Photographs by Shreya Shetty.

It’s early evening, and a Kinner/Hijra group is performing at the main shrine of the Haji Malang Dargah – singing and playing the dholak or dholki and seeking alms. A group from Byculla in Mumbai is performing in the main compound as the police sit behind them, and various florists from the compound surrounding the dargah give them alms.

Some of these donations are made in elaborate rituals with currency notes, which are handed over to the performer or the Guru of the group, who is sitting and singing. They sing praises of Haji Malang – the Sufi saint whose resting place this dargah is – and the performance ends at sunset with the azan for the Maghrib prayer.

This scene of celebration is witnessed every year at the Haji Malang Dargah, a religious shrine located 50 km from Mumbai’s airport at Malanggad, a hill fort in Kalyan in Thane district. Every year during the Urs – the death anniversary of Sufi mystics that are celebrated as weddings – the hill shrine hosts believers from across religions, castes, and genders. A large percentage of the pilgrims are transgender persons who identify as Kinner or Hijra, not only from Maharashtra but across the country. Mostly relegated to traditional occupations of seeking alms in exchange and sex work, Kinner and Hijra communities face discrimination and harassment frequently. 

But not at the Urs. Here, they are often revered and have access to the inner sanctum of the shrines.

Historically, the Haji Malang hill has been a shared space with multiple religious associations – Haji Malang, the Muslim pir or saint; Nal Raja, a Hindu chieftain; and the Brahmin Mujawars who have been caretakers of the dargah for over 14 generations. A family from the Koli community also participates in the Urs processions. The dargah also had the patronage of the Maratha empire during colonial times. Not only is it visited by Hindus from various caste backgrounds, it also hosts a shrine to Wagh Devi in a Nav Durga temple within the complex. 

Pilgrims climb over 1,500 steps to the village of Malanggad to pay their respects at the mazar (mausoleum) of Hazrat Haji Abdur Rahman Malang at the Urs festival. At Haji Malang Dargah, similar to other Islamic shrines of the Sufi-Chishti community, the Hijra community has been an integral part of the proceedings. 

“From all over India, Kinner communities come for the Urs. Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune…they come for Baba,” said Aaliya Punekar, a Kinner person from Pune whom we spoke to during the Urs.

Today, the plurality of faiths and acceptance of gender diversity at the week-long Urs seems to be threatened. Like at many other syncretic places of worship, there are now calls to ‘liberate’ Malanggad – in this instance, from no less than the chief minister of Maharashtra. 

The syncretism of Haji Malang Dargah and the Urs

“Urs” means “wedding” and in Sufism, death anniversaries of mystics are celebrated as wedding ceremonies. Death, as the final union with the divine, is seen as an occasion to rejoice, not to mourn. 

The annual Urs, a celebration of Haji Malang’s death, is pluralistic as both a Hindu “Vahivatdar” (manager) and a Muslim “Mutavalli” (administrator) participate in the festival. They also make up the dargah trust. Chandrahas Ketkar, a trustee of the dargah, said, “We also had members from the Parsi and the local Agri communities on the trust board. However, since 2008, we have had no new appointments. Currently, there are only three members.”

Traditionally, the Ketkar (Brahmin) family performs the rituals concerning the palki (palanquin, here a groom’s palanquin), the decorations are done by the Khan family, the sandalwood offered by the Attar family from Kalyan, according to this piece by Asad Bin Saif’. The palki itself is carried by the Koli family, the Milad (main hour of the Urs) readings from the Quran are read by the Patel family, and a place of honour is given to the Hijra/Kinner community in this procession.

Rama Shyam’s thesis on “Processes of Syncretism in the Haji Malang Complex and Associated Liminalities” says that the attendees of the Urs festival these days are diverse and represent the Adivasi, Agri, and Koli communities, among others, from the surrounding villages, and Muslim communities from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan and other such districts. Also present are neo-Buddhists and Christians from vulnerable backgrounds. 

