Visakhapatnam  :

Nestled amid greenery away from the humdrum of city life, just 54 km from Vizag on Kumili Road, lies a symbol of communal harmony. Spread over seven acres, the over 60-year-old dargah of Hazrat Baba Khader Auliya is as popular with Hindu pilgrims as it is with Muslims.

Like K Shiva Ram Babu, a taxi driver from Visakhapatnam who visits the dargah regularly. “Though I am from Vizag I had never been to a dargah all my life. It was only when I started travelling to Vizianagaram that I chanced upon the dargah of Hazrat Baba. The tranquility and spiritual ambience of the place caught my attention and when I looked at the image of Khader Baba I was transfixed. I first visited the place during the birth anniversary celebrations of the Baba in November 2011. Ever since, I have been visiting the dargah every month and at times have even spent the night there,” said Ram Babu

Eswar Rao, an auto driver and pilgrim from Vizag, said, “I carry a photograph of the Baba in my pocket as I feel blessed and protected. Though the Baba passed away in 1952, I can still feel his presence at the dargah.”

“At the dargah, they preach that Hinduism and Islam both address the same issue of the God and the Devil within us. They neither preach nor practice hatred against any faith. All the major Hindu fests are celebrated at the dargah, be it Rama Navami or Dasara. Even the prasad offered is simple and vegetarian,” Rao added.

Another proof of this harmony is the fact that the baba and his disciples were laid to rest in the dargah, the land for which was provided by Maharaja PVG Raju of Vizianagaram. “Hazrat Baba Khader Auliya was a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and considered one of the foremost Sufi saints of the 20th century. His dargah is mainly visited by Hindus, who believe that the Sufi saint’s spirit will guide them in their endeavours,” said Vizianagaram resident Khalil Ur Rehman, who is a regular at the dargah.

Born in Vizianagaram in 1899, Hazrat Baba Khader Auliya received taleem from the Sufi saint Hazrat Tajauddin of Nagpur, who visited Vizianagaram in 1911, at the tender age of 13. After being initiated, Khader Baba dedicated his entire life to promoting peace and harmony and helping people deal with their problems.

Talking about Baba’s childhood and initiation into the Sufi way of life, Rehman said, “The Baba’s desire to become a Sufi was also influenced by the fact that he had read and studied the Hindu texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata as a school kid and was very much moved by the fact that all religions lead to the same ultimate goal.”

When asked about the number of pilgrims that visit the dargah regularly, Salil Kader, a former darbaan at the dargah said, “More often than not, people who frequent the dargah are Hindus. Many Hindus believe that he represents Ram and Rahim and consider him an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The dargah receives on an average over 40,000 visitors per year.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Venkatesh Bayya, TNN / June 30th, 2015