down upon.