“Over time, the hill has become a sacred syncretic complex with multiple shrines, starting from the Sufi Darshan that was built by a Sindhi person as a shared faith museum at the foothills to a shrine, to Wagh Devi, a Nav Durga mandir along with multiple mazars (tomb/mausoleums) of disciples of Haji Malang and a Naga Sadhu akhada. Hundreds of Malang Fakirs, Madaari Sufis, Naga Sadhus and those from the Nath Sampraday congregate during the Urs. It is not unusual to find sadhus and fakirs congregating here together, sharing banter and smoking a chillum (pipe),” says Rama Shyam.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s renewed focus on the Shiv Sena’s dispute involving the centuries-old dargah is based on claims of it being an old Hindu shrine belonging to the Nath Panth, an order of yogis. These claims are denied by the Hindu trustee of the dargah, Chandrahas Ketkar. 

“In 1954, the Supreme Court, in a case related to control of the dargah, had made observations stating that the dargah was a composite structure that cannot be governed either by Hindu or Muslim law, but only by its own special custom or by the general law of trusts. Political leaders are raking it up now only to appeal to their vote bank and create a political issue,” he said.

Finding divine reverence

It is not widely known in the mainstream that Islam gives the Hijra community their own niche in history, and that Kinner/Hijra (traditional Indian identities similar to transgender, intersex, non-binary) communities frequent several major Muslim shrines. Priyali Dhingra reports that it is often believed within the Hijra community that Islam is more welcoming and respectful towards them, and during such festivals they receive spiritual reverence. 

This is why several Hijra communities are quite dedicated in their attendance at the Urs festivals of dargahs. Yet the Hijra/Kinner community does not include only Muslims, and pluralism of religious beliefs was common to all the Kinner people we spoke to for this report. The people we spoke to said they celebrate all festivals and make pilgrimages to both Hindu and Muslim shrines.

Guru Dimple Urf Mehboob, a 54-year-old Kinner person from Pune, told us, “Everyone behaves well with us, there is far less petty harassment. The pilgrims come for Haji Malang Baba with so much respect in their hearts. Whenever they see us they call us Amma (mother).” 

Dimple has attended the Urs for over 30 years. “Even in Pune we share our blessings and duas, we are well respected there but there are also those who misbehave or laugh at us. Here, almost everyone respects us and gives us alms. In Pune they are often quick to show annoyance with us.”

Aaliya’s Guru, Puja Ambore Kinner, told us, “The Kinner community has always been given a significant stature here. The chadar (ritualistic cloth offering) is placed on the mazar (tomb) by our hands, first by our Guru from Pune. I have been coming for more than a decade now, while my elders have been coming here their entire lives, and this tradition goes back several generations.”

One of the individuals from the group performing at the shrine, who chose to not be identified, told us about how their iman (faith) is strong and that their Guru told them about Islam, and the history of Hijra folks within Sufi spaces and dargahs. They maintained however that they practise rituals and celebrate festivals from all faiths. 

We spoke to Shivani, a 35-year-old Kinner person from Pune, during the Urs. She was born Hindu, identifies today as Christian, and has been a devotee at the Urs for years. “All the years that we have been coming and seeing it, and our Gurus before us, and their Gurus before them did the same thing. There is a lot of respect for us here, to the point where the first chadar that is spread is done by us (Kinner/Hijra persons).” 

Puja Ambore Kinner added, “There is a lot of respect, they come to us for blessings and dua. Just like fakirs have respect, the same way they give us a lot of respect. We like this a lot, it is very peaceful. Even if you ask me to stay for more days, I would.”

We witnessed cisgender families and pilgrims staying at the same establishments and sharing washrooms at the basic rest houses and homestays along with people from the Kinner/Hijra communities. Most of the washrooms were gender neutral, and no one seemed to mind. All walked together during religious processions like the palki procession. Seeking blessings in the same inner sanctum, I found myself listening to a qawwali performance at the dargah. They sang praises to Malang Baba well beyond midnight and no one seemed bothered by my presence. 

