April 24, 2003

Right in the middle of the chaos called Saddar, surrounded on all four sides by traffic and encroachers shouting mad — stand the three sisters, hand in hand — in the three ever-smiling lanes of Karachi’s Bohra Bazaar.

Donned with colourful dupattas of dupatta wali gali and jingling with glass bangles at the choorri wali gali, they have withstood the test of time and preserved their old-world charm, for the last 150 years or so. Hunaid, a young shopkeeper tells me that the plastic goods store in which he sits, was started by his grandfather, in 1854. It is he who corrects me when I call the place Bohri Bazaar, “The right word is Bohra and not Bohri. Its literal meaning is a trader and it reflects the mercantile origins of the community.”

Yousuf Khan Saheb, a councillor of Saddar Union Council and the Chairman of the Saddar Markets Association, explains that the community owns 350 shops in Saddar, out of which 230 are within the bazaar. Most of the shopkeepers live in the 900 Bohra households, in and around Saddar.

The 40,000 strong Bohra community of Karachi is spread out in 16 different neighbourhoods, each with its own committee, headed by a senior member. The mosque is the centre of the neighbourhood, where the faithful congregate, three times a day for morning, afternoon and evening prayers. Women also join the congregation in large numbers. During the first 10 days of Moharram, niaz is served at the adjoining Jamaat Khana, every afternoon. In Ramadan, the entire neighbourhood joins in, for the evening iftar.

Burhani Mohalla at Haideri, with its impressive Hussaini Masjid and Al Jamiat-us-Saifiyah, is the biggest Bohra neighbourhood in Karachi.

But the more than a million strong community, is spread all over the globe. Mumbai has the largest numbers with around 150,000. Last year when His Holiness Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohras, went from Mumbai (his official residence) to Houston for the annual Moharram congregation, he was joined in by 50,000 followers, from 476 Dawoodi Bohra Centres all over the world.

As the head of his Jamaat, he is the custodian of the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Fatimi Imams. Those great patrons of art and literature, who founded the city of “Alqahira” (Cairo) in 969 A.D. and established the Al-Azhar University. Jame-Al-Anwar, the fourth largest mosque in the world and the second largest in Cairo, was also built by them. Nine centuries ago the 21st Imam, Al Imam Al Tayyib migrated from Cairo to Yemen. Twenty three vicegerents functioned in Yemen until 1539 A.D., when due to religious persecution the followers took asylum in Gujarat (India). Gujarat which is today a site of communal violence, was then a seat of religious tolerance.

In November 1980, The Egyptian Gazette wrote under the heading, “Faith Spares A Heritage”: “Until a year or so ago, the saddest building to be found was the massive Fatimide Mosque of Al-Anwar, lodged against the city wall, between the two great gates of Bab-al-Nasr and Bab-al-Futuh. Little remained to be picked over, by the curious visitor. The vast courtyard had long ago become, a rubble-strewn path of sandy earth, used previously as a school playground and football pitch.

“And yet today, the restoration of the mosque is near completion. The task of its restoration has been accomplished by a group, from the Bohra Islamic community. Remarkable too, has been the method of funding the work. The members of the Bohra community did not go to UNESCO for financial aid, or to their national governments. It has been a self-help project in which wealthy men have used their money, to express devotion to their faith. The example will not be lost on well-to-do Muslims, closer to home.”

Today a similar self-help project is under way, at Karachi’s Bohra Bazaar. The oriental market which had partly lost its Arabian Nights ambience because of a massive fire in 1957, is being renovated under the instructions of Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Dai Al-Mutlaq (deputy of the Fatimi Imams). Naeem Bhai Saheb Mohyuddin is supervising the work. Seventy two shops in two lanes have been renovated until now. Arches have been built at entrance and exit points and fountains placed, at the centre of each lane. Sunshades and signboards are being painted, as bulbs get fixed and wiring repaired.

Streets buzz with the “Kem chey” (How are you?) and “Maja ma” (I’m fine), of Gujarati chatter. Shopkeepers in white, gold-embroidered caps and flowing beards, display their fare. Textile companies have their patterns flaunted. Shoe manufacturers set their heels straight. Gold glitters and gems dazzle as make-up brands splash their hues, all around.

Bohra Bazaar is no place for pretty Sleeping Beauties. These would get easily trampled by the ever-moving rush of the wide-eyed pedestrians, heading to dig gold at any of the many jewellers, or just looking for the right-sized pamper, for their umpteenth new-born.

Welcome to Bohra Bazaar. Hungry? How about a plateful of aloo channa or mix chaat at one of the chaat houses? Some of the eateries here have to be on the top of anyone’s take-home list.

Once Inside the dupatta wali gali one just can’t help turning around, in the direction of the incessant patter of “Aaeyae baji. Aaeyae na.” And Bohra Bazaar is any baji’s shopping dream come true.

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