179-year-old Kaaba cover, Prophet’s feet impression on display for Eid in Gorakhpur

An old mosque, stated to be built at the time of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in Jafra Bazar locality, exhibits a part of a 179-year-old velvet cover of Khaan-e-Kaaba, and a rectangular piece of stone with the feet impression of Prophet Mohammad, every year during Eid.

A large number of Muslims see these relics after offering Eid prayers.

The Khaan-e-Kaaba is the holy stone in Mecca around which Haj is performed. Still in a good condition, the black velvet cover looks beautiful with Quranic verses embroidered on it with golden silk thread while the feet impression of the Prophet is on a black stone slab.

Syed Danish Ali, owner of these rare and sacred objects, said these items were brought to India from Mecca by his ancestor, Meer Abdullah, in 1840, when he returned from a pilgrimage. Abdullah made the pilgrimage on horseback along with group of pilgrims from Gorakhpur.

These sacred items are displayed in the mosque close to Ali’s house on the occasion of Eid and Eid-ul-Azha and it’s believed that the devotees who visit them, get their wishes fulfilled.

According to Ali, in those days, in Arabia, there was a tradition to give parts of used Kaaba cover to select pilgrims of different countries and Meer Abdullah was one who carried home the sacred gift.

“People would go to Haj on horses in those days. My ancestor too went to Haj on horseback with a group of friends,” he said.