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RELIGIOUS LIFE<br />

There are mosques in all <strong>the</strong> Muslim settlements. In <strong>the</strong> coastal towns <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Corom<strong>and</strong>el we can find some earliest mosques. In most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mosques in <strong>the</strong> coastal<br />

towns prayer is conducted according to Shafi madhhab. There may be separate mosque<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Hanafi faith. The people living adjacent to a particular mosque constitute a<br />

group called Mahalla <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y elect <strong>the</strong>mselves a Muthavalli who will be <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

trustees <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mosque. He is more or less a leader <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community in that particular<br />

area. The Mahalla committee under <strong>the</strong> presidentship <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Muthavalli is responsible<br />

for <strong>the</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mosque <strong>and</strong> its properties. This committee also takes care<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> religious <strong>and</strong> <strong>social</strong> functions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> area. The committee maintains<br />

<strong>the</strong> records <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> marriages that takes place in <strong>the</strong> families <strong>of</strong> Mahalla. If a party <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> bridegroom or bride go to ano<strong>the</strong>r town to contract a marriage <strong>the</strong> Muthavalli <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Mahalia issues a certificate to <strong>the</strong> bonafideness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> party without which marriage<br />

would not be solmenised in ano<strong>the</strong>r town. In <strong>the</strong> event <strong>of</strong> a marriage celebration or<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r^ <strong>social</strong> functions or death in a house within <strong>the</strong> Mahalla all <strong>the</strong> members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Mahalla congregate <strong>the</strong>re.<br />

The Mahalla committee also acts as a caste panchayat organisation <strong>and</strong> settles<br />

disputes relating to properties, divorce <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>social</strong> matters. The Mahalla appeals<br />

for donation from <strong>the</strong> philonthropiests to build <strong>and</strong> repair or maintain <strong>the</strong> mosque, to<br />

help <strong>the</strong> marriage <strong>of</strong> poor girls, to support <strong>the</strong> orphans <strong>and</strong> for institutions <strong>of</strong> Arabic<br />

learning.The Muslim philanthropists vie with one ano<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>of</strong>fering donations in cash<br />

or kind for such religious cause <strong>and</strong> <strong>social</strong> upliftment. The funds so collected is<br />

maintained by <strong>the</strong> Mahalla committee.<br />

The mosques <strong>and</strong> darghas built by <strong>the</strong> Muslim philanthropists right from <strong>the</strong><br />

earlier centuries to <strong>the</strong> present day can be seen In various coastal towns in <strong>the</strong> Corom<strong>and</strong>el<br />

region. Among which <strong>the</strong> mosques <strong>and</strong> darghas in Kilakkarai, Kayalpattanam <strong>and</strong><br />

Nagore deserve special mention. These mosques <strong>and</strong> darghas are constructed In typical<br />

Dravidian style with <strong>the</strong> combination <strong>of</strong> Islamic architecture.

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