On the occasion of the 607th death anniversary of Saint Shah Makhdoom Fakih Ali, Mahim Dargah and Haji Ali Dargah in Mahalaxmi became the first place of worship to install a preamble inside their premises on Saturday, February 1. Moreover, Mahim Dargah has even hoisted the tricolour.
This move comes in the wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests across the country. The dargah authorities have stated that they have initiated this historic move with an aim to connect communities and to show solidarity to the nation. They further said that the preamble was installed to ensure harmony and peace among all sections of society. The ceremony was attended by a group of scholars, secular academics, educationists and lawyers as well as police officers among other professionals.
Also Read: IIT-Bombay Students And Teachers Will Now Conduct Lectures On The Preamble
The Mahim Dargah is one of the oldest dargah in the city which was built 350 years ago. It is dedicated to secular Sufi Saint Makhdoom Ali Mahimi. Notably, it is the only dargah to have a tomb. The Haji Ali dargah in Mahalaxmi is an epitome of Indo-Islamic architecture in the city. It traces its origins to 1431 and is built by Sayyed Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Due to their historic significance, both the Dargah's in Mumbai are visited by millions of pilgrims and visitors from across the country.
Also Read: Reciting 'Preamble of our Constitution' made compulsory during school assembly
Not only religious places, but even educational institutes have now started reading preambles. School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad had recently stated that reading preambles will be a compulsion in school assemblies from January 26. Moreover, IIT-Bombay also announced that they will be conducting lectures on the 'Preamble of India'. These lectures will cover various topics like secularism, democracy, sovereign republic, indiscrimination, equality and freedom of expression.