Paper short abstract:

The present paper tries to understand the concept, origin and establishment of 'street' shrines by taking some of the shrines of Hyderabad's old city area as a case study.

Paper long abstract:

Sacred spaces are of various kinds and dargahs (shrine) are one among them. They can be further categorised according to the number of devotees it attracts- popularity, its distinct ritual practices, geographical location and so on. According to geographical location they can be further classified as the one on the mountains, lanes, on the middle of the road, graveyards etc. However, in recent times in Hyderabad, the shrines on the road, specifically the one in the middle of the road have garnered much attention. One of the reasons for their sudden attraction is the construction of flyovers. Moreover, these modern ways of road and traffic management created a kind of tension among the communities as well, specifically in Hyderabad, a city in India.

The present paper intends to look at some of the selective 'street' dargahs of Hyderabad's old city, a Muslim populated area, and examines their origin and establishment. The paper tries to examine whether the 'street' shrines are the feature of Hyderabad city or the outcomes of road development planning? Or can one actually use the term 'street' shrines for these dargahs? Further, the paper tries to understand what goes into the making of shrines by raising some questions like Who are these saints and their caretakers? What made the people to revere them? What is the participation of the community in maintaining these shrines specifically in the context of growing consciousness about the concept of shirk among Muslims? How the rituals are enacted here?