Shaukat Ansari, a 61-year-old trustee of Haji Malang Dargah, said, “The transgender community comes to the Urs from across the country. These days their numbers in attendance have reduced significantly yet are substantial. They spend significant portions of their earnings in the name of Baba. To a lot of us, it is due to their blessed presence that Haji Malang Baba's festivities are so glorious, they bring noor (light) to the proceedings. It is their arrival that marks the start of the Haji Malang Urs.” 

Sheikh Jhangir, a local resident born and raised at Malaggad, who manages the multi-generational flower shop Jhangir Flowers said, "Ever since I was a child and even before me, the Hijra/Kinner communities and a long line of Gurus have been coming here for centuries for Baba’s Urs, and they also come all year round to pay their respects and keep mannats (votives). They have a deep love for Baba and Bibi. So the first chadar on Bibi’s mazar is theirs (Bibi is said to be the wife of Malang Baba – her tomb lies beside his in the dargah).”  

Next door to Sheikh’s flower store, every evening a group of Hijra/Kinner persons perform and seek alms, and dole out blessings, badhai. They sing with energy and talent honed over years. We witnessed one of their Gurus singing a mix of qawwali songs about Khwaja Garib Nawaz and Haji Malang – both patron Chishti saints for the Hijra/Kinner community – while a person from the group danced on the street just outside the store.

Mohini, a 27-year-old Kinner person who lives in Pune, said, "Just like people say that Mira Bai had gone mad in her devotion to Shri Krishna, in the same way, we Kinners have a lot of love and faith for Haji Malang Baba, which is why we come to places like these to dance for him." Mohini was born into a Hindu family, and today practises various faiths.

The Kinner community’s love for the shrine and the pilgrims attending the Urs are so significant that, as a custom, they have been known to organise langars (free meals) that are open to all. In Sikhism, langar is a community kitchen which serves meals to all free of charge. 

Haji Malang trustee Shaukat Ansari said, “The Kinner community facilitates niyaz (a meal offered to relatives, friends, and the poor to please Allah) and langar. It is like a chain of blessings. Haji Malang Baba blesses and fulfils their mannats (a wish that one desires to come to fruition and the vow one makes to a deity or saint after his/her wish comes true).”

Maa Ranjita Naik from Pune is a 63-year-old Kinner person who, along with her gharana (a symbolic unit of lineage that guides the social organisation of the Hijra community in India), organises meals for hundreds over the two main days of the Urs – a practice they have kept going for around 20-25 years. She first came along with her Naam Guru (her Guru from whom she took her name) to Haji Malang, eventually becoming the Mukiya, the main leader for her gharana, 23 years ago. Pilgrims, shopkeepers, children, dhol wallas and more eat at the Kinner langar. 

She explained: “People are quite respectful with us, they come asking for our duas and blessings, we perform for them and they appreciate it. People from all religions accept us and revere us, and we accept and practise all religions and faiths. Which is why we are enlightened, because we accept all religions and don’t think of any beneath another.” 

The othering of trans communities 

Even though the Kinner/Hijra communities are respected and given reverence at Haji Malang, it is also prudent to note the “othering”, a social process that involves treating and labelling individuals or groups as different and inferior to the dominant social group – the dominant group here being cisgender people. While most of the shopkeepers do give alms to and seek blessings from the Kinner community, we didn’t see any of the Kinner/Hijra community being employed at the same shops. While these shopkeepers engaged with the Hijra/Kinner communities during dholak, they were also unlikely to socially interact with individuals from these communities. Ironically, the very act of revering the Kinner/Hijra community based on their gender identity serves to ‘other’ them vis à vis the larger society.

The Kinner people we spoke to, while acknowledging the reverence they receive, also remarked on the othering. They implied that the intensity with which they perform is also driven by need. Even though some of the Kinner communities are able to afford their own homes and host langars for all, the vast majority of individuals work hard to make ends meet. Overall the spiritual reverence towards Hijra/Kinner communities has decreased. The number of families in cities, towns, and villages who invite Hijra/Kinner people for occasions has also decreased considerably. 

