At Dargah on the banks of the Ganges, property grabbing is equivalent to killing a cow

The tombs of Habil Dargah and Qabil Dargah. |Photo credit: L. BALACHANDAR

The copper plate was owned by Ahamed Jallaudin, son of Dargah trustee Arulmozhi, also known as Asiammal. |Photo credit: L. BALACHANDAR

According to Hindu tradition, the most serious sin is the slaughter of a cow (Kaaram Pasu) on the banks of the Ganges. Can it be applied to other faiths? According to the copper plate of Muthukumara Vijayaragunatha Sethupathi Kaathathevar, anyone, including Muslims, who embezzles the proceeds donated from Pakkiri Puthukulam village to the Habil and Qabil Dargah of Rameswaram will be guilty of killing Kaaram Pasu.

“He who maintains his property correctly will receive the benefit of providing food (annadhanam) in Mecca, Medina, Ganges and Setu. [Rameswaram]. He who embezzles the proceeds will be guilty of killing his parents and a cow in Mecca, Medina, the banks of the Ganges and the Setu River,” writes historian SM Kamal in a modern translation of the copper plate.

The plate was owned by Ahamed Jallaudin, son of Dargah trustee Arulmozhi, also known as Asiammal. “My grandfather was a Tamil scholar and he named my mother Arulmoji,” Mr Jalauddin said.

surrounded by trees

The Dargah is situated within a sprawling campus surrounded by banyan and palm trees. It is just a few meters away from the former residence of late President Abdul Kalam. It houses the remains of Cain and Abel. According to the Bible, they are the sons of Adam and Eve. In Islam they are called Habil and Qabil.

But there is no clear answer as to how the two ancestors of mankind came to have the dargah in Rameswaram. Devotees flock to the dargah, especially from Kerala, to offer prayers at the Habil and Kapil memorials.

What attracts visitors is the length of the tomb. Both are 57 feet long and placed side by side. “We believe that the son of the first man and woman was of superhuman size. Otherwise why would there be such a long monument,” Mr Jarauddin said. He said the village was given to the dargah as a grant and was taken over by the government a few years ago.

The funding of the Dargah explains the idea of ​​syncretism. There is a close friendship between the Sethupatis of Ramanathapuram and the Muslims within their borders. Merchant prince Shaikh Abdul Qadir, popularly known as Seethakathi, was a close friend of Vijaya Raghunatha Thevar, or Kilavan Sethupathi, the ruler of Ramanathapuram. A lamppost stands at the entrance of the Dargah in memory of Rameswaram’s Bahadur MM Ibrahim Sahib Maraikkar Sahib. He is the ancestor of Abdul Kalam and the holder of the title of Bahadur of the British.

“An overwhelming feeling of gratitude”

in his memoirs wings of fireAbdul Kalam recalled that during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform to transport the idol of the Lord from the temple to the wedding venue. The location was in the middle of a pond called Rama Tirtha, near his home. His great-great-grandfather was awarded Mudhal Mariadhai (first honor) at the Ramanathaswamy Temple because he jumped into the water tank and retrieved the idol immediately after it fell into the tank.

“The gratitude from the priests and temple officials was overwhelming. Yes, he was a Muslim. Yes, caste and religious purists would be shocked that the most sacred part of the temple was being handled by unauthorized persons, but these Neither feeling was expressed. Instead, my great-great-grandfather was considered a hero and the temple also issued an announcement that from now on, during the festival, the temple would present Mudal Mariadhai to anyone. A rare honor, let alone for someone from a different religion. This meant that on every such holiday, the temple would first honor or give a Maria Dai to my great-great-grandfather. This tradition continues. After many years, Mariadhai was also given to my father. My journey: turning dreams into action.