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Devotees seek end to free entry, ‘sacrilege of shrine’
KT NEWS SERVICE . Dated: 7/2/2012 12:58:47 AM
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Jul 1: While the buzz continues around the remains of the shrine of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA), the devotees and mourners seem to oppose the free flow of people to the site, believing that it causes sacrilege of the sacred place.
The shrine was destroyed in the mysterious fire on Monday morning. Ever since, the mainstream politicians from within and outside the valley have been visiting the place. And with end to undeclared curfew and strike yesterday, scores of devotees and mourners have been thronging to Khanyar to witness the destruction, and seek blessings.
Men, women and children could be seen praying, wailing and mourning inside the ruins. Some, including men, fail to hold back tears, and many others, especially women, could be heard cursing and abusing the presumed traitors.
A cross section of the devotees said the free flow of people to the damaged shrine should be prevented to prevent its sacrilege.
“The people are allowed to step over the rubble or into the ruins with their shoes on. It is pure disrespect, but the authorities seem to be in slumber. It shall be stopped before long,” Ghulam Muhammad, an elderly devotee at the site, demanded.
“The area of the shrine,” he continued, “shall be fenced temporarily with a door to let people in one by one and with due respect to the place.”
The debris of the shrine is piled up at its entrance. As one steps across it, the tiled floor becomes visible surrounded by the caretakers’ graveyard on one side and the graves of the saint’s devotees on the other. Further on the inside is the main area of the shrine.
“This all is part of the shrine,” a woman Maimoona said pointing towards the rubble, “But people seem to have forgotten that. They do not bother to take off their shoes, and it pains me on the inside. They (authorities) shall do something to prevent this sacrilege.”
Mindful of the dimensions of the shrine, many devotees could be seen walking barefoot over the rubble.
The devotees argue that without fence the dogs and other animals could enter the shrine freely.
“We need to prevent it till something is done about rebuilding of the shrine. We cannot let the animals enter this sacred place. It is to be prevented…,” Ghulam Nabi, a local devotee, shared.