“If, today, there are transgender/Kinner/Hijra folks growing up with access to education, then it’s possible for them to get a job. But for those of us who’ve already grown up without access to education, we are dependent on working hard to gather alms to support ourselves, with the patronage of our Gurus, and in some cases our parents,” explained Shivani. 

The othering does end up severely limiting access to employment opportunities for the Hijra/Kinner communities. Mohini explained, “Even when Kinner people do get an education they are treated very differently. Even with high levels of education they are sidelined with jobs like security guards or peons, so then what is the use of getting educated?” 

Today in some Kinner/Hijra communities it is believed that Islam is more welcoming and respectful of them, that during Islamic traditional festivals they are given more importance and reverence. This is something that Kinner community leaders like Laxmi Narayan Tripathi seem worried about and intend to change.

“My community had become too Islamic. I am bringing back Hinduism in such pomp and splendour,” Laxmi Narayan told South China Morning Post. As the head of the Kinnar Akhara, she was also the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008.

But to say that the community has become too Islamic is factually incorrect. Because there are no monoliths. The Hijra/Kinner  (transgender/intersex/non-binary) communities of India are anything but monoliths. Every Hijra/Kinner person we asked during the Urs of Haji Malang stated clearly that they accept all religious faiths, practise rituals and celebrate festivals of various faiths. A few were born into Hindu families, some into Chrisitian families – but today all of them see themselves as belonging to and accepting of all faiths. 

Nayara Klien, a 24-year-old hair-stylist and Kinner person, said, “We have everybody as a part of our gharana. There are Marvadis, Muslims, and Christians. It's not like there is any religious segregation here at Haji Malang either. I believe in Jesus, and I also believe in all gods. I believe in Haji Malang Baba also and I do puja at home too, just like I learnt from my Gurus. We pray to Mata also here, we keep rozas (fasts) here and we celebrate Christmas here.” 

Mohini said, "We go to Ajmer Dargah, come to Haji Malang and also go to temples in Ujjain. We believe in all the goddesses and gods of the Hindu religion, in fact we believe in all the deities and take part in their festivities in India, whether that includes Sikh or Christian events. We go to Bengal for the Kali Mata processions and to churches in Goa." 

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi – a Brahmin – stated in an interview that caste differences in the Hijra community do not have the same impact as they do for cisgender Indians. Contrary to such claims, Living Smile Vidya, a Dalit transgender feminist writer, expresses concerns about “savarna transgenders who have NGO funding claiming to represent the community and getting all the benefits.”

Challenges today 

The night of the Haji Malang Urs, February 24 of this year, took place roughly two months after Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde raked up the issue of “liberation” of the Haji Malang Dargah. Shinde visits the shrine every year, and this year was no different. He was accompanied by his son, Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, and there was heavy police presence all day in anticipation of the visit. 

In the mid-1980s, Anand Dighe, Shinde’s political mentor in the Shiv Sena, started an agitation claiming that the Malanggad structure was an old Hindu shrine belonging to the Nath Panth, an order of yogis. Small steps had been taken since the 1970s that culminated in the Malanggad Mukti Morcha (March to Liberate Malanggad) by the late 1980s. A large group of Shiv Sainiks has climbed the hill every year on the day of the main Urs for the last few decades, calling for the liberation of the complex. 

Sufi leaders in Mumbai have said that they are ready for a discussion to resolve the matter. They have stated that followers of both faiths are already worshipping at the shrine without any restrictions or distinction, and the practice should continue. “We are ready to talk to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about this. There are historical records that say that this is a dargah,” said Haji Arafat Shaikh, a BJP leader of the Sufi Islamic Board, earlier this year.

Sheikh Jhangir, the 48-year-old local florist we spoke to, said, “Here people of all religious faiths visit and stay, be they Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, or Buddhist. There is little to no caste or religion based discrimination here. Given the prevailing environment in the last couple of months and the divisive politics taking hold, there is an impact on footfall. All the hard-working local people get affected and have to suffer losses because of it. It's just the politics that try to divide us, otherwise Baba’s mazar is such a happy and welcoming space for everyone."

