Sorry about the title abbreviation .... the default seems to be cutting everything short
DAILY TIMES (Lahore, Pakistan) 01 March 06 If Mor Baba eats the goat he has accepted the sacrifice (Mansoor Khan)
Karachi: Hot- and cold-water springs run side by side at Manghopir, whose waters are known for their healing properties, particularly for skin diseases. Another attraction are the crocodiles that live in a pond which people visit with animal sacrifices.
Muhammad Sarwer, who has been paralysed for the last six months said, "I consulted many doctors, but no one could give me any hope. I visited Mangopir four times and felt much better after bathing in the hot springs."
Sarwer said that he could not speak and was unable to move the upper half of his body before visiting Manghopir. "But now I can speak and also move my hands to some extent." The water was really hot but not in a harmful sense, he added.
Manghopir receives many visitors from far away. They come to bathe in a hall where they are charged Rs 3 and Rs 5 for children and adults, respectively. The hall doesn't have a separate area for female visitors. Each visitor is allowed ten minutes in the hall.
A resident of Lyari, Hanif Husain, said that he used to have severe skin problems. "I have been visiting the spring for the last five months and any one who knew me before can see the difference," he said.
Shakir Rind, who is in charge of the hall, said that the site was auctioned annually and he paid Rs 350,000 for this year's contract. "The government auctions the water springs," he added.
Manghopir is also a historical site with 700-year-old shrines and ancient graves, which attract foreigners.
Nazeer Rind, a resident of Manghopir, said that the religious ministry was responsible for the upkeep of the shrines.
Manghopir is also known for a small pond near a cool water stream where 150 crocodiles live and are looked after by the local people. Not only Muslims visit the place but Hindus also come here to pay their respects to the shrines and crocodiles. Some of the visitors bring sacrificial animals for the crocodiles.
Crocodile caretaker Khalifa Hajji Sajjad said that his family had been looking after these crocodiles for hundreds of year. He belongs to the eleventh generation of the family. "The crocodiles are fed by the visitors and tourists," he explained.
Pond supervisor Murad Rind said that the annul urs of Baba Manogpeer was celebrated on March 16 and a goat would be sacrificed for Mor Baba (the most senior crocodile who is 65 years old). "If Mor Baba eats that goat, it means the sacrifice has been accepted," he said. "The crocodiles are not dangerous as many children have fallen into the pond but they were not harmed by the crocodiles."
Rind said that there was no specific breeding time for the crocodiles and they get angry if any one tries to touch their eggs.
Many legends surround the shrine of Hazrat Manghopir and the crocodiles. Some people believe that the saint came from Saudi Arabia while others believe that he hailed from Khurrasan and arrived here in the 13th century. Muslims and Hindus refer to him as Jaraj.
According to the Muslim point of view, Hazrat Baba Farid Gunj Baksh sent Manghopir to Karachi to proselytize while Hazrat Lal Sahbaz Qalander and Bahauddin Zikria Multani were his well wishers.
If Mor Baba eats the goat he has accepted the sacrifice
