Mausoleum reopening to help save animals

KARACHI - The crocodiles have probably stood firm in trial of their faith in Pir Mangho whose shrine has just reopened after four months closure, said Akbar Sheedi, chieftain of indigenous Sheedi community. In the last four months they were deprived of meals offered by the devotees in addition to that the administration arranged for them, said the chieftain of indigenous Sheedi community who has been dwelling along with the crocodiles for many decades and consider them as sacred. During the last four months, the shrine remained closed after security agencies feared terrorists could possibly strike here in the same fashion as they did on shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in December last year. In order to avert repetition of Ghazi shrine tragedy, the Auqaf Department on suggestion of security agencies had decided to keep this shrine closed. Culture is changing rapidly as number of seminaries and number of youngsters going to these seminaries are increasing, said the area President of Peoples Aman Committee Shahid Baloch. Lets see how long Manghopir Babas culture will survive in this changing culture of surrounding, he feared. To cope with any possible untoward situation, the shrines administration, however, are compelled to seek cooperation from the locals. The volunteers of the peace committee have filled gap of security personnel. During a visit to the shrine, this reporter witnessed that youths were frisking the visitors. Many area people and visitors complained that culture difference is growing fast in locality. Sufi culture is being dominating in Sindh for centuries and shrines like Manghopir and Abdullah Shah Ghazi have been considered existing for many centuries. A sense of fear is prevailing due to prevailing situation of the country and specially recent development in the area where numbers of institutions which oppose shrines are growing in the surrounding, Shahid Baloch said. Extremists have been successful partly as they have destroyed culture of the shrine, said a follower. Shrines are a sign of peace not fear, he further said One of the rituals is the feeding of these crocodiles. People belonging to different communities perform different religious rituals of the Sufi culture of Islam. Auqaf Department is responsible to feed these crocodiles but visitors usually provide them meat.