Syedna laid to rest with full state honours

Dawoodi Bohra spiritual head Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was laid to rest in a mausoleum here Saturday afternoon with full state honours.

The 52nd Dai-al-Mutlaq (direct in line with Prophet Mohammed) passed away early Friday, aged 102, at his residence Saifee Mahal on the Malabar Hill.

He was buried in the renowned Raudat Tahera, beside his father, the late Syedna Taher Saifuddin, in the community-dominated Bhendi Bazaar area of south Mumbai.

The late Syedna's second son, Mufaddal Saifuddin, took over as the new Syedna and becomes the 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq.

The funeral ceremonies, attended by lakhs of people from different communities, started around 10 a.m. in the morning against the backdrop of 18 mourners killed in a stampede a few hours before.

The funeral cortege wound its way through some of the most congested areas of south Mumbai on the five-km-long route from Saifee Mahal to Raudat Tahera, with several state VVIPs also paying homage.

Thousands of Dawoodi Bohras wept, beat their chests and raised slogans besides chanting religious sayings for their beloved spiritual leader who led the community for nearly five decades.

Later, the funeral procession culminated in a final "namaaz-e-janaza".

The new Syedna led the prayers after which the body was laid to rest.

Soon after the "Sadakallah" (funeral) rituals were completed, the Dawoodi Bohra community tearfully joined the "Salwaat ni niyaaz".

With a view to restrict the crowds from spilling into Malabar Hill, the community had organised live telecast and webcast of the funeral ceremonies at all mosques, community centres and other locations all over the country and abroad.

In the wake of the stampede, the Mumbai Police and the community volunteers took security measures to ensure an incident-free funeral.