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Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki

An old and ancient mosque of India, Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki lies in Anantnag. This town of Jammu and Kashmir is bestowed with religious shrines and places of worship that see a rush of devotees from different faiths. Visiting this shrine makes devotees feel close to God. With religious significance attached to them, these shrines and mosques welcome thousands of devotees each year.

A major pilgrim site, Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki is named after Hazarat Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki. He was a follower of Hazarat Sheikh Hamaza Makhdoom and a scholar of great repute. The former was also the chief Qazi of Kashmir. The structure of this ancient mosque is over 600 years old. Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki accommodates a lot of pilgrims who gather to offer prayers.

Historic Factor

Just like all historic places, the Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki also holds a story. They say that the mosque is built at the same platform where Shah Hamdan, the great saint of Hamdan in Iran offered prayers when he visited Kashmir as many as 600 years ago. The mosque has two floors—the lower one is said to be made in 1397 AD by the son of Shah Hamdan- Mir Mohd Hamdani. Later on in 1579 AD, Baba Dawood Khaki took over the construction of the first floor of the masjid, while he finished the work on the second floor in 990 Hijri or 1582 AD.

The saint stayed in the Anantnag district for about ten years, during which he constructed various mosques to spread the ideology of Islam. Following his death in 995 Hijri or 1587 AD, some legends say that after three weeks, Kashmir;s Mughal governor saw a dream. Here, Mukdoom Sahib was asking him to lay the body of Baba Dawood Khaki close to his at Srinagar. The Governor planned to follow his dream and therefore announced all citizens to stay indoors saying that the Royal party from Srinagar was visiting the town. With a group of army men, the party tripped into the shrine of Reshi Sahib to excavate the body of Baba Dawood. Working silently, they placed the body in a coffin to leave for Srinagar.

However, the word spread around and people rushed to the spot to seize this coffin. Nevertheless, the decision was made to give the body to the group that could lift the coffin from the grounds, which the townsmen failed to do. However, it was easy for the Royal party to lift this coffin. Ever since, the body of Baba Dawood Khaki has been buries buried at that very place.

Architecture

Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki is constructed in remarkable Iranian style. The ancient architecture of this oldest mosque makes it impressive and a worth-a-visit site. It houses grand ground, first and second floor.

How to Reach

The city of Anantnag is well connected by road. Reaching the place is effortless. The closest airport is located at Srinagar, which is around five kilometers away. The Srinagar airport is well connected to Jammu and Delhi with frequent flights. Tourists can also hire taxis or take buses from the airport to the city, costing around Rs 1,000 for a sedan.

The nearest railway station is at Jammu that’s well connected with major Indian cities.

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