Mir Momin Ka Daira wallowing in neglect

Moghalpura: Even as devotees gear up to celebrate the Urs (anniversary) of the architect of Hyderabad, Hazrat Mir Mohammed Momim, on Shaban 26 and 27 (Wednesday and Thursday), his mausoleum cries for attention and remains under neglect for years, as the planned renovation had come to an abrupt halt.

Mir Momin was the prime minister during the rule of Mohammad QuliQutb Shah and was planner and architect of Hyderabad city. But, most Hyderabadis know little about him and his grave. He is buried at a graveyard Mir ka Daira (named after him) in Sultan Shahi near Shalibanda. His annual Ursare celebrated by Shia Muslims in the Islamic month of Shaban for two days.

"The Ursbegin on the night of Shaban 25 and on 26 after Maghrib prayer, the Sandal Mubarak procession will be taken from Ashoor-Khana-e-Wilayat in Panjesha near Gulzar Houz to shrine Mir Mohammed Momin in Mir Ka Daira in Sultan Shahi.On the next day,Chigara (lighting candle) will be offered on the premises of Dargah," said Syed Hassan Naqvi Moosavi, great grandson of the custodian.

Speaking to The Hans India, Hassan NaqviMoosavi said that over 18 acres of land 'Mir Momin Ka Daira' (graveyard) was bought by him. However, a lot of land has been encroached upon and many illegal constructions were raised during the recent years. The land has not been secured and it has turned into dump yard. Each year, the management contributes to Wakf Board, but fails to get anything in return for this historic graveyard, he added.

Moosavi also said that in 2014 Mir Ka Daira won the Heritage award by the government for its history and for its upkeep, but now due to lack of funds, the management could not clear and maintain the graveyard. "Despite submitting many representations to the authorities, not much help is being provided to maintain the graveyard," he said.

Moosavi also said that the Hyderabad city planner and architect's resting place (mausoleum) is being neglected. The renovation works of the tomb that were taken up by the Iranian Consulate havealso stopped in the recent years. "The mausoleum would have turned beautiful,ifthe plans of undertaking glass mosaic worksby the Iranian Consulate were succeeded," he added.

The journey of Mir Mohammed Momin

Mir Mohammed Momin was born in 960 Hijri (1553 AD) in Astarabad (former name Gorgan) in Iran. After performing Haj and Ziyarath of Karbala in Iran, he travelled to Golconda in 986 Hijri (1578 AD) and he was welcomed by the Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda and was later made the prime minister during his period.

Being an architect and Islamic scholar, he was asked by Sultanate to design a city according to the tenets from Holy Quran. Momin's master plan for the Hyderabad city was derived from the Shrine of Imam Raza, great grandson of Prophet Mohammed.The design resulted in Charminar at its center with four arterial roads and big markets leading to it. He also designed the palace for the Sultans, BadshahiAshoorkhana in the remembrance of martyrs of Karbala, near Madinabuilding in Phatergatti.

In the development of Hyderabad, Momin's foresight to have a burial ground for its people made him purchase the land where earlier religious scholars like Shah Chirag and Noor-ul-Huda were buried. He converted the land into a Daira, a sanctified graveyard, by mixing in it the soil he had brought from Karbala in Iraq. He died in 1034 Hijri (1625 AD) and was laid to rest in a mausoleum made by him during his lifetime.

The significance of Mir Ka Daira

Mir Momin Ka Daira is one of the biggest and oldest graveyards in the city, which is located in Sultan Shahi in Old city, close to Charminar. Apart from his graveyard, the Daira also contains the graveyards of Shah Chirag, a religious scholar from Najaf in Iraq, and Noor-ul-Huda, another religious scholar from Iran who had brought along with them holy relics from Iran, which they had presented to QutbShahis. The eminent poet, Mirza Mohammed, the royals of Mughal family and the family of Salar Jung, which served the Nizamswere also buried here. It is also the resting place of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, the famous Hindustani classical music singer.