Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki:
Masjid Khaki is one of the oldest mosques in the town and is situated in Reshi Bazar
of mohalla Kakhi sahiban in Anantnag town.It is more than 600 years old and is named
after Hazarat Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki the chief disciple of Hazarat Sheikh Hamaza
Makhdoom. Sahib Baba Dawood Khaki has also been the chief Qazi of Kashmir and a
scholar of great repute. It is said that Shah Hamdan the great saint of Hamdan in
Iran who had come to Kashmir about 600 years back, visited the town and offered
prayers at a platform where now the present mosque of Hazrat Sheikh Baba Dawood
Khaki stands. The ground floor of the mosque was completed in 800 Hijri (1397 A.D)
by Mir Mohd Hamdani, the son of Shah Hamdan. It is reported that Baba Dawood Khaki
undertook the construction of the first floor of the mosque in 987 Hijri (1579 A.D)
while the second floor of the mosque was completed in 990 Hijri(1582 A.D) under
his own supervision. The saint propagated the ideology of Islam and constructed
number of mosques in different villages of Anantnag district, which even now remains
named after him. The saint died in 995 hijra(1587 A.D) after staying in the district
for about ten years.
The legend as it is, that after a period of three weeks of the death of
the saint, then Mughal Governor of Kashmir had a dream in which he saw Mukdoom Sahib
directing him to bring the body of Babd Dawood khaki to be laid his side at Srinagar
.The Governor therefore secretly planned to bring the body of Baba Dawood
back to
Srinagar .He proclaimed that the Royal party from Srinagar would be visiting the
town and that the ihabitants of the town should remain indoors till the Royal party
had returned Srinagar. The party was accompanied by an army contingent. They visited
the shrine of Reshi Sahib and dug out the body of Baba Dawood in complete secrecy
and placed it in a coffin and left for Srinagar. When the party had just reached
Khanabal-a place on the outskirts of the town a-word went round among the inhabitants
of the town that the body of the saint Baba Dawood Khaki has been stealthily removed
from his grave by the Royal party and that they were on there way to Srinagar. A
big crowed of townsmen rushed to meet the Royal party to snatch away the coffin.
A big scuffle ensued. Finally it was decided that the body would be awarded to the
group which could lift the coffin from the grounds. Inspite of
all efforts the inhabitants
of the town failed to lift the coffin. The Royal party on the other hand lifted
it comfortably and carried it away to Srinagar where the body of the saint stands
buried by the side of the grave of Hazart Sheikh Hamaza Mukhdoom Sahib.