Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced Rs 5 crores for the development of Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore, where the ‘Rottela Panduga’ festival is held. He extended his best wishes to the devotees participating in the festival. On July 19 at 11 am, the CM interacted online with festival attendees, including devotees, local officials, and public representatives.
In his interaction, CM remarked that the Bara Shaheed Dargah has been a sacred place for hundreds of years, where devotees believe that their wishes will be fulfilled and their hardships will end by exchanging rotis. Due to its sanctity and power, 10 to 15 lakhs visit the festival annually. He emphasised that not only Muslim brothers but also Hindus participate in the roti exchange and have their wishes fulfilled. Chandrababu noted that the world runs on faith in God, and everyone should respect those beliefs and traditions. He mentioned that even scientists who launch rockets seek divine blessings for the success of their endeavours, reflecting the same belief.
In 2014, the Rottela Panduga was declared a state festival due to the immense faith of millions. Chandrababu highlighted the developments made to the Dargah and Swarnala Cheruvu during the Telugu Desam Party’s governance. When Minister Narayana brought to his attention the halted construction of the prayer hall, the Chief Minister immediately sanctioned Rs 5 crores for its completion. He said that the Nellore Rottela Panduga will be expanded and celebrated more grandly in the coming days.
Chandrababu urged the devotees attending the Rottela Panduga to pray for the state’s well-being, noting the severe financial crisis it is facing. He expressed hope that once wealth is generated, it can be redistributed to the poor through welfare schemes. The Chief Minister encouraged leaders to pray for the treasury to be filled by exchanging rotis, assuring them that any increase in Government revenue would be spent on the people. He urged the devotees to make the Rottela Panduga even larger and more grand in the coming years. Chandrababu also interacted with two women from Vijayawada who shared their experiences, stating they had come to exchange rotis after their wishes were fulfilled. The Chief Minister directed officials and ministers to provide better facilities for the devotees.
However, as per the Dakshinapatha Studies, an initiative of the Centre for South Indian Studies (CSIS), there are several conflicting stories linked to Bara Shaheed Dargah.
One account suggests that twelve Islamic preachers from Turkey arrived in India to spread Islam through Tablighi (- (Da’wah-proselytizing). Their journey brought them to Gandhavaram in Nellore, where they faced resistance from the locals. This resistance escalated into a battle, resulting in the death of the twelve Islamists. The current Dargah stands as a memorial at the site where they were killed.
Another version is that during the Carnatic Wars in 1751, the Nawab of Arcot enlisted a regiment from Turkey to aid in the conflict against the British. Among these soldiers were twelve individuals who strictly followed Islamic practices, performed Namaz five times daily, and observed all tenets of Islam. Despite their regiment’s victory, these twelve hardcore Islamists were beheaded by enemy forces in the battle at Gandavaram, located 15 km from Nellore. Their headless bodies were returned to Nellore atop the very horses they rode into battle, and they were laid to rest at the site where the present-day Dargah stands. This area subsequently gained renown as Bara Shaheed Dargah in their honour, with the Dargah constructed to commemorate their death.
Therefore, the shrine is named ‘Bara Shaheed Dargah’, where ‘Bara’ signifies twelve and ‘Shaheed’ denotes martyrs. Legend has it that news of the warriors’ ability to fulfil the wishes of the faithful spread widely after the wife of the Nawab of Arcot recovered from a severe illness upon offering prayers at the tombs of these twelve Islamists.
‘Roti Festival’ or ‘Rottela Panduga’:
Since the Dargah was built, Muslims would gather on ‘Moharram’ and share rotis among themselves the following day. Over time, word spread that sharing rotis at the Dargah would bring good fortune to both the donor and the receiver. As a gesture of reverence, the queen, accompanied by the Nawab, distributed Rotis among the local Muslims and subsequently to the local non-Muslims. Since then, Muslims used to gather at the Dargah on the 12th day of the Muharram month to continue the tradition of sharing Rotis. The exchange of these Rotis occurs at Nellore tank, also known as ‘Swarnala Cheruvu’, situated near the Dargah.
Slowly, Hindus began attending the Dargah, believing it to be a sacred place and hoping that offering food there would bring them luck, too. The story of the Dargah’s purported blessings became widely popular. Unaware of the Islamic invaders’ history and its implications, Hindus joined in these rituals, anticipating that it might bring them good fortune. In recent decades, this belief was hugely publicised, attracting a large number of people from nearby areas.
Capitalising on this food-sharing activity, Roti vendors with motive of huge profits, started innovative and customised methods by branding the rotis according to the devotees’ wishes. Rotis are named as Sowbhagya (good fortune) roti, Vidya (education) roti, Udyoga (employment) roti, Vivaha (marriage) roti, Santana (children) roti, Dhana (money) roti, and even Visa roti.
Shia Origins of Bara Shaheed Dargah
The Roti festival, observed the day after the Muharram festival, along with the historical association of Arcot Nawabs with the shrine and the tradition surrounding the 12 Shia Muslim deaths, strongly suggest the Shia origins of this shrine. The Arcot Nawabs represented three distinct lineages: Zulfikar Khan and Daud Khan Panni, who were appointed by Aurangzeb initially and succeeded by the Nawayati Nawabs. In the 1740s, the Wallajah line of Nawabs emerged. The early Nawabs adhered to the Shia branch of Islam, while the later Nawabs followed Sunni Islam.
