Women Pilgrims Boons and Bonds in an Ismaili Sect

Abstract

The religious life of the Daudi Bohras - an Ismaili sect of South Asian Shici Muslims - comprises a rich pattern of beliefs and rituals. Its members adhere to seven pillars of Islam. Besides the well-known five, the other two include walaya, or devotion to the Prophet and his relations, and obedience to the twenty-first hidden imam. Visits to tomb shrines constitute a significant expression of devotional observances. Distinct from the Hajj, this type of pilgrimage is known as ziyaret in Bohra usage. The following concentrates on domestic pilgrimages or visits to tombs of dais* (leaders of the missionary effort) and other functionaries in India.