The last Talpur ruler Mir Naseer Khan Talpur, responded to the requests of the people by building a shrine for the footprints of Imam Ali (AS)
Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Sindh is home to several religious buildings. Almost every important town and village boasts holy shrines associated with Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. Most of these shrines belong to Muslims and Hindus. Like the sacred spaces linked with Sunnis, shrines associated with Shia can be found in all the major cities, towns and villages of Sindh. One of the most famous landmarks in Khairpur is the Wado Alam, which is believed to have been built by Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur, the last ruler of Khairpur State (1947-1955). This impressive building houses replicas of the Shabeeh and Zareeh Mubarak of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), which I have discussed in detail in my book, Archaeology, Art and Religion in Sindh, published in 2018.
Replicas of holy Shia shrines have been built in many towns throughout Sindh, with the earliest located in Rohri, Khairpur and Hyderabad. The first Zareeh and Shabeeh Mubarak (replica of Imam Husain’s shrine) was constructed in Rohri by Syed Muhammad Sharif Rizvi alias Mor Shah. According to Engr. Syed Abdul Hussain Musavi (2013), the author of Rohri Joon Sadhi’yoon Tay Soorta’itiyoon Sadi’yoon, written in Sindhi, believes that Syed Muhammad Sharif, also known as Syed Mor Shah, was a prominent figure in the history of Rohri, recognized primarily for initiating the processions of Karbala Moula in Rohri. He lived in the 17th century.
Later, several other Shabeeh Mubaraks were built in Sindh, including Tando Agha in Hyderabad. According to Syed Imdad Hussain Rizvi, the former football player and historian of Rohri, Shabeeh Mubarak of Tando Agha is believed to have been built by Mirza Fateh Ali Beg in the last quarter of the 19th century. Later on, Mirza Budhal Beg renovated the shrine and installed the Alam of Hazrat Abbas (AS).
Another Zareeh Mubarak was built in Tando Noor Muhammad, Hyderabad. The Shabeehs at Tando Agha and Tando Noor Muhammad were most magnificent, which were provided by the Talpur rulers of Sindh.
At a few Shia shrines in Sindh, the sacred footprints of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), known as Qadamgah Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), are displayed
The Talpur rulers constructed these Zareehs and Shabeehs for the poor who could not visit the holy shrines of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) in Karbala, Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf, and Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad. Initially, only a few people visited these shrines, but over the years, the number of visitors greatly increased, leading to the construction of additional Zareehs and Shabeehs by the Talpur rulers in other towns across Sindh.
Apart from Hyderabad, the most impressive Shabeeh Mubarak, locally known as Wado Alam, was constructed by the last ruler of Khairpur State. It is believed to have been originally built in 1953 and later renovated in 1970. This replica of the shrine of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) in Khairpur is a rectangular building featuring three elegant porticoes for entry. The main gate, which opens to the west, is named after Hazrat Imam Ali (AS). Additionally, a beautifully painted wooden gate, referred to as Hazrat Imam Hussain Gate, leads to the Shabeeh and Zareeh Mubarak of Hazrat Imam Hussain. This structure houses a replica of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (AS) shrine in Karbala. Adjacent to the Shabeeh Mubarak is a hall where sermons and lectures are delivered to the faithful.
It is believed that Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur, the last ruler of Khairpur State, sent two masons to Karbala in 1953 to visit the holy shrine and replicate it in Khairpur. Upon returning from their pilgrimage to Karbala, they began constructing the replica building that same year. The façade of the Wado Alam building is flanked by two minarets that resemble the holy shrine of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS).
A significant number of Shabeeh and Zareeh Mubaraks were constructed in the districts of Khairpur, Sukkur, and Hyderabad. At a few Shia shrines in Sindh, the sacred footprints of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), known as Qadamgah Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), are displayed. The most prominent of these footprints is located in Hyderabad. They were brought from Iran to Hyderabad during the reign of Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur (d. 1828), who was a close friend of Fath Ali Shah Qajar (d. 1834), the King of Iran. According to the family history of the Talpurs, the sacred footprints of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) were gifted to Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur by the Iranian king. Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur housed them in Hyderabad and constructed an impressive building over them.
The ruler constructed a special room within the Pucca Qilla (fort) of Hyderabad, adjacent to a mosque designated for Ziyarat, to house these holy footprints. On the Thursday after night prayers (namaz), the women of the Talpur family would worship these footprints. The general public could only view them during the Eid-e Norooz.
The last ruler of the Talpur dynasty in Sindh, Mir Naseer Khan Talpur (reigned from 1829 to 1843), responded to the requests of the people by building a shrine for the footprints of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) and placing them there, making them accessible to the public. This shrine was open to all visitors. Before the partition of India and Pakistan, this location was referred to as “Shah Ja Qadam” (footprints of Shah), but over time, it became known as “Qadamgah Hazrat Imam Ali (AS).”
There are several sacred spaces at Qadamgah Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), including the shrine of Hazrat Imam Ali’s (AS) footprints, Alam Pak, and the Shabeeh of Hazrat Ghazi Abbas Alamdar (AS). Many sacred items associated with the holy shrines of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), and Hazrat Abbas (AS) are displayed in separate rooms at the Qadamgah Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) shrine in Hyderabad. Among these items are some pebble stones from the Samarra Cave, which are venerated by visitors.
Additionally, the wooden cradle of Ali Aghar (AS) is placed in the Imambargah at Kot Diji, Khairpur. The Zareeh and Shabeeh Mubarak of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) are found in the Imambargah of Kotdjiji. This cradle of Ali Asghar (AS), a masterpiece of craftsmanship, was donated by Mir Faiz Muhammad Talpur, the ruler of the Khairpur State. The Imambargah also contain valuable objects donated by the royal Talpur family.
The art of painting holy shrines significantly influenced artists in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries in Sindh. These artists adorned the walls of tombs and mosques with depictions of sacred sites. One of the earliest mosques to depict images of the holy shrines of the Imams (AS) is located in Qubo Shahdad, in the Sanghar district of Sindh.
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The writer is an anthropologist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
First published in The Friday Times Lahore
