Nagore Dargah

The Nagore Dargah, also known as the Nagore Dargah Shareef, the Nagoor Dargah, the Syed Shahul Hamid Dargah, or the Nagore Andavar dargah, is a dargah complex built over the tomb of the Sufi saint Nagore Syed Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid, located in Nagore, a coastal town in the Nagapattinam district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Shahul Hamid is believed to have performed many miracles in Nagore, and cured the physical affliction of king Achuthappa Nayak, a 16th-century Hindu ruler of Thanjavur. He is locally referred to as Nagore Andavar, meaning the "Ruler of Nagore" and Qadir wali baba. Nagore dargah as it stands now, is believed to have been built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, with major contribution from Hindus. There are five minarets in the dargah, with the Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), building the tallest minaret. The dargah is a major pilgrimage centre that attracts pilgrims from both sufi Islam and Hinduism, symbolizing peaceful coexistence between the two religions.

The outer doors of the dargah are kept open always, while the internal doors are open from 4:00–7:00 am and from 6:00–10:00 pm. On Fridays, the doors are additionally kept open between 12:00–2:30 pm.

The most prominent event celebrated at Nagore Dargah is the Kanduri festival (Urus Mubarak), a fourteen-day commemoration of the death anniversary of Shahul Hamid. Common worship practices at Nagore dargah include the presentation of offerings, accompanied by the playing of musical instruments like nadaswaram, typical of Hindu religious tradition. The Shifa Gunta, a pool within the precincts of the dargah, is considered sacred; pilgrims take a holy dip in it. The hereditary trustees performs all the official and duties of the dargah. The governance and upkeep of the dargah are overseen by an 8-member board of trustees, which operates under a court-decreed scheme established by the Madras High Court.