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Prayers, Food, & Games: Lakhs Expected To Visit Mahim Fair That Starts Tomorrow

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11 months ago

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The 10-day annual fair at the dargah of  Makhdum Ali Mahimi at Mahim will start on December 27 as it has always, with a procession of personnel from the Mahim police station walking to the shrine bearing gifts of a chadar, a shawl to cover the tomb, and scented offerings. The fair starts six days after the Urs, or the death anniversary of the saint which was observed last week. 

The shrine of Makhdum Ali Mahimi

The shrine is revered as the tomb of a religious scholar believed to have lived between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Stories of miraculous cures bring thousands of pilgrims to the dargah which is the city’s second-most-visited Sufi shrine after the Haji Ali dargah.The shrine observed the saint’s 610th death anniversary or Urs on December 21 which corresponded to the eighth day of the Islamic month Jamadul Akhir which began on December 14. The Urs began last week with the unfurling of the national flag and singing of the song ‘Sare jahan se acha’. This is followed by the raising of the flags of the police and the dargah.  

Event is a ‘gazetted mela’

Sohail Khandwani, trustee of the Pir Makhdum Saheb Charitable Trust, said that the fair that takes place around the shrine during the Urs is a ‘gazetted mela’ as the event is listed in government gazettes from the pre-independence days. “The fair started in 1910, so this is the 113th year,” said Khandwani.  

For a religious place, the shrine has an unusual feature – a copy of the preamble to the Constitution of India mounted on the wall near the Ashtana or the shrine’s inner sanctum which houses the saint’s tomb.

Mansoor Khan of the Sufi Islamic Board said that the idea behind placing the preamble’s copy is to show that no place in the country is untouched by the theme of nationalism. “As things are today, shrines are shown in a negative light. We have to show that there is no religious discrimination at this place. Dargahs are inclusive and embracers of national culture,” explained Khan.  

More about ‘Mahim ka Mela’

Apart from the spiritual aspects of the festival, the ‘Mahim ka Mela’, organised like a carnival, is an attraction for visitors. As the number of visitors to the fair has grown, the event, which was once confined to the narrow Dargah Street, has shifted to Balamia Street and extends to Mahim Beach. More than five lakh people are expected to visit the fair.

Ashraf Ahmed Shaikh, a lawyer and resident of Mahim said, “It is like a traditional fair, with amusement rides. Shopkeepers come from all over India to sell different kinds of food. The main dish at the fair is ‘Halwa Paratha’. As kids we were excited about the fair,” said Shaikh.

There is no authentic record of how the Mumbai police became involved with the shrine’s annual festival, but it is said that personnel prayed to the saint when there was a particularly difficult crime case to be investigated. Other than the police, officials from the traffic police, the Brihahmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the Mumbai Port Trust are involved in managing traffic and stalls at the fair.  

 1st dargah trust to get an ISO certification in 2007

The shrine is the first dargah trust to get an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification in 2007 for management practices. The certificate has been renewed till July 2025. The certificate acknowledges the trust’s calibre in organising the Urs, the religious research it facilitates, and the library services charity activities of the trust.

The shrine houses a 600-year-old Quran believed to have been written by the saint. An annual exposition called the ‘Quran Sharief Ziyarat’ is held on a day in the month of Ramzan when the book is displayed to the faithful for a few hours. During the rest of the year, the book is kept in a silver box in the Ashtana. The shrine’s managers said that the book was stitched together a century ago with pages written by the saint. 

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Maharashtra

‘This Is Landslide Victory. I Thank My Ladli Behnas And Kisans…’: CM Shinde On Mahayuti’s Massive Win In Maharashtra 

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2 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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In a statement to the media, Shinde said, “I thank the voters of Maharashtra. This is a landslide victory. I had said before that Mahayuti will get a thumping victory. I thank all sections of the society. I thank my ladali behnas and kisans. I also thank all the workers of the Mahayuti parties. “

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to hold the Maharashtra Legislative Party meeting on November 25 and the oath-taking ceremony on 26,

A larger meeting of the Yuti alliance is also likely to be held around the same time. 

This comes after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra crossed the crucial majority mark, as per the Election Commission data around 11 am. It is securing a lead in 220 seats and is likely heading towards a landslide victory. Celebrations have already begun at the BJP’s Mumbai office.

