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Mandore
is a town located 9 km north of Jodhpur city, in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Marwar
: This kingdom, which became very powerful under the Rathore
dynasty, used to welcome Muslim saints. Let us first mention
the dargah located in the former capital of Mandore which until
today is visited by devotees of all communities; the main centre
of worship is the tomb of Ghulam Shah Qalandar, who is
said to have been a follower of Khwaja Mu'in al-Din Chishti.
The mosque and the shrine have been renovated at various times
under the patronage of the Hindu Rathore rulers. In connection
with the same, we should also mention the interesting case of
the tomb-shrine located within the precincts of Mehrangarh Fort,
in Jodhpur, which became the capital of Marwar in the fifteenth
century when its founder, Rao Jodha, decided to build a fort
on the top of a steep hill.
During
the nineteenth century, war broke out between the two rival
Hindu states of Marwar and Jaipur. The Muslim general Bure Khan
fought bravely with his army of Pathans to defend the kingdom
of Jodhpur. The alliance struck by the Jodhpur ruler with the
Pathans of Nagaur proves once more that the image of Hindu-Muslim
enmity is an artificial colonial and postcolonial construct.24
Bure Khan died during a battle and was buried on the spot.
However, later, by order of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, his mortal
remains were transported to the capital and a dargah was built
to commemorate his martyrdom. Today, the small tomb-shrine
which lies at the entrance of the fort, within the precincts
of Mehrangarh, continues to be a sacred place. During the Navratra
festival, the pilgrims are supposed to stop at this shrine to
make some offerings before climbing to the top of the hill to
worship the Goddess. Bure Khan is worshipped as a shahid
by both Hindu and Muslims and is supposed to grant all sorts
of boons to his devotees. The location of the tomb-shrine
at the entrance of the Hindu fort does have a particular meaning:
the saintly martyr has become the guardian and protector of
the palaces and the temples that have been erected within the
fortress.
Near
Jodhpur, in the village of Khatu, was born a Muslim mystic known
as Shaykh Ahmad Khatu who was the disciple of the thirteenth-century
Baba Ishaq Maghribi, the founder of the Maghribi Sufi tradition
in India. Shaykh Ahmad Khatu later went to Gujarat where he
is said to have exerted a great influence on Ahmad Shah I who
founded the new capital of Ahmedabad. After his death, the Shaykh
was buried there. His tomb, located within the imposing shrine
complex located near Ahmedabad, at Sarkej, is still an
important centre of worship.
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