THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The annual Uroos festival of Beemapally Dargah Sheriff in the capital got off to a colourful start on Thursday morning.
Thousands of believers had thronged the shrine since early morning to attend the rituals marking the beginning of the ten-day-long festivities.
The rites began with the Dua prayer led by Beemapally Muslim Jama-ath Imam Janab Abdul Khadar Anvari at 8 am. Half-an-hour later, ‘pattana pradakshinam’, the colourful procession, set off from the mosque premises.
Thousands of devotees participated in the procession that wound its way to Poonthura, where the Jama-ath’s jurisdiction ends. Believers’ families en route greeted the procession by offering money and silk.
The silk offered in green and red colours were to be placed on the tombs of Her Holiness Syedunnisa Beema Beevi and her son Syed Shaheed Maheen Aboobaker in the mosque.
The procession’s return to the mosque was followed by a Dua prayer led by Jama-ath chief Imam Janam Al Haj Hassan Asharafi Hafil Al Bakhavi.
At 11 am, festival flags were hoisted amidst ‘takbeer’ recitals by believers marking the beginning of the festival. Jama-ath president P Asharaf Ali and other office-bearers hoisted the flags at the minarets and the ‘khubba’ inside the shrine.
It was followed by devotees hanging silk flags on the long ropes that extended from the minarets to the shrine’s courtyard.
Believers, cutting across religious lines, thronged the shrine all through the day to offer prayers at the tombs. In the evening, a communal harmony meeting held on the mosque premises was attended by religious leaders, scholars and eminent personalities in the political and cultural fields.
Jama-ath office-bearers said ‘Munajat’, ‘Moulood’ recital and ‘Ratheeb’ will be held on all the festival days. The ‘pattana pradakshinam’ (procession in the town) marking the valedictory of the festival will begin on March 20 at 2 am.
Valedictory
The procession’s return to the shrine will be followed by a special prayer for maintaining communal harmony across the globe and for the welfare of the humanity. It will be led by V P A Abdul Rahman Attakoya Thangal Dharimi.
The festival will conclude at 6 a.m. after the customary ‘annadanam.’ The Jama-ath has made elaborate arrangements for the comfort of the pilgrims. The police and Fire and Rescue Services have deployed personnel in the festival area. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is running special services to the shrine from various locations in the district.
A long line of shops, ranging from eateries to fancy shops, have come up on the spacious ground in front of the mosque.
Religious lectures
The shrine
Mosque named after Her Holiness Syedunnisa Beema Beevi, relative of the Prophet. It houses the tombs of Beevi and her son Syed Shaheed Maheen Aboobaker