Ariful Islam/Guwahati

The Agyathuri Hills in the Kamrup district of Assam is an example of Indian syncretism. A Ganesh temple located at the foot of the hill and a dargah of a Sufi above it makes the hill sacred for both Hindus and Muslims.

If you go to Nalbari via Hajo from Guwahati, one can see the Ganesh Temple at the foot of Agyathuri Hill. The Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Qutbuddin Ali is not visible from the road as it's at the back of the hill.

The Dargah of Sheikh Khwaja Qutubuddin Ali is visited by the people of both Hindu and Muslim communities to seek divine blessings embodying the unity of religions and God. The Dargah Sharif was identified and spruced up by a local man who envisioned the place as being the burial place of an Ali (pir or person endowed with divine power).

Following his revelations, the locals searched for his grave. After a long search, the villagers found it. The place was sanctified by two peers and the dargah was established in 2003 by the villagers.

The dargah of Sheikh Khaja Qutubuddin Ali

Pilgrims from different parts of Assam come to the Dargah of Sheikh Khaja Qutubuddin Ali to seek his blessings. Every year on the 1st and 2nd of Chaitra, the Dargah Committee organizes Uru in his honour. The annual Urus festival is a two-day event that attracts around 100,000 visitors. The administration deploys police and army to manage the large number of visitors.

Sheikh Khwaja Qututubuddin Ali Dargah Sharif President Mostan Amjed Ali said; "All the infrastructure work done since the establishment of this Dargah Sharif has been done with the donations of the people. We have not been able to get any government facilities in this Dargah so far. We have repeatedly appealed to the government for water and electricity. But we have not received any benefit from them.

"There was a huge rock near Baba's (Qutubuddin's) grave in the dargah on which the Baba sat. When we came to the park at night after the establishment of the dargah, we saw a huge tiger sitting on the rock. The tiger was almost coming, we believe it jumped when it saw a crowd of people, Baba was coming in the form of a tiger to sit on his seat. Now when we made his grave with concrete, we believed that Baba still came here to sit on the huge rock Let's do it. Dargah president Mostan Amjed Ali told Awaz-the Voice.

Ganesh temple at the foot of Agyathuri hill

It is also believed that childless couples get children if they pray at this Dargah Sharif. "A couple from Shillong contacted us after seeing Baba in a dream and asked us if the Dargah Sharif was here. We said yes, it is here. They came here from Shillong then. They had no children. There are many such examples." The President spoke about the miracle of Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Qutbuddin Ali Dargah Sharif.

It is worth mentioning that the Dargah of Sheikh Khaja Qutubuddin Ali is beautiful amidst the green environment and beauty of the Agyathuri Hills. The Dargarh Bakri is located on a hill and offers a view of the mighty Brahmaputra flowing through the heart of Guwahati. The devotees of the Dargah can enjoy the beautiful scenery of this natural environment.

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The Ganesh Temple and Dargah Sharif are located on the same hill and showcase the unity, harmony, and brotherhood of Hindus and Muslims.