AJAN FAKIR

Jikir is a unique devotional song sung to bring home to common people the simple truths of Islam. The person responsible for creating this new genre, was none other than Azan Fakir alias Shah Miran alias Shah Milan alias Syed Mohiuddin. He had come to Assam, all the way from Baqhdad to spread the teaching of Islam.

In a short span of time he was able to master the Assamese language. This talented and far-sighted saint had a sound knowledge of various religions and Vaishnava in particular. He was highly influenced by the religious teachings of the Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardev, specially his use of songs and hymns as a vehicle to spread religion. Jikir has many traces of these influences. On the other hand, like Vaishnava religion, Azan Fakir too, began the tradition of distributing Shirni (sweet meat) after Jikir. This tradition is prevalent even today. Like Vaishnava religion, Jikir too glorifies one God. As Kirtan (devotional song of the Hindus) narrates the deeds of Shri Krishna, so also Jikir stresses the importance of Kalima. Apart from serving as a vehicle to spread Islam, Jikir also served the purpose of forging unity between the Hindus and the Muslims.

Somewhere between 1637 and 1695, the then Ahom king was persuaded by someone to believe that Azan Fakir was a spy. The king ordered to pull both his eyes if proved guilty. Hearing the verdict, Azan Fakir himself pulled out his eyes and floated in the Dikhow river. No sooner he immersed his eyes on the river, there raised a devastating flood much to the astonishment of the onlookers. This miracle was enough for the king to acknowledge Azan Fakir's devine powers. As a mark of respect the king allowed him to settle at Xoraguri Sapori on the bank of Dikhow river and built a pagoda in his honour.

This Dargah has ever since attracted lakhs of Hindus and Muslim devotees who go there to pay homage to this great saint. A Dargah is considered to be a place where people go with the belief that praying to Allah (God) there with pure heart and devotion, may lead to wish fulfillment. People come to a Dargah to seek blessings( though Islam is against the practice commonly followed these days) and pay respect and homage to the saint.

The mystic Brindavani Bastra

According to literary sources during the 1560's Prince Chilarai, the brother of the Naranarayan,the king of Coch Bihar asked Sankardeva to oversee the weaving of a great silk scroll, depicting the early life of Krishna. Sankardeva commissioned the weavers of Barpeta under their leader Gopal to make the great cloth called Brindavani Vastra (cloth of Brindaban) after the village near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. The cloth is said to be either "forty yards" (40 m), "120 cubits"(60m),or "180 feet"(60 m) long. It's breadth not specified , was presumably a single loom width. It is stated that twelve master weavers took one year to weave the cloth, and it was presented to Prince Chilarai only a little before the expiry of Sankardeva. At Coch Bihar , the Vastra was housed in the Madhupur Satra, but it disappeared at some unknown time after it was presented to Prince Chilarai. Some portion of this mystical cloth is now been preserved in Victoria & Albert Museum , London.