While CM Shinde conducted the “aarti” early on February 24, those accompanying him raised slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and carried posters calling for the liberation of Malaggad. Large hordes of Shiv Sainiks arrived after dark for a march. The entire procession seemed almost rehearsed, especially when you took in the police preparedness and the familiarity with which the local population dealt with the evening. 

This year, though, there was a difference. The shopkeepers and Kinner/Hijra communities were aware of it, as much as the police and Shiv Sainiks were aware of it. The crowd seemed emboldened by the grand opening of the Ayodhya Temple on the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid a few weeks earlier on January 22.

The Malanggad Mukti Morcha marched through the Haji Malang Dargah complex on the night of the Urs. They carried Shiv Sena flags and brandished sticks, with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and calls for a “Hindu Rashtra” and the liberation of Malanggad. Both the police and locals (dargah authorities and shopkeepers) worked to maintain peace and were vigilant all night about clashes breaking out. Around us, the police used lathi sticks twice to keep the crowds separated during the Urs procession at midnight.

One of the Kinner persons we asked about the palpable tension in the atmosphere told us, “Yes, this time around the agitation has been a lot more! All this empty space we have in the corridors (at rest houses) and everywhere, would have been filled with people. You would have to struggle to walk through without bumping into someone. The crowd has been decreasing for the last four years, but now different things have gained focus, with some people saying this is a Hindu shrine and needs to be liberated. Due to the fear and anticipation of potential clashes the number of pilgrims has reduced. We used to have seven outfit changes throughout each day. We didn't even have a moment to sit and talk, but now that has changed, and now we find ourselves sitting and doing nothing.”

Shaukat Ansari, the dargah trustee we spoke to, said, “The crowd was definitely less this time, only about 50 percent of the people showed up. People even called us up and said that due to the current political conditions and communal tensions they won't be coming this year for the Urs.”

There are also those who do not believe much will change at the dargah. They see it all as political drama and don’t actually believe that the chief minister will “liberate” the dargah. One such Kinner person who chose to be anonymous said, “Their numbers are very low compared to all the devotees of Haji Malang who visit throughout the year. Even if they wanted to, they can’t do anything here. For them to be able to achieve their goal and get this hill under their control, they would have to go through far too many hurdles.” 

One of the Kinner Gurus proclaimed, “This can never happen, Baba Malang will never let it happen, some miracle will happen to stop their plan.”

Everyone from the Kinner/Hijra/transgender communities we spoke to reiterated their commitment to the shrine when asked if they would still come here if the “liberation” succeeded.

“We will always come here, Baba will always be here so we will always come visit.”

“We will come no matter what. This is a space we cherish.”

”A dargah can't ever be shut or destroyed, and if it is, no one can stop us from coming here. So if they begin talks about destroying this place we would definitely stand up and be a part of taking some action to protest it.”

A Malanggad resident told us before we left, ”There are about 5,000 families here, we don’t leave. We vote, and we take part in elections from here. We have limited aid from outside. We struggle to keep the water going through the summer months, supplied only by our wells. But we continue to live here, because we love and owe Baba Haji Malang and are committed to continue doing so. Yet whether we are here or not, Baba's mazar will continue to be here.”

Photographs by Shreya Shetty.

Rayyan Monkey is a writer, filmmaker and a diversity and inclusion specialist. She uses her skills to share gender expansive stories from contemporary and historical contexts, often working with organisations like The Queer Muslim Project, Gaysi Family and Naaz Foundation. She is a founding member of The Fatsmeagol Collective.

This story was produced as part of the InQlusive Newsrooms Media Fellowship 2023. InQlusive Newsrooms is a collaborative project by The News Minute and Queer Chennai Chronicles, supported by Google News Initiative, and is working on making the Indian media more LGBTQIA+ sensitive.

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