Thousand Lights- Most
Remarkable Imambara of South India
By Prof.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 ul- Mosavi of Persia.
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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