The Mahim fair of secular Sufi Saint of Mumbai Makhdoom Ali Mahimi will be celebrated following the guidelines of Covid-19. The trustee claims they had made arrangements where people can see the 10-day Qawali or Mehfil-e-Shama program by sitting at their home.
Suhail Khandwani, the Managing Trustee of Mahim dargah said devotees can take blessings and see the different programs live for 10 days from 18 December to December 27 on the Facebook page https://fb.me/e/1yogi9zc6.
The ten-day fair (mela) started on Saturday morning with a historic salami from the Mumbai police. "The Mumbai police team and a band give salami every year on the first day. On Saturday too they gave a salami at 7 am as per the rituals giving a start to the festival," he added.
The Mumbai police chaddar was presented in the presence of Pranay Ashok, DCP, Zone V Mumbai Police and Vilas Shinde, Senior Police Inspector Mahim Police Station and other staff.
Khandwani further added that the first procession or Sandal like every year was presented by the Mumbai police at 3 pm, following facilitation by the Dargah Committee.
"The Nagara or drum was played at 5 pm announcing the start of the fair. The first sandal or chaddar is presented by the Mumbai police for the last 120 years. In 1901, it was written in the gazette that Mumbai police should present the chadar every year and it followed," he added saying the Qawali program will be among the trustee members and we are using the social media platform to share the links so that people could see it sitting at their house.
Khandwani further said the fair will be celebrated as per the covid-19 guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government. "It's not fair like the old days, where a huge crowd from across the country used to come to take blessings. We are just following the rituals of the Sufi saint seeing the pandemic. Also, we will only allow five people who come with flower garland or chadar inside the shrine. Our trustee members will see that they are wearing masks and follow the guidelines," added Khandwani.
