Declaring that he wanted to “liberate” Haji Malang Dargah, a Sufi shrine frequented by Indians of all faiths, exclusively for Hindus, was a well-known political figure in India.
Cherylann Mollan visited the shrine to find out more about the topic.
There are almost 1,500 steps carved out of rock that lead to the prized Sufi saint’s tomb, a site of disputed history, tradition, and faith. This is not a simple task.
The Haji Malang Dargah (shrine), which is perched on a hill close to Mumbai in the western state of Maharashtra, is thought to house the remains of an Arab missionary who came in India more than 700 years ago.
The dargah, like many other Sufi shrines across India, is seen as a symbol of absorption and tolerance even though it is at the center of a theological dispute.
When the BBC journalist visited the saint’s tomb, both Muslims and Hindus were presenting flowers and a chadar, a piece of cloth donated in Sufi tradition as a show of respect. Requests made with a “pure heart” are said to always be granted.
The administrative board of the shrine, two of whose trustees are Muslims, reflects this spirit of courteous coexistence; the site’s hereditary custodians are from a Hindu Brahmin family.
But earlier this month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stirred some controversy by bringing up an old claim at a political function.
He declared that the structure, which is typically recognized as a dargah, was a Hindu temple and that he was “liberating” it.
Shinde did not respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
His claim comes at a time when several well-known mosques and other Muslim-built buildings in India are facing legal challenges due to claims that they were constructed by demolishing Hindu temples hundreds of years ago.
In the 1980s, Shinde’s political mentor, Anand Dighe, spearheaded an attempt to “reclaim” the Haji Malang Dargah for Hindus. In 1996, he is reported to have led 20,000 Shiv Sena party workers in a Hindu religious ceremony known as a pooja inside the dargah.
