As we move towards the outskirts of the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, 5 km south west of the railway station, we reach ‘Beemapally’, the place where the beautiful pink ‘Beemapally mosque’ is situated. Beema Palli is a muslim pilgrimage centre which is right under the flight path of planes landing at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. It is the first in India and second in the world where the Juma prayers were started. This mosque houses the tomb of ‘Syedunnisa Beema Beevi’ who was a Muslim lady with divine powers and her son ‘Syedushuhadamaheen Abubacker’. It is one of the most important Muslim places of worship in Kerala. The ‘Dargah Sharif’ (mausoleum) is situated next to the mosque. This memorial is visited and worshiped by pilgrims belonging to all religions. The ‘Chandanakudam Mahotsavam’ or ‘Beemapalli Uroos’ is one of the most colorful Muslim festivals in Thiruvananthapuram. The mosque which is famous for the annual ‘Uroos’ is one among the ‘must watch’ list in the city tourism list. The mosque is surrounded by a good shopping area too.
History
The Beemapally mosque got its name from the name of ‘Beema Beevi’, a member of the Prophet’s family, who is believed to have arrived here from Mecca. She is also believed to have been a woman with extraordinary spiritual powers.
The story of Cheraman Perumal forms part of the history of this mosque. On a moon-lit night the king while walking on the rooftop of his palace along with the queen saw the moon suddenly splitting into two halves. Later he came to know through the Arab traders that a prophet called Muhammad had wrought a miracle on that fateful night, and sundered the moon before a crowd of dazed spectators. Impressed by this new messenger of God in Arabia, the king set out for the holy land after dividing his kingdom and assigning various territories to local chieftains to ensure smooth governance. In Arabia he met Mohammed and embraced Islam in the presence of Abu Bakr Siddique, who later became the first caliph. Cheraman, who took a Muslim name, Tajuddin, died on his way back to India and was buried on the shore of the Arabian Sea at ’Salalah’ in the Sultanate of ’Oman‘. It is said that he had earlier written letters to the local rulers of Malabar and sent it through his ministers along with Malik bin Dinar, a companion of Muhammad. In the letters he had asked them to “receive the bearers of the letters and treat them well and help them to construct mosques at Kodungallur and elsewhere”. The rulers of Kerala honored the letters and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab traders to build mosques in Kerala.
Festivals
A festival to commemorate Beema Beevi is conducted annually at Beemapally. This mosque is famous for the yearly ‘Urs’. The most important festival celebrated here is the ‘Chandanakudam’ festival which begins on the first of ‘Jama dul Akbar’ and continues for the next 10 days. The purpose of celebrating this festival is to mark the death anniversary of ‘Beema Beevi’. The festival ‘Chandanakudam Mahotsavam’ or ‘Beemapalli Uroos’ is a very colorful festival. The celebration starts with hoisting the traditional flag of the mosque in front of the elders and other devotees. This denotes the beginning of the festival. The devotees carry money in pots which are decorated with flowers and incense sticks. Sandal paste is also smeared on these pots; hence it is called as ‘Chandanakudam’. The opening of the pots is covered with white cloth and a garland is tied around the neck of the pot.
How to reach
Beemapally is well connected by the State Road Transport bus services from the East Fort. The nearest railway station is Thiruvananthapuram Central, which is about 8 km away. The nearest airport is the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 2 km away.
