The tomb that's hit with shoes for good luck

KANPUR: Mausoleums and tombs are usually sacred places where people of all faiths go to seek blessings. But in Etawah's Chugalkhor ka Maqbara (Mausoleum of the Snitcher), there's a story with a 'sole', literally.
Instead of offering flowers or burning incense sticks, devotees rain blows on the dilapidated tomb with shoes and slippers.
This unique method of 'paying obeisance' at the 500-year-old grave is usually done by people praying for a safe journey on the Etawah-Farrukhabad-Bareilly Highway.
Legend has it that the king of Etawah waged war with the king of a place called Atteri. Later, the king of Etawah came to know that his courtier Bholu Saeed was responsible for the war. The king announced that for his betrayal, Saeed his betrayal, Saee should be beaten with shoes till death. Since then, the custom of beating the grave with shoes prevails.
One Iqbal, a local who was awaiting his turn turn to hit the grave, told TOI: "I am headed for Bareilly and have come here to hit the grave of Bholu Saeed five times to save my family from evil influences during the journey."
Situated at a distance of 3km from Etawah district headquarters, the tomb is in a dilapidated state. "I have never seen anyone burning incense sticks, candles or offering 'chadars'. They just beat the grave with shoes or slippers and pray before embarking the journey," Bilal, a resident of Datwali, said.
"It is a rare sight. Unlike other 'mazaars', Chugalkhor ka Maqbara has no caretaker. Passengers request the driver to stop, and they pay obeisance to Bholu by hitting his grave with slippers," said Ravi, a taxi driver.