CM Vijay gives 45 kg sandalwood to Nagore Dargah: What is Kanduri festival, how is it linked to Hindu Maratha king

The Tamil Nadu government provided Nagore Dargah with 45 kg of Jajpokal II Class sandalwood at no cost. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay reportedly handed over the Government Order on October 22, 2026. The supply is intended to support an important religious celebration at the shrine.

The sandalwood will be used for the Periya Andavar Kanduri festival, scheduled for November 10. During the festival, sandalwood paste is carried in a chariot-like procession and used to anoint the Rawla Shariff and the saint’s tomb. This makes the material part of a central ritual.

The order was handed to managing trustee H Haja Najeemudeen Sahib and other trustees. Several ministers and the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board chairman attended. The support links state assistance with Nagore Dargah’s continuing religious traditions and its large Muslim and Hindu pilgrim community.

The Kanduri festival is Nagore Dargah’s most prominent annual event. It lasts fourteen days and commemorates the death anniversary of Saint Syed Shahul Hameed. The festival is held at the shrine because Nagore Dargah is built over the saint’s tomb and serves as a major pilgrimage centre.

Its programme combines prayer, processions, offerings, music, fasting, fireworks and sacred rituals. The opening day features a flag hoisting and procession. Later days include Quran recitations, a holy dip in the Shifa Gunta pool, a three-day fast and the ceremonial anointing of the saint’s tomb with sandalwood paste.

The festival matters beyond remembrance. The shrine attracts both Muslim and Hindu devotees. Its traditions reflect the saint’s spiritual legacy, historical links with Hindu rulers and devotees, and Nagore’s reputation as a site of interfaith participation.

The Kanduri festival lasts fourteen days. It is held during the Islamic month of Jamathul Aagir, from the first through the 14th day of the saint’s death anniversary. This makes it an extended programme rather than a single-day observance.

The Tamil Nadu government sanctioned 45 kg of Jajpokal II Class sandalwood for the celebration. On the 10th day, a parade-like chariot procession carries sandalwood paste into the dargah. The Rawla Shariff and the Great Saint’s tomb are then anointed with the paste.

The figures show both the festival’s duration and the scale of its official material support. The supply was free of cost and intended for the Periya Andavar Kanduri festival on November 10. The article does not state how many pilgrims attend or how much sandalwood earlier celebrations used.

Pratap Singh, a Hindu Maratha ruler who ruled from 1739 to 1763 CE, is connected to Nagore Dargah through its tallest minaret. The shrine has five minarets, and the article identifies him as the builder of the tallest one.

This architectural contribution sits within a broader history. The dargah is described as having been built by devotees of Saint Shahul Hameed, with major contributions from Hindus. Hindu rulers and devotees also contributed to the shrine’s development, according to the information provided.

Pratap Singh’s role helps explain why Nagore Dargah is presented as a symbol of interfaith harmony. Its history is not described as belonging to one community alone. The ruler’s minaret remains a visible example of Hindu involvement in a revered Sufi pilgrimage site.

Hindu devotees participate because Nagore Dargah has a shared religious and historical legacy. The shrine is built over Saint Shahul Hameed’s tomb, but the article says major contributions came from Hindus. It also describes the dargah as a pilgrimage centre for both Muslims and Hindus.

The saint became widely recognised after treating the physical illness of Thanjavur’s 16th-century Hindu king Achuthappa Nayak. That connection is given as a reason for Hindu participation in Kanduri. Devotees also present offerings, sometimes with nadaswaram music, a practice usually associated with Hindu worship.

The dargah’s five minarets provide another link. Its tallest minaret was built by the Hindu Maratha ruler Pratap Singh. Together, these stories help explain why Kanduri commemorates a Muslim Sufi saint while attracting Hindu devotees and expressing interfaith participation.

Kanduri begins with a sacred flag hoisting. The flag is carried by chariots to Nagore Dargah. From the second to the seventh day, holy saints read the Quran and lead prayers. Pilgrims also gather to witness the dargah’s displayed ‘Light’ of Allah and take a holy dip in the Shifa Gunta pool.

The eighth day features fireworks, described as both a festive attraction and a symbol of truth driving away falsehood. On the ninth day, fakirs visit the Peer Mandapam, and devotees begin a three-day holy fast. On the 10th day, a chariot carries sandalwood paste for anointing the Rawla Shariff and the Great Saint’s tomb.

The fast ends on the 11th day. Quranic messages and blessings continue throughout the 14 days. After the festival, flags and lights are taken down, leaving the dargah’s spiritual light.

Nagore Dargah reveals that a Sufi shrine can serve more than one religious community. It is built over the tomb of Saint Shahul Hameed and is described as a major pilgrimage centre for Muslims and Hindus. Its Kanduri festival draws participation from both traditions.

The shared character has historical and visible foundations. Hindu devotees made major contributions to the dargah’s construction, while Maratha ruler Pratap Singh built its tallest minaret. The saint’s treatment of Hindu king Achuthappa Nayak is another remembered connection. Festival offerings may include nadaswaram music, and pilgrims use the shared ritual space.

The result is a shrine associated with interfaith harmony and a blended cultural heritage. Kanduri keeps these links visible through public processions, offerings, music and pilgrimage. The article presents Nagore as an example of religious traditions meeting around a shared sacred site.