The beauty of Ashtur, a centre of communal harmony
The Hindu Tuesday, Oct 05, 2010 Where the spirit of a tolerant king brings all faiths together Rishikesh Bahadur Desai Promoting amity:A file photo of Shivacharya Swamiji of Madyal in Gulbarga at Ahmed Shah Ali Wali's tomb in Ashtur in Bidar. Bidar: Ashtur, a village near Bidar, is a place of syncretic worship, a tradition that is widespread in north Karnataka. The tomb of the Bahmani King Ahmed Shah Ali Wali is a place of worship visited by Hindus and Muslims, and a centre of communal harmony. While the Muslims pay respects to the saintly ruler, the Hindus find it the abode of Allama Prabhu, the 12th century saint-poet. There are two annual celebrations — the birth anniversary in March-April, a week after Holi, and the death anniversary in October-November after Dasara. Hindus and Muslims participate in both the events. Sri Shivacharya Swamy of Madyal in Aland taluk in Gulbarga walks 80 km to reach Ashtur. He is joined by around 500 devotees. He arrives at the Mutavalli's hou...