The saint who came from Baghdad

aints, Sharanas, Dasas and Sufi saints were the exponents of folk

culture. They believed in seeking God through diverse ways. The bhakti

pantha propagated by them is an essence of National unity and integrity.

Hazrat Sayed Shah Shamsuddin Al-Maroof Shah Karamuddin

Auliya Quadri (R.A) the 11th son of Ghouse Azam Abdul Qadir Jilani of

Baghdad was one such Sufi saint who came to Chittakula Karwar 361 years

ago from Bijapur. The dargah named after him is also famous as the

Sadashivgad dargah. Sadashivgad is the port of Chittakula. The saint was

known for Karamath (Miracles) and many people called it Shah Karamuddin

Dargah.

Sadashivgad is situated on the right bank of the river Kali, closed to its

confluence with the Arabian Sea and Karwar is on the left bank. The entire

Sadashivgad area is called Chittakula. The sangam, located near the

Western Ghats, is breath taking even today and the area attracted the saint

S

Shamsuddin, the mystic who came to Chittakula near Karwar in the 17th century,

continues to inspire both Hindus and Muslims to this day, writes RAMZAN DARGAH

Hazrat Shamsuddin Dargah

very much. He did not return to Bijapur despite the request of the Bijapur

sultan, Ali Adil Shah, who, seeking the saint’s return, sent his retinue

to Chittakula with an elephant. Legend has it that the elephant also refused

to leave the saint. Interestingly, there is a big stone in front of dargah

resembling an elephant.

Hazrat Shamsuddin was the embodiment of compassion. From 1630

to 1632, Bijapur was wasted by famine. Thousands of humans and cattle

suffered from hunger and plague. Some 18,000 families migrated to other

places. Prayers by holy men for rain went in vain. Sultan Ali Adil Shah

became desperate. It was at this time that his prime minister met saint

Hazrat Shamsuddin Shah in the great Jama Masjid of Bijapur during Friday

prayer. Just three days back, Hazrat Shamsuddin had come to Bijapur from

Baghdad with 140 of his followers. They had camped near the Masjid. The

saint told the prime minister that what had befallen the land was due to

deterioration in human values like truth. When this was conveyed to the

King, the latter was not convinced, as he was already cynical about men of

religion. However, that night the King had a vision of the prophet who told

him about the great spirituality of Hazrat Shamsuddin. The King went to the

saint early next morning. The saint was meditating. When he finished, he

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The Elephant stone in front of Dargah

turned towards the King. Before the latter could speak, the saint told him

that he knew he had come there to find the truth upon the suggestion of the

Prophet. The King repented for his doubts and thanked God for sending

such a spiritual man to his city to eradicate the sufferings of his people.

In those days Baghdad and Bijapur were famous centers of Sufism and

the Sufis of both cities were in touch with each other. The Baghdadis would

come to Bijapur for philosophical discussions. At the time of famine, of

which there is historical evidence, the compassionate ones came to Bijapur

to serve the suffering people. After his meeting with Hazrat Shamsuddin,

the King took his leave and rode with his retinue towards the fort. And on

the way the sky open up and rain came down in torrents. The next morning

the King went to the saint again and expressed his wish to serve him.

Hazrat Shamsuddin said he wanted to stay at Chittakula with his followers.

Ali Adil Shah readily granted vast expanse of land to him on a hill lock at

Chittakula. Shortly there after, the King, who was child less, was witness to

another miracle. He became the father of two sons and as promised, sent

the older boy, Tajuddin Shah, to Chittakula. The boy was later made

Mujawar (priest).

In 1633, the Saint left Bijapur with 360 disciples for Chittakula. On the

way he halted at Supa. A Muslim follower of his killed a bull which was

worshiped by the lingayats of that area. The Lingayats were furious but the

same resurrected the animal. Impressed by such powers a lingayats sadhu,

Jating Baba, became his disciple. The latter tomb can be seen in the

premises of the Dargah.

The ancestors of the hundreds of families who are living in Karwar and

Sadashivgad where the disciples of the saint. They came to Chittakula from

Bijapur along with him, living all there properties behind. Hazrat

Shamsuddin had a small boat made of five metals. Nobody drowned while

sailing in his boat. To quote Madan Anant Desai, author of Chittakula

Karwar; A History, because of his spiritual powers no ferry crossing the river

in front of the tomb never sank despite the heaviest of rainfall to this day.

Other stories of miracles abound.

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In 1877, Chittakula suffered from scarcity of water. All wells had dried

up accept the one dug by the saint. The Portuguese took the saints boat

forcibly to Goa but returned it because they saw various ill omens in there

territory. A Portuguese general came to the dargah and started digging up

the tomb, believing there was price less treasure in them. He died for this

sacrilegious act, vomiting blood.

The dargah itself was built by the King of Abyssinia in 1665. The story

goes that he was sailing on the Arabian Sea and guided his vessel up the

Kali river at high tide in order to escape a big storm. When the storm

passed, the waters receded and the ship was left high and dry in the river.

The King prayed to the Sufi saint whose tomb was on the side of the

Sadashivgad hillock. And sure enough rain came down in great sheet

flooding the river enabling the ship to reach the sea.

The life of this Sufi saint, who came to Karnataka all the way from

distant Baghdad, is an attractive mixture of faith miracles and history. Every

year on the 15th of Safar (the second month of the Islamic calendar) an

annual Urus (fair) is held at the dargah. People of all castes and creeds take

part joyously in the urus.

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Mazaar Shareef

Reference: 1] Deccan Herald, Spectrum VIII, Feb 4 (Saturday), 1995

2] Chittakula Karwar; A History… by Madan Anant Desai