Bababudangiri: New panel for smooth conduct of rituals

The state government has issued an order constituting a management committee to oversee religious practices at Chikkamagaluru’s Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah.

The management committee will comprise both Hindus and Muslims, according to the order issued by the revenue department.

The order dated July 19 is based on recommendations made by a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Law Minister J C Madhuswamy.

This order replaces one that was issued in March 2018 by the then Congress government appointing Syed Ghouse Mohiyuddin Shah Khadri, a Muslim cleric, to conduct rituals at the disputed religious site. The management committee will appoint an archaka and mujawar to carry out religious practices.

A Hindu priest will be appointed to conduct daily rituals such as lighting of the nanda deepa inside the cave and floral prayers for the Dattatreya paduke. The management committee will also take measures to hold Hindu religious practices such as Datta Jayanti.

The mujawar appointed by the management committee will carry out, every evening, customs at the dargah, according to the order. The committee will also “guide” the mujawar on what is to be done during Urus.

The dargah named after 16th-century Sufi saint Baba Budan located atop the eponymously named Bababudangiri became a disputed site over the years over worship rights. According to lore, Baba Budan is said to have introduced coffee to India. Apparently, he planted in these hills coffee seeds he brought from Yemen.