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said, “As we had expected, we have got very good numbers. I thank all the voters who stood behind Mahayuti and gave this landslide victory…”

Shiv Sena leader Naresh Mhaske said, “Maharashtra of government has expressed its faith in Mahayuti. The public is seeing what is happening to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena today. The people have stated that Eknath Shinde is the one who is capable of leading Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena…By way of their votes, the public has slapped a slipper on the face of Sanjay Raut. I am a Shiv Sena worker and I think that Eknath Shinde should be the chief minister…”

Early trends as per ECI

As per the initial results, the Mahayuti alliance is leading in 220 seats, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in 128 seats, driving the charge in Maharashtra. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (SHS) follows closely with 55 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, is leading in 35 seats, while the Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party (RSHYVSWBHM) is leading in 2 seats.

Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is trailing, with a lead in 51 seats. The Indian National Congress (INC), part of the MVA, is leading in 20 seats. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leading in 16 seats, and the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) is leading in 13 seats. The Samajwadi Party (SP) too is in the lead at 2 seats.

In addition, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Jan Surajya Shakti (JSS), and Peasants And Workers Party of India (PWPI) are all leading in 2 seats each.

Other minor parties, including Swatantra Bharat Paksha (STBP), Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (DISECL), CPI(M), Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA), and Rajarshi Shahu Vikas Aghadi (RSVA) are leading in 1 seat each. Additionally, 5 independent candidates (IND) are leading in their respective constituencies.

As the Sena-BJP-NCP celebrate all eyes will now be on who will assume the post of CM of the state.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Election Results 2024: UBT’s Sanjay Raut Cries Conspiracy, Says ‘This Can’t Be Decision Of People Of State’

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3 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Maharashtra Election Results 2024: UBT's Sanjay Raut Cries Conspiracy, Says 'This Can't Be Decision Of People Of State'

The early trends as of 10:30 AM indicate a landslide victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti government in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has responded to the early trends showing Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) massive defeat in Maharashtra.

Speaking to the media amid ongoing counting, Raut said, ‘This cannot be the decision of the people of Maharashtra. We know what the people of Maharashtra want.’

‘From what we are seeing, it seems that something is wrong. This was not the decision of the public. Everyone will understand what is wrong here. What did they (Mahayuti) do that they are getting more than 120 seats? How is it that MVA is not even getting 75 seats in Maharashtra?’ Raut said.

Rejecting the trends, Raut said that his party has faith in the people of Maharashtra. “They have done some ‘gadbad,’ they have stolen some of our seats…This cannot be the public’s decision. Even the public does not agree with these results. Once the results are out, we will talk more. In every election seat, money-counting machines were installed. Is it possible that Shinde gets 60 seats, Ajit Pawar gets 40 seats, and BJP gets 125 seats? The people of this state are not dishonest. We have faith in the people of Maharashtra,” he said.

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Maharashtra

Byculla, Maharashtra Assembly Elections Results 2024: Can Yamini Jadhav Defend Her Turf In Sena vs Sena Battle Against Manoj Jamsutkar?

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4 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Mumbai: As the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections Results 2024 are set to be revealed on Saturday, November 23, all eyes are on key constituencies like Byculla, a key seat in Mumbai. The constituency is part of the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency and has been a focal point of intense political competition.

Byculla is one of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and is designated as constituency number 184. The seat falls under the general category and is located in Mumbai City District. Currently, Byculla is represented by Yamini Jadhav of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).

In the 2024 elections, Yamini Jadhav will face a tough fight from the Shiv Sena UBT candidate Manoj Jamsutkar, making it a key battle to watch. Jadhav secured her victory in 2019 by defeating AIMIM’s Waris Pathan with a sizeable margin of over 20,023 votes, but this time, the political dynamics have shifted.

Byculla has a total of 2,58,856 registered voters, as per the Election Commission’s latest figures. With a diverse demographic composition, the seat often witnesses polarized voting patterns.

Current Political Scenario in Maharashtra

The ruling coalition, Mahayuti, led by Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena-Shinde), Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), and Ajit Pawar (NCP-Ajit Pawar), currently holds 202 seats in the assembly. Of these, BJP accounts for 102 seats, NCP (Ajit) has 40, Shiv Sena (Shinde) has 38, and smaller parties hold the remaining 22 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-Sharad Pawar), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) and Nana Patole (Congress) holds 69 seats. Congress leads the MVA with 37 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (UBT) with 16 and NCP (Sharad Pawar) with 12.

Byculla is considered crucial for both alliances. For the ruling Mahayuti, retaining the seat will showcase its strength in Mumbai, while a win for MVA could indicate a shift in urban voting preferences.

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