Thiruparankundram Dargah

Thiruparankundram Dargah
Hill
Dargah at the top of Thiruparankundram hills.
Thiruparankundram Dargah Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 9°53′24″N 78°03′22″E / 9.89°N 78.056°E / 9.89; 78.056
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Madurai
Population  (2001)
• Total	39,009
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Website	http://thiruparankundram.com/

The Thiruparankundram Dargah is at the top of the Thiruparankundram hill in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a famous Islamic dargah (shrine), with the grave of Islamic saint Sultan Sikandhar Badushah shaheed.

Sikandhar Badusha, who was the governor of Jeddah, came along with Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Badushah who came to Tamil Nadu in particular Ervadi from Madinah during the late 14th century.^[1]

Badusha Sulthan Syed Ibrahim shaheed Labswh of Erwadi won the Madurai province and Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha was the ruling governor of Madurai.

Realising the sudden blindness to be the miracle (Karamat) of Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha, the assassin begged and lamented for forgiveness. Accepting their forgiveness, Mustajab Ad Dua Sikandhar Badhusha prayed and gave back his vision. As intended, they did the funeral of Holy Jasada Mubarak at the top of the hill as per Islamic regulations. A big rock flew and covered the Qabr of Sulthan sikandhar badusha.^[2] There are other miracles (Karaamaat) of Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha happening day to day in the dargha and other the locations as believed by the visiting people.

Irrespective of religion, people from many parts of Tamil Nadu and from Kerala visit this durgah. People who visit the Ervadi Durgah in Ramanathapuram district are supposed to visit this durgah. Many poems are written in praise of Sultan Sikandhar Badhusha, by Syed Abdussalam Ibrahim Saalim Madurai Maqbara, the third in the list of Madurai Hazrats and his maternal grandson Syed Abdus Salaam Ibrahim Saahib. It is seen that people who come here with a wish see it answered in a very short time, and so he is called Mustajab ad Du'aa Sikandhar Badhushah. Mustajab Ad Du'aa in Arabic translates as "a saint whose prayers are immediately answered by Allah."^{[citation needed]}

The anniversary Urs festival of Sulthan Sikandar Badusha Shaheed is commemorated on the 17th night of the Islamic month of Rajab every Hijri year. Thousands of people visit the dargah at the hill top on this day. Arrangements are made by the dargah committee and the local police for the welfare of the pilgrims.

View of Thirupparankundram town from the dargah, June 2011.

• Thiruparankundram

thiruparankundram