Heritage · Faith · 5 min read

Thangal Para: The Sufi Saint's Rock in the Hills of Vagamon

On a grassy hilltop near Vagamon, a great round boulder stands beside the shrine of a Sufi saint who, legend says, came from far away some eight centuries ago. The story, the festival and the views of one of Kerala's three pilgrim hills.

By GK Global, Adimali, Munnar · Trails & Tales by GK

The jeep track from Vagamon climbs over bare, rolling hills, the grass flattened by the wind, the views widening at every turn. Then, on the crest of a ridge at Kolahalamedu, a strange shape appears: a huge, rounded boulder, balanced on the hilltop as if set down by a giant hand. Beside it is a small, quiet shrine, its green flags snapping in the breeze. This is Thangal Para, "the rock of the Thangal", the holy man, and for centuries it has drawn pilgrims of every faith.

The saint from afar

According to local tradition, about 800 years ago a Sufi saint, Sheikh Fariduddin Baba, came to these hills with some forty followers. The tradition, as recorded by Kerala Tourism, says he came from Afghanistan. He is said to have lived and taught here, and his teachings won many followers among the people of the hills. When he died, he was laid to rest on this hilltop, and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage.

A word of caution: the story is a living tradition, and there are no contemporary records of the saint's life. His name is the same as that of the famous 12th–13th-century Punjabi Sufi Baba Farid of Pakpattan, but nothing connects the two beyond the name. Historians have not studied the shrine in depth, and its age is not known for certain.

The rock and its legends

The great round rock beside the dargah is wrapped in stories. One says that it was once a small stone on which the saint used to grind his betel (paan), and that after his death it slowly grew into the boulder you see today. Another tells of a spring between the cracks of the rocks that has never been known to dry up, even in the hottest summer. A small cave nearby is also pointed out to visitors. Whatever you believe, the boulder, perched on its bare hilltop against the sky, is an extraordinary sight.

The urus

The main festival of the shrine is the urus, the anniversary of the saint, celebrated in April. It begins with the hoisting of a flag in the morning, and thousands of devotees climb the hill to pray. A special sweet called ganjusakkar is made and shared among the pilgrims.

Three hills, three faiths

Thangal Para is one of three pilgrim hills around Vagamon. On Kurisumala, Christians climb to the cross on the summit, especially during Holy Week; on Murugan Mala, Hindus worship at a hilltop shrine of Lord Murugan; and here, Muslims and people of all faiths come to the saint's tomb. On a clear day, from Thangal Para, you can see both of the other hills. Few places in India bring three faiths so close together, and so peacefully. (Read our Vagamon travel guide and places of worship in the High Range.)

Visitor's guide

• Getting there: about 5 km from Vagamon; the last stretch is a rough, rocky track, best covered by jeep or on foot.
• At the shrine: it is an active place of prayer. Dress modestly, remove footwear where asked, keep your voice down, and ask before photographing people.
• Best time: September to March for clear views; in the monsoon, mist and wind can be intense.
• Stay off the top of the boulder and away from steep edges, especially in wind or rain.