Kalburgi: Dr. Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini, the Sajjadanashin of Dargah Khawaja Bandenawaz in Gulbarga, breathed his last on Wednesday (October 6) at around 11 pm. He was ailing for some time. He was 79.
Dr. Hussaini had stepped into the shoes of his legendary father Mohammed Al-Hussaini, who began the mission of modernising the Dargah administration, channelised its charities for establishing a string of educational institutions, spruced up the Dargah surroundings and set up a modern bazaar for small traders who eked out livelihood by selling artifacts churned out by local crafts-persons.
Gulbarga (now officially renamed Kalburgi) owes its fame to the mausoleum of Khawaja Bandenawaz Gesudaraz (1321-1422), a disciple of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti. He spread the teachings of Islam in Deccan region during the Bahamani era.
Dr. Hussaini was the chancellor of Khawaja Bandenawaz University which was set up in 2018.
It has nearly 35 institutions with several high schools, an Industrial Training school, a couple of polytechnics, an engineering college, a medical college, a teachers’ training college, an academy devoted to English teaching, a library treasuring old manuscripts, a girls’ college, a general hospital, guesthouse, several hostels and a few other institutions.
He is survived by his wife, two sons Syed Muhammad Ali Hussaini and Dr. Syed Mustafa Hussaini and three daughters.
Dr. Khusro studied at the McGill University in Canada and was also awarded a PhD from an American University.
Incidentally, this is the first university in India which has sprung out of a Dargah and pools the charities for educating the younger generation.
He was laid to rest in the Dargah premises the next evening.
