Download Minor Research Project Submitted to University Grants Commission

Minor Research Project
Submitted to University Grants Commission
Shakeela A Rahiman
Associate Professor in History
MES Kalladi College Mannarkad.
ABSTRACT
DARGAHS AS CENTRES OF CULTURAL INTERACTION
This study is an attempt to focus dargahs as centres of cultural interaction,
following Geertzian interpretative method. The focus has been on the customs and
practices in urz festivals. It is based on the assumption that people practice religion
according to their socio-cultural requirements. Sufism flourished in Kerala as its beliefs
and practices were nearer to the basic nature of the social relationships in Kerala . Sufism
was flexible in its approach, therefore, people could practice it according to their social
and occupational life. These assumptions have been analyzed in the light of data from
various shrines of Kerala ,Tamilnadu and Ajmeer. The upper , lower and the middle
class venerate the saints in their own way according to their socio-cultural situation.
The dargahs or tombs of sufi saints and martyrs can be seen across the Muslim
dominated areas of Kerala. They are venerated by devotees and miracles are attributed to
these tombs. The word urz implies the practice of taking vow in the name of the saint
concerned and fulfilling the vows on a particular day, usually on the death anniversary of
the saint. During the urz season, the shrine, surroundings and the locality is fully
decorated and this occasion is looked upon as a local festival.
The tombs of the saints may exist in their bare shape or architecturally adorned.
In the bare shape it is called Maqbara (tomb) or Makham (place) and architectural form is
called dargah (place of access, shrine). The institution of shrines and various religious
practices associated with it could be characterized as saint worship. Saint veneration is a
form of worship common to most of the religions in the world. Pilgrimage to shrine
centres was regarded as a sacred act.
The word festival, for urz in this study has been used in some what special sense.
Its intended meaning is not simply that of an occasion of gaiety but season of community
gathering, activities and practices backed by certain beliefs and attitudes on occasion to
commemorate the birth or death anniversary of a saint or a martyr or saint veneration.
All the inhabitants regardless of caste and religion, participate in the ceremonies.
Both society and cultures are the product of social interaction. Contact is the
prerequisite of social interaction. A study of interaction in folk festivals has been
attempted here which throws much light on the communal harmony that had existed in
Kerala. The study, Dargahs as Centres of Cultural Interaction is analytical and it has
adopted an inter-disciplinary approach. Sociological concept in history has been brought
in for the purpose of analysis in this study.
Moreover Anthropological factors are
co-related in the study of historical data. The study explores the relationship between
religion and culture with a particular focus on dargahs as cultural centres ,for which the
shrines of Kerala was chosen as a case study and most of data was collected mainly
during urs celebrations. The view
presented here is that people practice religion
according to their cultural requirements. In other words there is a close relationship
between the traditional culture of Kerala and the sufi practices what Geertz has called
“Religion: As a Cultural System”. A great deal of information of this study has come out
in the form of anthropological survey of certain practices at dargahs and other centres of
worship. The systematic study of the urz would serve as a source by which one can study
the total change in the society and culture from the past to the present.
Objectives of the study are to analyse the social role of the dargahs and its impact
on local life and culture. People of different caste and creeds come to make offerings to
these dargahs, with a spirit of faith and devotion. The dargah thus plays a significant role
in the cultural integration of different religious communities than the saint did in his own
lifetime. An effort has been made here to offer an explanation of urs within a sociological
framework. Celebrations are generally popular both in rural and urban areas irrespective
of social status people belonging to the lower socio-economic strata participate and enjoy
the celebrations most. An attempt has been made to evaluate the role of dargahs in
maintaining communal harmony and social solidarity and to examine how far the rhythm
of community or society is systematized by the performance of rites, customs and
festivals related to dargahs. The study enables to trace the connection between urs and
indigenous festivals and syncretic elements involved in the urs through a comparative
study and in the light of anthropological framework. The study analyses the universality
of the rites and ceremonies related to tomb worship.
Field observation and interviews with authorities of dargahs , participants and
observers of urz are the major primary source. Primary sources also include archival
records and materials from various shrines. Materials were collected from the institutions
like Arakkal Museum Kannur, Regional Archives Kozhikode,
Central Archives
Thiruvananthapuram etc. The source materials for this study are extremely scanty and
scattered over whole of India. Although the present study is not a comprehensive work
considerable efforts have been made to incorporate the details based on available sources.
The religion is to be understood as a practical system of belief in something which
human beings consider to be beyond themselves and which binds them together . A fact is
to be mentioned that centers of worship bestows on the society a sense of
accommodation, adjustability and tolerance, probably this is the most important factor of
attraction to the people coming from all parts. Religious belief is expressed through
celebration of various festivals and rituals. Each festival is performed with profound joy,
excitement and source of recreation and psychological and spiritual satisfaction. The
devotees perform these festivals for their well being.
Our cultural profile today bears testimony to the diversity and secular basis of our
culture forged by popular cultural expression through history. It underlines the central
role of the common people in determining the nature of our cultural unity as well.
Popular cultural expression is also basically secular. Composite culture has been the
hallmark of the Indian tradition. Starting with the Aryan migrations to India, the fusion of
cultures has constantly taken place giving rise to new cultural forms both at the elite and
the popular levels.
Communal harmony noticed in these urz festivals is particularly noteworthy in the
context of the communal polarization that we see today is highly important. So tolerance
and respect for religions other than one’s own should be promoted. Historians and
writers have spoken in praise of the social harmony that existed in Kerala from time
immemorial. In the process of evolution of our culture we assimilated a lot of things
introduced from outside. This process of assimilation gave rise to new forms and
enriched our cultural heritage.