In general, the term ‘dhow’ is used to refer to the traditional sailing boats which were once used by the Arab sailors for travel, trade and commerce. Besides travel, dhows hold a special oceanic-spiritual significance amongst the Siddi community in Gujarat. According to the Siddi folklores, Mai Misra, Bava Gor, Baba Habash, Baba Nubi, and other spiritual leaders arrived from Ethiopia and other parts of the Nubian Valley through the Indian Ocean to Gujarat on dhows. In many shrines of Gujarat, small dhows are decorated with colorful clothes and are worshipped during events like Urs. The Siddis believe that even though their spiritual leaders do not exist physically anymore, but they spiritually reside on the dhows and in the ocean, and protect the community against dangers and evil forces. To further contextualize the significance of Dhow within the transoceanic spiritual beliefs of the Siddis, let us look into the following image:
This is the image of a dhow which has been placed near the shrine of Mai Misra in the Kuda region of Gujarat. According to the Siddis, when this dhow was recovered from the coast of Kuda, it consisted of cowrie shells, similar to the ones that are used in the musical instrument named Misr Kanga – a funnel-shaped instrument played during zikrs and dhamaals. Since then, this dhow and the cowrie shells inside are worshipped as a blessing of Mai Misra and is believed to have been sent from Ethiopia across the Indian Ocean to the Siddis of Gujarat.