Mumbai: Mahim dargah becomes 'first' shrine to display Preamble of Constitution

MUMBAI: The Mahim dargah of Shah Makhdoom Fakih Ali Mahimi achieved a singular milestone on Saturday. The shrine likely became the first place of worship in India to install the Preamble of the Indian Constitution in its premises.
The occasion was the 607th Urs (death anniversary) of the saint that is being celebrated this weekend. Interestingly, it turns out that the Mahim fair that is celebrated in December does not mark the actual ascension of the seer, it is but a festival registered in the official gazette since the British era.
The Preamble was unveiled at a formal ceremony attended by a few hundred religious scholars, secularists, lawyers, doctors and teachers.They raised their right hands solemnly and recited the text.

Suhail Khandwani, managing trustee, said, "This is a temporary plaque which is commonly placed in the school attached to our dargah where students recite it each morning. The permanent installation will be designed in glass with golden lettering. It will have a map of India against a background of tricolour lighting. We hope to put it up next week."
Recently, Mahim dargah had achieved the distinction of hoisting the national flag in its premises along with its own traditional one. On Saturday too, devotees hoisted the tricolour and the dargah flag, then sang the national anthem, and apparently for the first time in the history of a religious premises, the Preamble of the Indian Constitution was read out. Khandwani says the aim was to "connect communities and show solidarity towards the nation to bring communal harmony and peace".
Following this, a dua'a (invocation) was recited for peace and harmony in India and the darbar of Makhdoom Shah Baba was illuminated. People began to arrive for ziyarat (holy glimpse) after 10.30pm and the dargah remained open well into the night.