Heritage walk in Triplicane reveals centuries’ old secular traditions

Historian Kombai Anwar’s annual Ramzan Heritage Walk in Triplicane threw light on the deeply entrenched strands of secular and syncretic traditions of the local Muslim communities, which has existed in the region for close to a millennium. 

On a Saturday evening, a group of more than 40 heritage enthusiasts had gathered at the courtyard of Triplicane’s Big Mosque, where Anwar was expounding briefly on the history of Muslims in Madras and the significance of Ramzan. 

“Tamil Nadu had pre-Islamic maritime trade links with West Asia and was at the heart of the spice trade. Arab traders referred to it as ‘ mabar ’ (transit), as they changed ships here, heading to China and vice versa,” said the historian. 

Anwar pointed out that Mylapore (Meliapor) was mentioned by ninth century Arab geographers. Arab travellers of ninth and tenth referred to the Church of St. Thomas as Betumah. 

“Another old reference to the St. Thomas shrine here is by Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler in the 13th century. When he visited the shrine as a pilgrim, he found it’s caretaker to be a Muslim. This was at a time when the Crusades that pitted the European Christian armies against the Muslims was drawing to an end, but here, in Tamizhagam (Tamil country), there was amity. 

Subsequently, 200 odd years later, Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese chronicler, refers to this shrine and its Muslim caretaker,” he added. Islam came to Tamil Nadu through these ancient trade links. 

Towards the end of 17th century, much of south India came under the Mughals, but subsequently after the death of Aurangzeb, when Mughal authority weakened, the governors – the Nawabs of Arcot – emerged as a power centre of their own. Along with the Nawabs came the north Indian communities – including the Muslims and Hindus. 

A short walk around Triplicane High Road witnessed the participants checking out the items sold at this time of the year – from ‘ attar ’ (perfume) and prayer caps to hot samosas, vadas and haleems for the faithful to take it to the mosque to break their fast. 

Returning to the mosque’s courtyard, Anwar delved into the history of Walajah Mosque, which was built in 1794 CE by Nawab Muhammad Ali Walajah. During this period, the north Indian community in Madras increased, with a considerable number of Urdu Muslims making it their home. 

The Nawab wanted a good chronogram – verses which gives away the year by adding up the numerical value assigned to the alphabets in the Abjadi system. The Nawab held a competition, which was won by his munshi, a Hindu officer by name Raja Makhan Lal Khirad. This chronogram ‘Dhikrullahi Akbar’ (Remembrance of God Is great) is inscribed above the Mihrab, a niche in the wall of the mosque, below which the Imaam leads the prayers, even today. Though the mosque is a religious structure, it showcases the secular and syncretic traditions of Islam in this land,” explained the historian.

“The holy book, Quran, was revealed to Prophet Muhammed during this month. Every evening, people break their fast with nombu kanji (rice gruel with vegetables and meat), served by predominantly Hindu volunteers,” revealed Anwar. 

At the muezzin’s instruction, people rushed to break their fast. It was clear, at that heartening moment, that Chennai shares a long history with its secular tradition.