In Medina Baye, religious fervor was palpable. On the night of Saturday to Sunday, millions of faithful, from all walks of life, celebrated, in piety, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Psl).
After previous editions weakened by the effects of Covid-19, this Saturday, not only Medina Baye, but all of Kaolack returned to Gamou fever. The streets of Medina were filled with pilgrims, simply curious, agents on duty or traders of all kinds. On this day marking the birth of the Prophet (Psl), everyone found his account.
Coming from the interior of the country or from surrounding countries, coming in advance or on the same day, everyone wanted to attend the meeting. “It’s been two years since we came here, because we followed the instruction of our Sheikh to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus. It’s a pleasure to come back to Medina Baye”, testifies Moustapha Ndour, who came from Dakar accompanied by his comrades from the same dahira. “As always, we will make our way through the crowd to visit the Mausoleum of Sheikh Ibrahima Niass, the other sites and formulate prayers for our loved ones,” he adds.
At the Guest House (Kër Gan) in Medina Baye, several talibés of different nationalities are present: Nigerians, Ghanaians, mainly, among others, stay there. Not far from this one is the home of Cheikhoul Ibn Khayri, next to the Great Mosque, where there is a Mauritanian community, all faithful to Baye Niass. “Some faithful come to us from Mauritania, England and Niger, among others. And generally, they disembark 2 or 4 days before the Gamou”, explains Mouhamed Dia, busy taking care of the many guests.
Contrary to the monster traffic jams observed between Sibassor and Kaolack, the circulation inside the religious city is rather fluid: “Despite the world, it was not difficult to clear a path throughout the evening. We queued and entered the mosque very easily, thanks to the help of the auxiliary police and the organization system,” says Djimbala Ndour, a pilgrim from Nioro.
In addition, it should be noted those who arrived first, and will surely leave last: these are traders, vendors whose shops and tarpaulins had set the tone for the event for a few days. They sell rosaries, fabrics, bracelets, various objects specific to the event. And, judging by their attendance, the trip is worth the effort. Jakarta drivers, cart drivers, taxi drivers also rub their hands every time thousands of people come to Medina Baye, but also Léona Niassene or Darou Salam who also vibrate to the rhythm of their Gamou.
Arrived at the end of this long day, for some, the celebration will end immediately; others will stay at least until the second part of the celebration (Gamou waat), next Saturday, before leaving town and returning to their routine. For all of them, on the whole, this year’s Gamou kept its promises, apart from a heavy rain that occurred around 1am and continued until 3am. A good sign from Heaven, for the talibé of Baye Niass. For Moustapha Ndiaye, this announces a year full of hope.
By Laity NDIAYE – Correspondent