Hussain Tekri Kanodar- A Popular Destination on Azadari Map

Hussain Tekri Kanodar- A Popular Destination on Azadari Map

 

 Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Kanodar, a small village of on Ahmadabad- Delhi National Highway, is fast emerging on world Azadari map as a popular destination among the admirers of Karbala martyrs. A large number of devotees visit the sleepy village to pay their respect at the shrine of third Imam, popularly known as Hussain Tekri. Located on the outskirts of Kanodar, the shrine is just two years away from its centenary .The village also has a shrine dedicated to Hazrat Abbas .While the construction of Kanodar Hussain Tekri was completed in 1917, the construction of Abbas Tekri was  started in 1945 and concluded in 1966 with Syed Ikram Hasham Azmi (Mumbai) and  Haji Hasan Ali Noor Bhai Modi (Kanodar) donating generously for the purpose.

The history of Kanodar is over 900 years old. The oldest religious structure is a mosque that was erected about two hundred years ago. But there is no documentary evidence available about commencement of Muharram or azadari rituals at Kanodar. It is however a well- known fact that there were only 19 Imamis in the village in 1899 .The first Ashura Majalis was organized at the house of Haji Ahmedbhai Karimbhai. Haji Naji Saheb .a famous Zakir-E-Ahlebait recited many memorable Majlises at this place for many years and he guided people to be on the right path and keep patience in difficult times. His efforts yielded positive results as the village has now more than 5000 Hussaini admirers and beautiful mosques and well- decorated Imami shrines.

Before acquiring global fame because of its Hussain Tekri, Abbas Tekri and Azadari, Kanodar was famous as Manchester of district Banaskatha. Most of its inhabitants were skilled cloth weavers and they were adventurous enough to sail to different parts of the world for fetching good price of their product. The popularity of Kanodar as a place of spiritual healing with the blessings of Imams increased when the construction of Hussain Tekri began. Ulemas from all over India started arriving for Ziarat of Tekri and they also addressed unforgettable Majlises during their visits. As a result, Kanodar is today considered as one of the most vibrant centers of azadari all over the world. Like Hussain Tekri of Jaora ( Madhya Pradesh- India) , Kanodar also draws maximum number of devotees on Chehlum(  20^th safar) of Imam Hussain every year.  Muharram related programs are usually organized at the holy shrines of Imam Hussain, Hazrat Abbas and Bibi Zainab by Anjuman Aza-e-Husain, Kanodar. 

After completion of Hussain Tekri, the admirers of Imam also established a madarsa to produce teachers and preachers who could spread the message of Karbala in every part of the world. The institution is fulfilling the objective and known as Madarsa Taraqqi –E-Islam. The village also boasts of a Jama Masjid with the name of Minar-E-Hidayat. It was erected and designed by skill craftsmen from Jaipur. In 1975, Madarsa was renovated and over 500 children are acquiring Dini Talim( religious teaching) at present. In 1982, with a view to offering e higher level education  of Quran and Hadis (Alim), a school called ‘Hauz-e-Ilmiya’ was built with a hostel on Husain Tekri Road. In 1989, the Jafari Youth Federation, Kanodar Unit, was formed for the development of the youth who can engage themselves in social and religious activities. The village added another feather in its cap when Jafari Radio Channel was started in 1998. Through this channel, Islamic Programs are broadcast every day. To give fillip to Imami mission, the villagers also established Taha Musalmeen Trust with the noble aim to build houses for poor, to assist the community’s sick, provide to the needy students financial aid for higher education. In nutshell Kanodar is yet another example of how Masoomeen bless sincere efforts aimed at giving encouragement to propagation of Karbala martyrs’ message or else how could a sleepy village with just 17 Imamis in 1899 could become a world famous center of Azadari in an era marked by repeated attacks on muharram mourners in different parts of the world with Gilgit- Baltistan in Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the forefront. (References available on request)