Moula Ali set for Urs celebrations

HYDERABAD: Koh-e-Moula Ali is all set for the celebrations of the birthday of Moula Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad from March 31. It falls on the 13th Rajjab as per the Hijiri calender.

For the Shia community, Hazrath Ali is the first Imam and successor to Prophet Muhammad while the Sunni community sees him as the fourth Khalifa. A few lakh people from across the globe would be visiting the shrine on the hills of Moula Ali area.

The Moula Ali shrine reportedly is dated back to the Qutb Shahi era. Legend is that a vazir named Yakub, who worked with the Qutb Shahi king Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, had a dream in which Hazrath Ali, knelt and bowed by putting his hands on a rock.

The vazir then started looking for rocks locally and was guided to this hill. He noticed the palm impression on the rock and then had the impression cut out and installed in a shrine built atop the hill.

Another version, according to Shia leader Syed Hamed Hussain Jaffery was, “The spirit of Hazrath Ali used to frequent the hill and offer prayers and a tiger used to guard him. A few locals who had a dream of it went up the hills and found the palm impressions.”

Ibrahim Quli Qutb later visited the hill on coming to know about it and built a mosque. An ashoorkhana, a naqqar khana, a niyaz khana and a baradari were later added during the Nizam era.

During the Urs celebrations, the Nizams used to make offerings at the shrine and the tradition continued. Belief is that the offering were carried on a camel in a procession from the city to Moula Ali shrine every year. 

In fact, the glass decoration in the mosque was carried out during the Nizam era by Nawab Imdad Jung Bahadur and completed by Nawab Shah Yar Jung Bahadur.

The annual celebrations would begin from the March 31 and continue for five days. About 13 processions from across the city would reach the shrine and make offerings on April 1. The sandal procession would be taken out from the Old City on the 16th of Rajjab.

The shrine is decked up for the annual Urs celebrations with serial lighting and other temporary lighting arrangements are being made to facilitate people visiting round-the-clock. People from a few others countries are also expected.

CC cameras to  check illegal activities

Closed circuit cameras are being installed at the Moula Ali shrine to keep a check on anti-social elements.

Of late, reports of youngsters visiting the shrine for picnic and consuming liquor in the vicinity had been reported.

“People of all faiths come here out of devotion. But of late, youngsters are drinking liquor here and partying which is unacceptable,” said former MLC Altaf Hyder Rizvi. A few days ago, a video of a group of youngsters acting inappropriately at the shrine had gone went viral.

Development limited to ramp

Developmental activity at the Moula Ali shrine has been restricted to a portion of the ramp constructed two years ago. To reach the shrine one would have to climb 510 steps from the main road as the holy place was located around 2,000 ft from the ground.

“The TS Wakf Board has failed to take up any developmental activity at the shrine though it remained under its direct control for many years. Whatever works done were on representation of the AIMIM or the local devotees themselves who took up restoration works,” informed former AIMIM Legislative Council member Altaf Hyder Rizvi.

The first phase of the ramp was taken up at a cost of '2.2 crore during the tenure of mayor Majid Hussain. 

“LED lights on the ramp were installed recently by the GHMC on our representation. The remaining developmental activity, including construction of the part of the ramp, installing an escalator and beautification works are to be taken up at a budget of '20 crore,” said Mr Rizvi.

About 232 acres was endowed with the shrine and the jagir was to be used for the maintenance of the shrine. Nevertheless, there is encroachment on the land.

For the Urs celebrations, the GHMC is taking up sanitation and road repair works in and around the shrine. The Rachakonda police would be posting about 500 personnel to oversee the security arrangement.

Meanwhile, the Moula Ali Kamaan, the arch on the main road, was recently damaged as traffic was allowed to move through the stretch. “It was restored at a cost of '16.5 lakh recently but again some people are pasting posters on it,” locals pointed out.