TOPSHOT – In this photograph taken on March 4, 2018 Sajjad Burfat (R), the custodian of sacred crocodiles, feeds frankinsense-smoked meat to a crocodile next to a pond at the shrine of Sufi Hasan-al-Maroof Sultan Manghopir, during the Sheedi Mela or crocodiles festival, on the outskirts of Karachi.
For many Sheedis, the swampy crocodile shrine to Sufi saint Haji Syed Shaikh Sultan — more popularly known as Mangho Pir — is the most potent symbol of their shared African past, as they struggle to uncover the trail that led their ancestors to Pakistan. / AFP PHOTO / ASIF HASSAN / TO GO WITH Pakistan-religion-Sheedi-crocodiles-African,FEATURE by Ashraf KHAN
Manghopir is a rural area of Karachi, The area has the oldest Sufi shrines in the city named after a Hindu Saint saqib, hot sulphur springs that are believed to have curative powers, and many crocodiles – believed locally to be the sacred disciples of Pir Mangho.
Sheikh Hafiz Haji Hasan-al-Maroof Sultan Manghopir or Pir Mangho is the popular name for 13th century Sufi Pir Haji Syed Khawaja Hassan Sakhi Sultan. Balochs often call this place as ‘Mangi’ or Garm-aab/Sard-aab (due to the presence of the hot & cold springs).
Location
Manghopir Rd, Manghopir Sultanabad New Karachi, Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan
