History of Dungra

Whatever information I am getting over the phone from my search I am putting it down step by step.

To day 28.12.2005 I have a 45 minutes telephone conversation with Salamatullah Abdullah and he has given me in detail information related to Dungra. While our ancestor left Aneeta their ruins and sign of times are still visible.

The palm trees and Dates trees once properties of Abdul Rehman Gulab Patel,Rasool Hassan(Moorga dosa),Ismail Hussein Mota were used for building a roof and fence from its leafs. As I remember we used to go in gorat in middle of forties for getting Talchias and Chatias (leafs of palms & dates) for roofing and fencing.

Further Salamatullah told me that an old mosque was somewhere in Kabarstan. A Mujawar or a Sain named Dawar Khan (Rehmatu sain) with his wife had Jhonpdi a cottage near big Imlee Tree, where now the madressa is situated. There was no other Basti.

IMLEE TREE or TAMARIND TREE: There was a huge tamarind tree where on festival days all the youngsters with a big rope fastening on a strong branch of tree making swing and enjoying the festivity.

There is a saying that PIRON KI SAVARI on seven white horses, where he used to pass from there (Allah knows the best).

Another saying is that once a calf (GAI KA BACHRA) belonging to this mujawar had been stolen by these thieves, and his wife was shouting on dargah.

“ O MOORADIYA OUR BACHRA HAD BEEN ROBBED AND YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN IN YOUR PRESENCE, NEXT DAY IN THE MORNING, THOSE ROBBERS WERE GOING ROUND AND ROUND OF DARGAH WITH THAT BACHRA AND COULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET AWAY.

THEY SAID THAT WE WERE BLIND AND COULD NOT SEE THE WAY OUT.”

Further Salamatullah told me that once in the Rasul Patel’s family, in the wedding of their beloved daughter barat came from palod. There were two young boys who went for swimming in the near gaon talaab, and drowned.  Ibrahim Gulab (khoria) had a recollection from his elders saying that they could not find the bodies of two boys but had heap of rose flowers at the place where they drowned. They collected the heap of flowers and buried. (Allah knows the best). These boys’ pakki kabars are still in the kabarstan. In Palod, after this incident it was as a tradition that people from Palod had to come to Dungra, to lay flowers on their graves. (Umer dosa ki chokri ki jaan palod se aye thi aur yeh hadsa huva tha uske baad se vahan ke log kisi ki bhi shadi ho oos se pahle yahan aa kar kabar per phool charha te hain.

MIDWIFE OR DAI: Most of the child birth assistance from early twentieth century was provided by Mani dosi,Amali dosi and Gangli wife of Mulji Naran and some time by Hamida wife of Gulab Ghat.

For circumcision a hajam (barber) used to come from Hathuran and my father Rehmatullah was expert in holding boys for performing this ceremony. Barber was all the time chewing pan and spitting (pichkari marna) on the wound for healing purposes.

Most of the agricultural land belongs to the Parsees from Ilav and Banyas from Hansot when bill was passed by government KHEDE AINI ZAMIN they were selling the farms to the farmers who was managing those farms. The price as I understand from Mohammad (Balu Bapu) that his father baught 6 bigha popra from banya in pandvai border at the price of Rs.180 for 6 bigha.For this land Abdu father of imam was also interested but because of backing from Manchu Suthar of Panjroli this land was sold to Balu Bapu..As I understand from Salamtullah that Rehmtu gora and his father Abdu mama used to work for Rasool Hassan (their chacha)  Lakra hank te the ne hal chalate the.Desai wala khet  aur bare me jo gaban he voh parsee ke pas thi. Abdu mama ka khayal tha ke chacha aa khet mujhe dilwa do pan voh nahin huva ke tu paise kahan se dega. Phir yeh khet unhon ne apne nam per kar liye the.We have to write here whatever was happened in the past either in somebody’s favour or against we should not be alarmed as passed is passed and we should enjoy reading all sorts of stories.

In 1952 I was in back yard of Shaikhu  Patel I was sitting with Kader mama on his first visit to Dungra from Karachi I saw son of Ameer Fojdar Abdul Rehman Master from Hansot in the house of Gulab Ghat. Since those days I was enquiring as what was his relation with Gulab Hussein’s family. To day salamtullah told me that there was a 14 bigha khet belonging to Ameer Fojdar that was given to them for farming and he used to come for his share of crops. Now we understand that khet is in possession of Gulab family. Allah knows the best.

To day is 1^st of January 2006-01-01 and from dungra Nasser with Zakir has gone to Hansot to get old record of dungra from mamletdar office somebody is working on it and Inshallah  we are hopeful to have this information soon. On the other hand Ameeruddin (kaloo) with Salamtullah went to Gorat and Aneeta to get some information which will be available soon.                                              

In the meantime I am giving here all the available stories of our well known heroes of Dungra.  Abdullah (Abdu kola) & Ameena (Momin).  In early 1940 their wedding took place at Karanj. Dulha Abdu’s barat was in Bell Gadi of Rehmatu sain (father in law of Rehman shah and this Rehmatu shah or sain was also known as Dawar Khan). Mohammad Balu bapu was saying that we all youngsters namely Bashir, Amir, Imam, Rehman with other elders were present in wedding. The local people of Karanj our vohra brothers commented that amari chokri to thandi gai che ya gai jevi che then BASHIR made a comment that hamara chokra bhi garibra saand hai. Piyar se Abdu apni Ameena ko Momin keh ker bulata tha. Agar koi Abdu ko KOLA keh ker bulata tha to kehti thi NA BA KOI KOLA NAHI TAMO HOYGE .Wonderful couple they have gone from this world but their YADAIN are still there to remember. Allah oon ki magafirat farmaye ameen.

TRAGEDY: Once a small girl Noor Jehan daughter of Mastan Malek (Bana) went early morning to fetch water from well while fetching the bucket her legs slipped and fell down in the well. She was dragged out by Ghulam Rasul manjra but could not survived and found dead (inn.lil-v-i-r) this was happened around 1950.

Another tragedy was with Nizamuddin Rehman Malek who was with brother Bashir who was working in his kerda but then went to talab to bring his buffaloes from the pond. You know that these animals are very stubborn. He was stoning to get them out but could not succeed. He then jumped in the water but his lungi had blocked his face and went some where under the pond. After struggle for sometime then people managed to bring him up but found him dead may Allah bless his soul amen.

SHOCKING TRAGEDY: It was year 2004 day of shabe barat Mohammed Ali and his wife died due to electric shock. It is a common practice that early in the morning they put the motor on to get pressure of water. They just put the wire in the socket with no plug and when the job is done they just pull the wire out. The live wire was touching the over flow of water. Saeeda went to turn down over flow of water but the water was full of electric current. She was electrified and when Mohammad gone for her help although she was shouting not to come forward but he was already in overflow of water with bear foot. Some body in next door heard the cry. Some how they manage to enter the house since then both were dead. Allah oon ki magfirat farmaye Ameen

REHMATULLAH MALEK: When he died at that time his son Hussein Malek was in East Africa and when he arrived back he wished to see the face of his dead father .It was almost over a month. This came in to notice of Malek bawa Tunkiwale at Surat. He had given permission to fulfil his wishes in his presence. A day was fixed to open the grave in the presence of Malek Bawa, Chotu Bawa and Molvi Samiullah who then went to Pakistan. The corpse and shroud was in the same condition as it was at the time of burial (Allah knows the best) Allah oon ki bal bal magfirat farmaye Ameen...

GHORIA LAGAN: MARRIAGE ARRANGED BY PARENTS FROM CRADLE HOOD OR AT THE AGE OF 7-8 YEARS AND RUKHSATI OR BIDAGRI IS DONE AT MATURITY.THOSE COUPLES WHOSE WEDDING DONE IN THAT MANNER IS LISTED AS UNDER:-

Ibrahim Rasul with Noorjehan Abbas,  Karim Rasul with Bibi Sultan (Dungri), Ghulam Nabi Abbas with Sakina bibi Rasul,   Shaikhu Rasul with Ruqaiya, Ismail Hussein Mota with Halima Mohammad, Mohammad Abbas with Sugra Mohammad Malek and Mustafa Gulam (Kalu Patel).

 As I understand from Mohammad Abbas that to avoid prohibition child marriages act they had

Arranged this wed lock before it was coming in to force. Child Marriage Restraint act 1929 was violated. Therefore Supreme Court of India issued notices to Central and 10 states to put an end to the social evil of child marriage.  Then SHARDA ACT 1930 came to fix 18 years for girl and 21 years for Boy.