Belchhi Sharif Belchhi sharif | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 25°22′24″N85°34′26″E / 25.37322°N 85.57377°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Bihar |
| District | Patna |
| Government | |
| • Type | state |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,731 |
| Languages | |
| • Spoken | Magadhi, Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-BR |
Belchhi is a historically important village in Bihar state, India. It is situated 90 km from Patna and is a Block in Barh subdivision.
The incident occurred on May 27, 1977, the village was surrounded by 60-70 men and a gang of the land-owning Kurmi caste led by Mahavir Mahato, shot dead 11 men with their hands tied, including eight dalits (lower caste) and three members of the backward caste, Sunar. Subsequently, their bodies were burned in a common pyre. Subsequently, based on the key testimony of survivor Janaki Paswan, 2 of the accused received death sentences, 11 others were given life sentences. [1] [2] [3] The death penalty was given by the Patna High Court in 1982 and upheld by the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali in 1983. This made it an important event in the legal history of India, where dead penalty was given to perpetrators in caste-related violence in Bihar. [4]
In 1977, Indira Gandhi was out of power. It was then, on 13 August 1977 [1] , that she visited Belchhi to meet with surviving victims of atrocities perpetrated there against untouchables. She went to Belchhi by riding an elephant, she inspired a new public image. This event triggered a reversal of fortunes for her and for the Congress Party, became a turning point in modern Indian politics, and also put Belchhi front and center in the national news. This part of Belchhi is located in Patna District.And that time a new policy passed by Bihar government to build a police station and a post office. After some years a block was built in the centre of the village.
The part of Belchi where the famous Sufi chillah is situated is located in Nalanda district (Bihar Sharif). [5] [6] [7] [8] Nalanda adjoins Patna district, having split off from Patna in 1972.
The 12th century Sufi saint Usman Harooni's chillah (a shrine, but not a burial shrine) is in Belchi. According to legend, Usman had a muridah (a female Sufi student) who resided in Belchi and had promised her that after her death her tomb would be positioned beneath Usman Harooni's legs. Eventually, Usman Harooni died in Makkah, Arabia, and his body was buried there. To fulfill his promise, he came to Belchi in spirit and ordered his chillah to be built, and beside it the tomb of the muridah. Thus, Usman's chillah in Belchi is regarded as a tangible emblem of his spiritual strength.
Since the discovery of the chillah site by a traveling Chishti shaikh in the 15th century A.D., a celebration of Usman Harooni's urs (anniversary of his transitioning out of the world) has been a popular annual event at the Chillah Belchi, from the 14th to the 16th of Shawwal (Islamic calendar).
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