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The landmark event in the early history of Lakshadweep
was the complete transformation of entire population
in to Islamic faith. An Arab Saint named Ubadidullah
brought this about.
Though the Muslims in Lakshadweep have the belief that
there is no other God but Allah and that Muhammad is
his Prophet, still Pir (saint) worship is prevalent
here . The festivals of Urs of Ubaidullah (at Andrott)
and Syed Muhammed Kasim (at Kavaratti) are celebrated
every year.
.The majority of the Muslims belong to the Sufi School
of the Sunni sect and they accept both the Koran and
the Sunnet. There are also Wahabis and Ahamadiyas who
are small minority. The Wahabis have separate mosques
in Agatti and Kavaratti and the Ahamadiyas are found
only in Kalpeni.
In the Kavaratti island, there are all in all fifty
two mosques of which the most famous and beautiful is
the Ujra mosque. There is a well, within its premises,
which is believed to contain water, which can cure all
diseases.
The Ujra mosque has an intricately carved ceiling,
which were carved from a driftwood.This clearly depicts
the craftsmanship of Kavaratti people. You will be spell
bound by the sheer intricacy of the work with patterns
of pale green and dark red woven in a harmonious blend.
The Jumah Mosque is another mosque, which houses the
tomb of Saint Ubaidullah. This is a huge building and
has the largest tank of any mosque in the islands. Here
in the graveyards, you will find green or blue headstones
with Koranic texts engraved on them.
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