Most Remarkable Imambara of South India -Thousand Lights
By Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Imambara Thousand Lights, built on the land donated by Asaf Ud Daula of Deccan, Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Walla Jah, is undoubtedly the most revered Imamia shrine of South India. Located with a multi-domed mosque in Anna Salai area of Chennai, the Imambara becomes a center of Muharram ceremonies and mourning gatherings are organized both for men and women regularly.
It is widely believed that Thousand Lights was built by Nawab Umdat-Ul-Umrah in 1810.He had succeeded his father Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Walla Jah as Nawab of Arcot in 1795.The credit given to Umdat –Ul-Umrah for constructing Thousands Light however appears to be incorrect as he had died in 1801.
There are other historical accounts that prove that much before the erection of Thousand Lights, the spot where it stands in all its grandeur to provide spiritual solace and healing to Muslims was used by the followers of Ahle-Bait as a place of mourning during Muharram. Logically this facts appears to be correct as well, for Nawab Muhammad Ali Walla Jah had moved to Madras in 1766.
Though he never professed to Imamia faith publicly, he had a leaning towards Ahle-Bait. Out of his devotion to Prophet’s family, he had granted 3 acre of land for construction of thousands of Light and also built an assembly hall there. His successor had in fact enlarged and decorated the newly built assembly hall. The shrine has an exhilarating structure, with multi domes and spearing minarets. The average height of the minarets is around 64 feet above the ground. Another mosque was added in 1981, with two tall minarets and five inward curving domes showing modern West Asian influence. The walls and pillars are decorated with the quotes from the Holy Quran. As a whole, the structure represents a medieval type of architectural style with Persian influence.
The Imambara and mosque derive its name from the necessity of one thousand oil lamps to light the exterior of assembly hall. Another story says that the leaders of Indian National congress had given the shrine its unusual name during their first visit to Chennai, formerly known as Madras. Some people even claim that the leaders had donated thousands lamp for the illumination of the Imambara and Mosque and since then it became to be known as thousand Lights.
The shrine has been built on the pattern of The main prayer hall on the ground floor is for the use of men and there is a separate prayer room for women. On the second floor are two rooms known as “Dargah” and they are dedicated to the sacred memory of King of Martyrs Hazrat Imam Husain and his famous Standard Bearer and brother Maula Abul Fazlil Abbas. The Zarihs dedicated to Imam Husain and Hazrat Abbas are made of sandalwood with beautiful calligraphy and floral ornamentation. A merchant from Mysore had donated the Zarihs about a decade ago.
Thousand Lights is a popular place for a number of reasons, such as its name, its architecture and its historical and religious importance. In early 19th century, the place where the mosque and imambara presently stands used to be the assembly place of the Muharram Mourners. Later, the assembly hall was built most probably by Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan who had also donned the title of Asaf- Ud- Daula, the builder of World’s most magnificent Bara Imambara in Lucknow.
Muhammad Ali Khan Walla Jah was born to Anwaruddin Muhammad Khan by his second wife, Fakhr un-nisa Begum Sahiba who was a niece of Syed Ali Khan Safavi of Iran. It is clearly mentioned in a court chronicle in Persian and titled as Tuzak –E-Wallajahi, composed by Munshi Burhan Khan ibn Said Hasan,, a servant of Nawab Muhammad Ali and originally from Deccan. The work was written in the years 1781-1786, under the order of the Nawab himself.Its English translation reads “ Apart from religiously connected to the Ottoman ruler and Arabian lands, he was also genealogically linked to the great Safawi dynasty. According to the chronicle, hiss wife Khadija Begum was a Safawi princess. She was the descendant of a nephew of Persian Shah Tahmasp,who migrated to Deccan. Through this marriage, he became the son in -law of a glorious and noble family of the Shah of Iran,the paradise on earth. He was born in 1717 and died on October 13, 1795.His official name was Amir ul Hind, Walla Jah, 'Umdat ul-Mulk, Asaf ud-Daula, Nawab Muhammad 'Ali Anwar ud-din Khan Bahadur, Zafar Jang, Sipah-Salar, Sahib us-Saif wal-qalam Mudabbir-i-Umur-i-'Alam Farzand-i-'Aziz-az Jan, Biradarbi Jan-barabar.
Even after Muhammad Ali Walla Jah and his successor Umdat Ul Umrah, their descendants continued to patronize the shrine and mosque. They purchased property for the enlargement of complex due to growing number of lovers of Ahle-Bait who had started settling in Chennai and its neighboring areas immediately after the decline of Bijapur and Golconda kingdoms and establishment of a Muslim state in Tamil Nadu by the end of 17th century.
Thousand Lights today stands as a prominent holy place for pro-Ahle-bait Muslims .Devotees throng in large number during the first 10 days of Muharram and actively participate in Majlises and matam. It becomes hub of azadari rituals during the annual observance of Muharram .Most of the Tazia and alam processions also originate from the Imambara and it is profusely illuminated during Muharram. The complex also has a burial ground, containing the graves of several religious scholars who dedicated their lives to promotion and preservation of azadari in south India.(Reference available on request)
Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Walla Jah
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