Mumbai’s Iconic Pedro Shah Baba Dargah Celebrates Grand Urs: Devotees Gather at Historic Sayyed Abdullah Shah Kadri Sufi Shrine

Salaam people Mumbai Desk 

The Pedro Shah Baba Dargah (officially known as the Sayyed Abdullah Shah Kadri Dargah) is an iconic Sufi shrine in Mumbai located near Crawford Market and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). It is a rare cultural landmark that symbolizes Mumbai’s multi-faith unity, drawing Hindu, Muslim, and Parsi devotees alike.

Legend and Identity of the Saint
Historical and local oral traditions offer two primary narratives regarding who Pedro Shah Baba actually was during the 18th century:

Mumbai’s Iconic Pedro Shah Baba Dargah Celebrates Grand Urs: Devotees Gather at Historic Sayyed Abdullah Shah Kadri Sufi Shrine

The Portuguese Sailor: The most popular legend says he was a 18th-century Portuguese seafarer who converted to Islam and became a revered Sufi ascetic. Because of his background, the local Portuguese community affectionately compared his spiritual nature to Saint Peter, hence the name “Pedro”.
The Arab Merchant: An alternative history recorded by Nile Green in his book ‘Bombay Islam’ and maintained by the dargah’s hereditary caretakers describes him as Sayyed Abdullah Shah Kadri. He was an Arab merchant from Makran (along the Persian Gulf) who traveled with Portuguese sailors, settled in Mumbai, and passed away around 1799.

The “Wicker Basket” Miracle (Pettiwala Baba) [1]
In Mumbai’s early labor history, Pedro Shah Baba is fondly remembered as the city’s first informal dockworker organizer. According to lore, he worked as a humble pettiwala (wicker basket porter) at the old Bombay docks. [1, 2]
His divine nature was reportedly first discovered by a Parsi couple. They witnessed him walking past them with his heavy worker’s basket floating miraculously above his head rather than touching it. The couple’s blind daughter was also said to have been cured of her ailment through his blessings.

Architecture: The dargah features classic Indo-Saracenic architecture mixed with Islamic art, highlighted by a beautiful marble tomb and distinct domes.
Silver Eyes Offerings: A unique ritual at this shrine involves donating small, symbolic silver eyes (chandi ki aankh) to the donation box, a practice by devotees seeking a cure for vision or eye-related illnesses.
Annual Urs: The saint’s annual Urs (death anniversary festival) takes place during Muharram, turning the entire Crawford Market neighborhood into a vibrant, multi-cultural fair.

Mansoor Khan, the National President of Sufi Islamic Board attended the URS Celebration and said he is fortunate to be blessed by Hazrat Pedro Shah Baba. The Shrine is just half a kilometre away from my residence and whenever I used to feel low I used to go to the Shrine and sit there untill I was fully calmed down.