Baba Umer Dargah was built as a place of reverence after the death of a revered Sufi, Baba Umar Shah, honoring his spiritual teachings, miracles, and his role in spreading peace and Islam in the Deccan region.
The Baby-tossing ritual came much later and wasn’t part of the original Sufi tradition. History claims that around 700 years ago, people believed Baba Umer had blessed infertile couples who then promised to show their faith by offering their newborns at the shrine. Over time, this evolved into the ritual. Babies were dropped from the shrine’s terrace (about 30 feet high) onto a cloth held by parents of the infants, families and devotees below.
The act was rooted in the belief that the fall symbolized trust in divine protection, and that children blessed in this way would grow up healthy, strong, and prosperous.
Although the practice survived for centuries, it eventually came under scrutiny in the modern era. Child rights activists and welfare groups condemned the ritual as dangerous and inhumane, even if no recorded deaths had occurred. In 2009, India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) intervened, recommending that authorities put a stop to it.
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