Sunday 15 April 2012

BABA BUDANGIRI HILLS

BABA BUDANGIRI HILLS

Dattagiri / Baba Budangiri is a mountain in the Dattagiri Hill Range / Baba Budan Giri Range of the Western Ghats of India. Located in the Chikkamagaluru District of Karnataka, Dattagiri/ Baba Budangiri is known for its shrine which is a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Muslims.

Peaks in the Dattagiri / Baba Budan Giri Range are the Mullayanagiri and Dattagiri/Baba Budangiri (height 1895 m). Collectively, these peaks are known as 'Chandradrona Parvatha Shreni, as they naturally form the shape of a crescent moon.

Dattagiri Hills or Baba Budan Giri Range is a range of mountains in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. The range, originally known as Chandra Drona Parvatha, takes its current name from the Dattapeeta Cave and 17th century Sufi saint Baba Budan. The Dattagiri or Baba Budan Giri Range includes the highest peaks of Karnataka. Unique mountain flowers called Kurinji blooms in these hill ranges once in every 12 years and the last time this spectacle happened here was in 2006

A large number of stories have been constructed around Dada’s dargah. These stories pertain to the spiritual and healing powers including the power to bestow children, relief to physical disorders, property disputes, etc. This is one of the reasons why the site has become famous. There are stories about how Dada protected a princess who later on came to be known as Sathi Samyukta by Hindus and Mama Jigni by the Muslims. Most important is the story about how the princely state of Mysore was bestowed with an heir to the throne by Dada, and how the maharaja would be able to break the stone laid before the cave. This is a typical story which has similarities with the stories surrounding the birth of Jahangir (with the blessings of Sufi saint Nazrath Shah Sali) and Tippu Sultan (with the blessings of Tippu Aulia of Arcot). This story is important for two obvious reasons: It provided legitimacy to the claims of spiritual power of the Sufi saints, secondly, it made the state liberal, moderate and secular:

Sri Krishna Raja Wadiyar had no son in his family for a long time. He was worried much about it. Once, coming out of the dargah, he saw the stone slab where devotees broke the offered coconuts. Struck with an idea, he made a vow quietly that he would split that stone with coconuts on the birth of a son in the family. Soon after that his brother had a son, Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar. He came to the dargah with cart-loads of coconuts to fulfil his vow and began breaking coconuts one by one. The stone remained solid even after many cart-loads were finished. He was in a dilemma. He had to fulfil his vow but it appeared impossible. At long last he realised that in his anxiety he made a vow which was apparently impossible. He explained the situation and requested Hazrath Peer to take him to Dada and pray for his pardon and suggest a solution. After Hazrath Peer recited the Fateha, Maharaja expressed his gratitude to Dada, repented his folly, sought out of the dargah and following the instructions, he broke the coconut on the stone slab. To his pleasant surprise the stone developed a crack”

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