GADAG : Residents of Dawal Malik village in Gadag district are united by more than just their address. A firm belief in the powers of a saint who watches over the place has resulted in the entire village being dotted with houses that have no doors or windows. The community also takes immense pride in the fact that not a single crime has been committed here for at least 60 years. And then there is the connection forged with ‘Mujawar’ -- the surname of each person in Dawal Malik.
The 100-odd houses in the village, which is located 23 km from Gadag and just half a km off the busy Gadag-Lakshmeshwar Road, have no doors and windows as it is considered a bad omen here. “We strongly believe that Dawal Malik, whose Dargah is located on a hilltop here, will protect us, so we do not have doors and windows,” Ateek Mujawar, a 60-year-old village resident, told The New Sunday Express.
Lending credence to their faith is the fact that the village, with a population of nearly 1,200 people, has not witnessed a single criminal activity for over six decades. Women fearlessly venture outdoors late at night. Several people sleep in their farms located near the habitation.
“We have been seeing the village for several decades, and have not heard about a single theft or any other crime,” Kannada Sahitya Academy member B M Harapanahalli says. “In this village, a woman can walk without fear at 1am. Forgotten items, even expensive ones like gold ornaments, are found untouched at the same spot even several days later,” adds Harapanahalli, who hails from Mulgund.
The police affirm the crime-free status of Dawal Malik. “Yes, no crimes have been reported in this hamlet for the last 60 years,” says Mulgund Police Sub-Inspector Chandrappa Eti, who has been posted here for the last one-and-a-half years. “Our senior officers also told us the same story. It is a surprising thing for us. One or two constables go on a daily beat,” he adds, talking about how happy and proud he feels to have a village under his supervision where the crime rate is zero.
It’s not just serious crimes that are unheard of here. Even small incidents like fights do not occur in the village, Mahantesh Kanavi, a farmer and social activist from Mulgund, says. “I have been seeing Dawal Malik since my childhood. For the last 40 years, I have not come across a single fight there,” he says, recounting how the housewives sit outside their house and have friendly chats about their family issues or politics. “The village is famous as ‘Aparadhamukta Gram’ (crime-free village),” he says.
Kanavi, who has many friends in Dawal Malik, points out that all of them have the same surname. “So we call them by their first name or their pet name,” he adds.All the villagers carry the surname Mujawar, an epithet used for clerics at a Dargah and those meant for service of God. According to a villager, it’s possible that their ancestors who originally settled here carried the name. Many families are priests at the Dawal Malik Dargah, and take turns to offer prayers at the shrine. But people of nearby villages started calling everyone in the village with this surname, and even though some family members are not actually priests, they are still called Mujawar now.
The village is visited by 200-300 devotees every day, who come from various parts of the state, and also from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Goa, to seek blessings at the Dargah. Devotees who arrive at night either stay in rooms in front of the Dargah managed by the villagers or at the house of a local person. Most villagers are involved in tourism-related activities for the pilgrims. While some ply rickshaws or run hotels, others give rooms on rent or are engaged in cleaning or administration of the Dargah. Women work in agricultural fields or run tea shops.
The place, which has a large percentage of Hindu population, also sets an example for communal harmony and the lack of alcohol shops. “Our secular way of living is famous even in surrounding taluks and districts,” says Fathima, a resident, with pride. Sana, another resident, adds, “If there is any dispute, it is
settled by the seniors. Their decision is final.”