Thousands of pilgrims rushed to the shrine of a Sufi saint in India Friday after hearing reports of an apparition on the shrine's dome. Shrine workers said they saw images of two bearded men on the dome starting Wednesday evening, and one of the images appeared to be the Sufi saint Khwaja, "who made his appearance to spread the message of goodwill and peace after the recent carnage in Gujarat." More than 720 people, mostly Muslims, have died recently in Hindu-Muslim riots in neighboring Gujarat state. The vision could be due to light reflecting off the shiny, recently painted dome, but locals said it's a ploy by shrine workers to lure pilgrims since numbers of visitors declined sharply following the Gujarat riots.
Shining Goodwill
Thousands of pilgrims rushed to the shrine of a Sufi saint in India Friday after hearing reports of an apparition on the shrine's dome. Shrine workers said they saw images of two bearded men on the dome starting Wednesday evening, and one of the images appeared to be the Sufi saint Khwaja, "who made his appearance to spread the message of goodwill and peace after the recent carnage in Gujarat." More than 720 people, mostly Muslims, have died recently in Hindu-Muslim riots in neighboring Gujarat state. The vision could be due to light reflecting off the shiny, recently painted dome, but locals said it's a ploy by shrine workers to lure pilgrims since numbers of visitors declined sharply following the Gujarat riots.
