A Sufi shrine in Mumbai, visited by people of all faiths, has become the centre of a political controversy after the chief minister of Maharashtra state threatened to convert it into a Hindu temple. The shrine, known as Haji Malang dargah, is believed to be the tomb of an Arab missionary who came to India more than 700 years ago. The chief minister, Eknath Shinde, claimed that the shrine was originally a temple that was demolished by Muslim invaders. He vowed to “liberate” it for Hindus at a recent political rally.
The statement sparked outrage among Muslims and secular activists, who accused Mr Shinde of stoking communal tensions ahead of the state assembly elections later this year. They said that the shrine was a symbol of harmony and tolerance, and that Mr Shinde was trying to polarize voters along religious lines. They also pointed out that the shrine’s hereditary custodians were from a Hindu Brahmin family, and that both Hindus and Muslims offered prayers and offerings at the tomb.
Mr Shinde’s claim is not new. In the 1980s, his political mentor, Anand Dighe, led a campaign to “reclaim” the shrine for Hindus. He reportedly took 20,000 workers from his party, the Shiv Sena, inside the shrine to perform a Hindu ritual in 1996. Since then, Hindu hardliners have continued to perform rituals at the shrine on full moon days, sometimes clashing with Muslim devotees and locals.
The shrine is one of many Muslim-made monuments in India that are embroiled in disputes over their historical origins. Some Hindu groups allege that these monuments were built by destroying Hindu temples in the past, and demand their restoration. The most prominent case is that of the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque that was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots that killed more than 2,000 people. The Supreme Court of India ruled in 2019 that a Hindu temple could be built on the site, while a mosque could be constructed elsewhere.
The Haji Malang dargah is located on a hill on the outskirts of Mumbai, and is accessed by climbing more than 1,500 rock-cut steps. It attracts thousands of pilgrims every year, especially during the annual Urs festival, which commemorates the death anniversary of the saint. The shrine also has several temples on the hill, reflecting the syncretic nature of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that incorporates elements of Hinduism and other
faiths.