The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Asind misses its annual `urs'

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Friday, Jun 25, 2004

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Asind misses its annual `urs'

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, JUNE 24. The Bariya mazar in Asind missed its annual "urs'' celebrations this time following a stand-off between the Dargah Committee and the management of the Sawai Bhoj Temple on whose premises the shrine stands. The Muslim bodies, already aggrieved over the failure of the authorities in helping to re-build the 400-year-old Qalandari masjid demolished by a group of persons in July 2001, stuck to their conditions for holding the annual festival. There were no flowers or "chadar'' offered at the mazar on Wednesday, the first day of the scheduled three-day "urs'' despite the claims of the Bhilwara district administration that the festivities commenced as per schedule. The administration had initiated last- minute parleys between the Urs Committee and the trustees of the Sawai Bhoj temple but could not offer compliance to any of the three major demands of the Muslim community.

"The Government's claims of urs commencing are false. The administration had taken a few hired persons to the mazar to offer chadar. The members of the Muslim community in Asind had taken out a procession sporting black badges as a sign of protest over the developments,'' Engineer Mohd. Saleem, president of the Jamaat-e-Hind, Rajasthan, said here today.

The annual urs programme at Bariya mazar, which used to be a major event when the times were good in the Asind neighbourhood, was a low key affair in 2002 and 2003 following the demolition of the Qualandari masjid, which had stood barely 1.5 kms away in the sprawling 670 bigha premises of Sawai Bhoj temple. It was believed to be built by Emperor Akbar.

The then Congress Government in the State which managed to avoid any bloodshed--though failed to re-build the structure-- had promised the community to facilitate a full- fledged "urs'' in the coming years.

"Now they are telling us to hold the urs on the river- bed or across the river. We have a claim to the land given to us by the Mewar Government in 1942 and it is on record,'' said Moinuddhin, the secretary of the Urs Committee talking on phone from Asind.

"The administration has not kept its promise to facilitate us to restore the urs festivities to its former state,'' he said ruefully.

The three major conditions of the Urs Committee for holding the festival this time were; allotment of land surrounding the mazar, permission for using the loudspeakers and erecting shamiyanas and finally, the sanction to organize qawwalis during the "urs''. None of them were however complied with.

As many as 20 Muslim organizations, under the banner of Rajasthan Muslim Forum, on Thursday made a appeal to the President of India, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, requesting him to intervene in the matter.

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Asind misses its annual `urs'