Beemapalli: To be blessed by Bee Umma

 

The mosque stands between the beach & backwater in the Valiathura area of Trivandum. The mosque is close to the Shangumugham beach and is dedicated to Beema Umma who is considered to be from the family of the Prophet himself.  She came to the shores of Kerala in the 14th century with her son Sayyidussaheed aheen Aboobacker to preach Islam among people here. As per the local folklore she was a woman who engaged with people understanding their way of life. The place where she preached Islam is called Valiathura & most people when she came were not sure on their faiths as Christianity was slowly being propagated by the missionaries. The area was a village of fishermen & her involvement with the people made them believe in the Prophet’s way & soon a good number of people started following Islam. There was a small mosque built to make people find a place where they could meet one another & pray.

It is not sure how she died but local stories say that she may have been killed along with her son. The mosque one sees today has the tombs of Beeumma & her son. The old mosque was a small house & the current pink hued structure was built in the last century by Govindan Gopalakrishnan, an architect known for having designed the Palayam mosque. The Beemapalli mosque committee wanted to construct a mosque different from that of the usual Kerala architecture which had thatched roof. The need to have minarets & domes in the church made the mosque committee look for designers and Gopalakrishnan was the best bet as he completed the Palayam mosque in 1967. Upon completion of the mosque, Gopalakrishnan started his work on the Beemapally but it took over 17 years to complete as the funds for the construction were to be collected by grants which took a long time coming. This beautiful mosque has a resemblance to the mosques one finds in North India built by the Mughals, but what is a first is the pink hue on the structure which is not seen anywhere else. The mosque is a grand structure with minarets & tombs. The Beemapalli is one among the large mosques in India.

The mosque has been a place of solace for all the people around for many years but the annual Uroos festival is one that brings all at the mosque. The Urus festival also called Chandanakudam Utsavam is when all remember the efforts of Beeumma as she was fondly called & is a colourful affair with large crowds descending on the beach. During the Urus festival, devotees offer flowers, silk cloak & oil to Beeumma and the same is received as prasad from the mosque. The Urus festival ends with the procession of the Beeumma flag which is taken out with caparisoned elephants & panchavadyam performers following in a musical parade. It is an important time for devotees of all faiths to come at the mosque & pay respects to this venerated lady.

The Beemapally mosque apart from its historical importance is also a place of a tragic incident. In May 2009 there was a Police firing near the mosque which killed 6 persons & injured many people. The exact reason for the firing is still unknown as the final report of the government could never be made public due to its volatile content. The Valiathura & Beemapalli area was inhabited from long by Muslim fishermen & their families. The influx of foreign goods in the market led to an illegal trade which was kept under wraps for many years until the police took a decision to crack down on the trade. This was not welcomed by the people who never gave access to police within their market; some believe that the firing was to create a sense of discomfort among these people. Another theory is that the village near the mosque called Cheriyathura had people from the Christian community & the communal divide between the two villages caused a riot which the police tried to control by firing. An incident which could be linked to this though was when a goon from the Cheriyathura refused to pay for the tea he drank near the mosque & was beaten up by people there. He made a claim to not allow people to celebrate the annual Urus, which led to tensions among both villages. The Police had to resort to firing which killed innocents. The police firing incident was kept in wraps as the mainstream media stopped short of reporting these events and so it did not gain prominence. Only a few local media houses kept fighting for justice over the years. The firing resulted in an uneasy calm & today police can enter the markets without any difficulty & the illegal trade has subsided. The actual reason of the firing is still unknown but the calmness of the sea was lost that day which still resonates in the air around.

The Beemapalli has been standing at the Valiathura village for centuries & anyone who comes here must be awed by the miracle of hot & cold water in the wells which have never dried up even in the worst droughts. The blessings of Beema Umma still work over her people and the beautiful mosque is a signature to this belief.