Monument and memorial, Jamalpur
Mazar of Hazrat Shah Jamalহযরত শাহ জামালের মাজার
- Time needed
- Half an hour.
The shrine of the saint the district is named for, on the Brahmaputra bank at the north-west edge of Jamalpur town; a mosque, the grave and a nine-day urs every year.
At a glance
- Who
- Hazrat Shah Jamal, preacher from Yemen in Akbar's time, by tradition
- Urs
- Nine days a year, lately in May
- Where
- Near Chapatali Ghat on the Brahmaputra, north-west Jamalpur town
About
The story the district tells of itself begins here. In the reign of Akbar, it is said, a preacher named Shah Jamal came from Yemen with two hundred followers to spread Islam, settled on the bank of the Brahmaputra, and quickly became the religious leader of the area; the settlement of Singhajani grew around his khanqah and took his name. Whether or not every detail is history, the shrine has been the centre of the town's religious life for centuries.
The complex stands near Chapatali Ghat, where the river bends past the north-west side of town: a gateway in green and orange, the mosque, the domed grave and a courtyard where people sit, pray and tie threads for vows. The annual urs lasts nine days and ends with a procession through the town and a new cover for the grave; lately it has fallen in May. On ordinary days it is a quiet place with the river behind it.
Getting there: A rickshaw or auto from Jamalpur railway station or the bus stand to Chapatali; ten to fifteen minutes.
Things to do
- Sit in the courtyard and walk down to the river at Chapatali Ghat.
- Come during the urs for the procession and the fair.
Good to know
- Cover your head, remove shoes at the grave, and avoid prayer times for photographs.
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