Manghopir Shrine Karachi

[Raheel]

The crocodile festival is a unique festival in Karachi, Pakistan. It is a festival held by the ethnic group called Sheedis. It is believed that Sheedis came as slaves from Africa. The festival is held at a shrine in Manghopir, a dry and humid part of Karachi, which dates back to the thirteenth century.







People feed crocodiles and dance and sing. However, it is the dangling part of the festival that makes this stand out. A father will take his baby son and dangle it above the jaws of a crocodile. This is done to find blessings for the child.





During this festival the people will also make pledges to the shrine. These pledges are given to the crocodiles. The pledges consist of fresh goat meat. When the crocodiles accept the meat it will be seen as a sign of luck. They believe that the crocodiles will not attack because they are disciples of the saint known as Khwaja Hasan.