Anointment of Sandalwood Paste
10 th Jamaidhul AhkirIn the Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful. The 10th day of Jamaidhul Akhir falls on the 25th June 2007. There are many holy days in the Islamic Calendar and the 10 th day of Jamaidhul Akhir is one such significant day in Islamic history. On this day, my Great Grandfather Hazarath Kuthubul, Farthul Ahbabi, Syed Shathath, Syedina Shahul Hameed Ganzasavai Badhusha Kadri (RA) an incomparable saint had departed from this world.
In Nagore, it had been a usual practice to launch the Great Khandoori Festival for 14 days starting from 1st to 14th of Jamidhul Akhir. The 10th day is the most important day. On this day people from many states in India and many devotees from Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world visit Nagore by tens of thousands in order that their vows are fulfilled by this Great Saint. For many of them it is a pilgrimage to pay respect and give gratitude for their fulfilled vows.
This is the day when all the visitors who came here with sadness in their hearts retreat with solace and comfort. That will be the day when
the devotees’ hearts will be enlightened symbolised by the glaring physical elaborate lights of Nagore premises. This is the day when people from many religions and race come together as one people with a common objective of fulfilling their vows. The city of Nagore will be flooded with one people one thought.At 9:00pm a carriage will proceed from Nagapattanam to Nagore like parade. A symbolic "Koodu" is installed on it. It is made of decorated giant drum-like struture piled up. The bigger drum will be at the botton and smallest will reach the top. The erection of this symbolic structure is similar to the pyramids in egyptian civilisation where departed souls of kings are laid to rest within the pyramid premises where the souls could ascend to the sky by this ancient skycrappers. The hindu temples we see today could have originated from the Ancient Egygptians.
Devotees by the thousands will gather in Nagapattanam for the inauguration of the procession. Jasmine flowers will be gently thrown like raindrops on the carriage containing the "Koodu" by the devotees as a requisition to the Great Saint to fulfil their hidden vows. This carriage will take the routes of importance. The parading carriage will be watched by thousands of people.
The carriage will reach Nagore at about 1:00am. In Nagore the carriage will go on a procession to some important towns. At some point of this tour, the holy pot containing the sandal paste will be placed on this carriage. My family will get a chance once in every 3 years to keep this holy pot and i am thankful to God for it.
At about 3:30 am the carriage carrying the sandwood paste will rest at the foot entrance doorsteps of Nagore Dargah.
The auspicious paste will then be brought in to the premises and anointed on the Rawla Shariff or the tomb of the Great Saint. That will be my best day of the year. It is because I will be one of the many fortunate persons inside our Great Grandfather’s Rawla Shariff. I have not missed this felicitous occasion of visiting my Great Grandfather’s Rawla Shariff for the past ten years. But now I will sadly miss this golden chamber of paradise as I am about 3,500 kilometers away from India. I am now in Singapore. The pursuit of small material gain in Singapore had made me miss this rare chance.
Though I am away from Nagore, my thoughts of the 10th day of the Kandhoori Festival will always reside in my heart. I can smell the fragrance of the Rawla Shariff. I feel like I am missing the greatest happiness of my life which is to be present within the residence of the Rawla Shariff. Despite my non presence there, my soul still remembers how the purest day of 10th Jamaidhul Akhir will be remembered and celebrated in Nagore.
